Ralph Edwards, OC (c. 1892 – July 3, 1977) was a pioneering British Columbian homesteader, amateur pilot[1] and leading conservationist of the trumpeter swan.

[3] Edwards' deep interest in farming and mountains came together when he learned he could get free land in British Columbia as part of a state homesteading program.

[3] He spent the first decade alone, clearing towering virgin forests of cedar trees with hand tools, building a multistory log home, shooting and trapping game.

In 1917, he enlisted with the United States Army as a radio operator, and fought in World War I with the Fourth Division's 8th Field Signal Battalion, serving at the Battle of Château-Thierry and later with occupation forces on the Rhine.

[4] In 1923, he married a local girl, Ethel Hober, and they raised three children on the farm: Stanley, Johnny and the youngest, daughter Trudy.

Beyond such things as making their own shoes and spinning wool into clothing, accomplishments included a water-powered saw mill, and even an electric-generator powered by the river, enough to keep a single light-bulb going at night.

[7] He studied for a decade to build an airplane, teaching himself advanced mathematics and aeronautic engineering, although in the end he was forced to buy a used plane due to legal restrictions.

[11][12] A documentary called Crusoe of Lonesome Lake was filmed in 1988 by Tony Wade, featuring footage of the historic property and buildings before the fire.

[2] When Edwards first arrived, Lonesome Lake was home to a gaggle of trumpeter swan refugees, a species facing extinction due to over-hunting in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

[13] Over the years, a number of family members took on the task – first Ralph, then Stan, John, and Trudy – using sacks of corn which were hauled in by packhorse.

It is unclear how effective the Edwards' feeding program was in the end, but the species today is better protected from hunting, and is no longer considered endangered.