A well-known conservationist once remarked that the first law of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts. The scale of our impact on the environment now amounts to more than tinkering, but the case for giving nature space to move, adapt and recover remains. Our survival may depend on restoring the ecosystems that we have damaged and disrupted. Roy Young spent his career making this argument as a scientist. In retirement he has been able to explore the importance of nature in more poetic ways, focusing particularly on his surroundings on the edge of Nottingham, and occasionally travelling beyond. This collection includes his reflections on the landscapes, plants and animals that he finds around him, and the beauty of simple, ordinary places.