“A wondrous book, an exquisite meditation, beautifully conceived and eloquently written.” —Wade Davis

First published in 2004, and now with a new preface by the author, this book of natural history, environmentalism, and politics explores one of the earth’s last primeval places: Clayoquot Sound. Close to a million visitors come to this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve along Vancouver Island’s west coast, drawn by its unspoiled natural beauty. Robert Kennedy, Jr. writes in the foreword: “I am grateful for this book because it reminds me of what I loved best about being involved in the fight for Clayoquot Sound . . . It was a place that engaged all your senses.”

As Barry Lopez did with the north in Arctic Dreams, David Pitt-Brooke, called “a Thoreau for Clayoquot” by the Globe and Mail, takes the reader on twelve journeys, one for each month of the year. Each journey covers the outstanding natural event of that season: whale watching in April, shorebird migration in May, the salmon spawn in October.

“Though the book’s emotional focus is on one singular geographical location, it’s a clarion call for the preservation of all wild places.” —Publishers Weekly

“Pitt-Brooke’s study of a beautiful landscape is quiet and engaging throughout, and meant to be relished slowly.” —Booklist