Enos Mills

"Mills gave occasional talks which led to a career as a speaker. His reputation and influence as a writer provided him with the audiences he needed for lecturing on things he believed in. His career as a lecturer assumed a life and momentum of its own. He would talk about his unique life in the , his devotion to the , and and forest preservation. President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him to the position of Government Lecturer on Forestry, a position he held from 1907 to 1909. During that time he gave 2,118 addresses. His talks awakened interest in trees, , and ."

"As soon as the s is completed, it begins to accumulate trash and mud. In a little while, usually, it is covered with a mass of soil, shrubs of begin to grow upon it, and after a few years it is a strong, earthy, willow-covered dam. The dams vary in length from a few feet to several hundred feet. I measured one on the that was eleven hundred feet long. The influence of a beaver-dam is astounding. As soon as completed, it becomes a highway for the folk of the wild. It is used day and night. Mice and porcupines, bears and rabbits, lions and wolves, make a bridge of it. From it, in the evening, the graceful deer cast their reflections in the quiet pond. Over it dash pursuer and pursued; and on it take place battles and courtships. It is often torn by hoof and claw of animals locked in death-struggles, and often, very often, it is stained with blood. Many a drama, picturesque, fierce, and wild, is staged upon a beaver-dam."

"It is almost a marvel that trees should live to become the oldest of living things. Fastened in one place, their struggle is incessant and severe. From the moment a baby tree is born — from the instant it casts its tiny shadow upon the ground — until death, it is in danger from insects and animals. It cannot move to avoid danger. It cannot run away to escape enemies. Fixed in one spot, almost helpless, it must endure flood and , fire and storm, insects and earthquakes, or die."

"Most insects have enemies to bite them. The spreads death among injurious grubs. Efforts to control forest-enemies will embrace the giving of aid and comfort to those insects that prey upon them. Bugs will be hunted with bugs. Already the in the is being fought in this way. Many species of birds feed freely upon s, borers, and beetles. Of these birds, the s are the most important. They must be protected and encouraged."