The principles of island biogeography teach us that when ecosystems become stranded—when they are bisected or surrounded by human development, for example—certain species are put at risk of extinction. Extinction leads to a loss of biodiversity, which results in the disintegration of the ecosystem, which contributes to the systematic degradation of our planet. In the face of today's ever-increasing habitat fragmentation, we are entering a new era of conservation in which it's no longer enough to keep one isolated wilderness area or mountain valley intact.

The people profiled here are part of that new era. Theirs are random stories plucked from a torrent of examples in which people are acting with the larger landscape in mind. While each of these ten stories is unique, common threads run through many of them. Harvey Locke is one such thread. Harvey had the original vision of the Y2Y Conservation Initiative, and was a magnetic force in drawing people to it. Influences from childhood also run through many of the stories, as do long-held passions for the natural world. A sense of loss underlies a number of these stories as well—sadness for the disappearance of wild places, and with that, a fierce appreciation for what remains.

Even though the people highlighted here may not know each other, and have vastly different stories and situations, they are all part of something larger that connects them: hope, concern, and love for the land and its wild inhabitants.

Dick Baldes

Karsten Heuer

Rick L'Heureux

Tracy Lee

Chris Servheen

Ted Smith

Lucille Werlinich

Jay and Sandy Whitney