Masculine and feminine, earth and sea, forest and desert, nature and nurture…the balance of life shows up beautifully and metaphorically in the relationship and the work of Robin Kobaly and Doug Thompson. She is one of the nation's foremost experts on native desert plants; he is a leader in experiential research with marine mammals.

As Robin Kobaly explains, "When we come back from wilderness, that's when we seem to bring our best inspirations to help humankind, and our own selves, too. If we don't have that wilderness to go to, that refuge and that wellspring, we will not be as good a people, a society, or a race."