The author has an established career as a respected writer on environmental and naturalist concerns. This collection, therefore, can be seen as falling squarely within his personal, creative, and professional mandates. These can be seen, in this collection and throughout his body of work, as having two facets. The first is to chronicle his own experiences in search of connections, both historical and contemporary, between humanity and nature. The second is to relate his experiences, both researched and felt, to the broader and more universal societal relationship between humanity (individuals, communities, and organizations) and the natural world.