How did the author's childhood experiences impact her views of wetlands? Describe the inconsistencies she discusses about this period of her life.

The author was raised in a rural region of the Eastern seaboard that was home to a diverse ecology of wetlands. Her mother was fascinated by this biome and took her for frequent walks in the local swamps. The book opens with vivid memories of miraculous events in nature that shaped the author's respect and love for wetlands. This reverence for nature informed much of the author's literary career and continued to define her as she made her home in Wyoming, Washington State, and Vermont.

The author opens her exploration of the underlying causes of ecological destruction by indicating the paradoxical environmental views of her parents' generation. She struggled to understand how a people who felt so much love for their god's creation could also...