These largest European rodents lived in primordial forests, building their complex abodes with the use of tools that Homo sapiens had no concept of at the time. In this way, they banked up water or changed its course, influencing forest biodiversity and shaping the landscape like architects. Humans, who once almost exterminated the species, are today the only ones responsible for protecting it. In his lyrical nature reportage, Adam Robiński takes the reader to central and eastern Poland, to the dense, still barely accessible forests, where today, many beaver families live in the wild, well hidden from humans. He also demonstrates the extent to which Polish and European culture is indebted to nature – the beaver was and is an inspiration to many artists, writers, and filmmakers. The ecosystem humans are also a part of is hugely valuable to us but requires care.