Many of my childhood days were spent in creeks, flipping rocks and sweeping nets, seeing what small creatures I could find. After an afternoon among crayfish, frogs and minnows, I’d spend the evening paging through field guides, trying to identify and understand what I had encountered. On Earth Day, it’s common to ponder what made one a conservationist. For me, it’s this: time spent immersed in the outdoors tied to time spent immersed in books.