In this captivating collection, Florida's most notable authors, poets, and environmentalists take readers on a journey through the natural wonders of the state. Continuing in the legacy of the beloved classic The Wild Heart of Florida, this book features thirty-four pieces by a new slate of well-known and emerging writers.

ForewordIntroduction —Jack E. Davis and Leslie K. PoolePart I. BeckoningsSeduction in Key West — Susan LilleyThe Story under the Story — Lauren GroffOur Land — Buffalo TigerSoldier's Creek Trail — Terry Ann ThaxtonPart II. RevelationsInnocence Found — Bill MaxwellThe Seine — Jack E. DavisMy First Audubon Trip Hasn't Ended Yet . . . — Charles LeeFlorida Boy — David McCallyThe River That Raised Me — Gabbie BuendiaThe Breathers, St. Mark's Lighthouse — Rick CampbellPart III. AnimalsBirds and Refuge — Frederick R. DavisThe Quiet Song of Sanibel Island — Cynthia BarnettThe Habits of Alligators — Loren G. "Totch" BrownGator! — Lee IrbyFeast of Pythons (Homage to Harry Crews) — Isaac EgerOne Manatee, Two Nations — Anmari Alvarez-AlemánWoodpeckers and Wildness: The Disney Wilderness Preserve — Leslie K. PooleSighting by the St. Johns — Russ KeslerPart IV. WaterUp the Okalawaha: A Sail into Fairy-Land — Harriet Beecher StoweMusings — Margaret Ross TolbertThe Pulse of Paynes Prairie — Lars AndersenFrom Springs Heartland to Wasteland . . . and Back? — Lucinda Faulkner MerrittWilderness from the Water — Claire StromThe Rhythms of the Lagoon — Clay HendersonRaw Water — Gianna RussoPart V. Terra FirmaExcerpts from The Galley — Marjory Stoneman DouglasThe Natural Aesthetic of the Naked God — Bruce StephensonDon't Mourn the Orange — Mark Jerome WaltersSeasons of Love — Erika HendersonBiscayne National Monument: Preserving Our Precious Bays — Nathaniel Pryor ReedPart VI. At the HeartSome Day the Sea — Richard BlancoFrom A Seminole Legend: The Life of Betty Mae Tiger Jumper — Betty Mae Tiger Jumper and Patsy WestA Plea for Wider Justice — Marjory Stoneman DouglasFlorida Is a Pretty Girl —Frances Susanna NevillAcknowledgmentsContributorsCredits