I try to give readers a deeper understanding of the “why” in a way that I hope is enjoyable and easy to read. I’ve written it as a travelogue of a short canoe trip I took in Algonquin Park, Ontario. You’ll follow me through creeks and lakes, and along the portage trail, where we’ll discuss the things we come across - which is after all how the natural world presents itself on a canoe or hiking trip. By the end I hope you’ll find that you have a better understanding of the forces that make our beautiful natural world possible.