A fascinating weave of science and memoir by a naturalist who draws inspiration from life among the coastal islands of Virginia. Join naturalist Curtis J. Badger as he explores the last unspoiled barrier island ecosystem in the eastern United States. Badger's own ancestral roots in the region reach back into the 1600s, a legacy that fuels his passion and appreciation for this fragile confluence of land and sea. A beaded chain of 18 islands separates the inland shore from the Atlantic, and in this zone of protected waters lives a startling array of plants and animals. As he writes about looking for milky ribbon worms in the mudflats or paddling through spartina on a tidal creek, Badger gracefully weaves together personal history and natural science with insight and intelligence. 20 black & white illustrations.