The flash of silver in green water; the deliberate stitch-stitching of a dragonfly laying eggs at the water's edge; the wonder of rocky, egg-filled nests releasing hundreds of coho salmon fry into a watery world of sun and shade; the rush and thrust of fresh water flowing into the salty Pacific -- this is part of life in Redwood Creek. For much of its length, the creek flows through Muir Woods National Monument, and the National Park Service monitors its health as one of the ways of understanding and protecting the environment. The text and illustrations in this book capture these efforts in a way that is both poetic and explanatory, and provides a well-grounded look at what happens in the riparian world and why it matters that we understand and guard it.