Hugging the earth, an alpine flower's low profile shields it from harsh weather. Commuter crows hunt garbage in town on daily cross-bay flights. A razor clam digs out of a predator's reach, its slick shell slipping through sand an inch a second.

In fall, the quick reflexes of a moose hunter provision the freezer with meat. Brutal work, hand-me-down knowledge, and luck of a fisherman bring in the salmon. Early people fashioned tools from what they found in earth and sea - from stones and bones and trees.

Petaled, feathered, furred, shelled, rubber-booted - how we adapt, feed, and defend ourselves determines how life unfolds for generations.