“I almost chose to write about the man-eating clam—the kind of thrilling, exotic species that filled me with wonder as a child. Instead, I settled on the corn lily. Why? Because we too often overlook the exotic mysteries in our backyards. Corn lilies are common in B.C., and extremely poisonous. Eat even a small portion and you will froth at the mouth and die. Yet many First Nations learned how to carefully prepare the plant as a medicine. Today, it isn’t only the danger that thrills me when I see a corn lily—it’s also the secrets it might teach us.”

J.B. MacKinnon, author of The Once and Future World: Nature As It Was, As It Is, As It Could Be.