In Florida, there exists a very special ecosystem where sub-tropical and north-temperate vegetation meet— Bulow Hammock. Saved by conservationists, it is one of the last stands of forest on the East Coast. This hardwood grove in Florida's open marshes and pine wood is now a State Park where complex life thrives. In the tradition of Peter Matthiessen and Stephen Jay Gould, David Rains Wallace links natural history with the imagination for an intensive study of this unique and beautiful ecosystem. Wallace blends ecological philosophy, history, and personal reminiscence to explore Bulow Hammock— as well as the relationship between the human mind and the natural world.