Madeline Whittington is a potter and artist who grew up in the Bay Area of San Francisco, met husband Bill at the University of Washington, and immigrated to Canada in 1968. In 1971 they built a house on rocky land near the Shuswap Lake, which was almost wilderness then. Like the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, this area is now under intense pressure from development. Madeline’s son is a biologist who works in Banff Park; her daughter is biologist at the Pacific Rim Park. “I've learned a tremendous amount about plants and animals of all kinds from them over the last few years, and have had a chance to hike in exceptional wilderness areas.”