Hunted for their meat and hides, Tule elk disappeared from much of California in the wake of the Gold Rush of 1849. Many varieties of waterfowl, grasses, fish, and reptiles once lived in tidal wetlands now swallowed up by metropolitan growth. Yet the elk are back in small numbers after a herd was reintroduced on the Point Reyes Peninsula; wetlands are being restored; and the area around San Francisco is benefiting from a growing awareness that its natural wealth has been needlessly squandered--and that something can be done about it. Wildlife photographers Galen Rowell and Michael Sewell document this story in a wonderful collection of plates, backed by a well-written, informative text.