Visibility is limited to the tips of the majestic evergreen branches that we are resting on, so we use our ears to perceive the surrounding environment on this foggy, west coast morning. We listen to the comfortably monotonous splash and wash of the ocean as it massages the shore below us. Rooted in a seaside embankment, our tree reaches into an ethereal region where there is an amazing collection of living creatures.
Small birds call to each other as they flit from branch to branch.
A scratching noise reveals the presence of a squirrel as it scurries along the rough bark to its home hidden somewhere in the branches. Above our heads are the sounds of an eagle family in a nearby tree, lifting off and swooping close by. The great whoosh of each giant wing flap is the sound of pure freedom. Welcome to Ben Kramer's world. I have traveled to his home, a remote island situated midway off the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, because I am interested in learning how Ben communes with eagles.