On a misty morning in October, a fallen tree frames the waterscape of Merchants Millpond – bald cypress and water tupelo rising from the water, rooted in the muck.

Nothing is lost in this environment. Trees sprout and grow old, sometimes encompassing centuries. (There are bald cypress trees in North Carolina that took root during the Neolithic.) And when they die, their remnants contribute to new growth and a continuation of the cycle.

Unless something drastic happens to break the balance.

Humanity, blindly exploring every possibility, is that drastic.