Ecology of a Cracker Childhood alternates between two forms of writing: personal accounts of Ray’s childhood, and ecological descriptions of the longleaf pine forest ecosystem. Why does Ray divide her book in this way? How does the book’s structure help Ray make her point about the relation between individuals and the ecosystem?

Following Ray’s example, research a natural habitat near where you live. What makes this natural habitat unique? How has construction altered or threatened the ecosystem?

How does Ray draw on religious language to argue for the importance of preserving wildlife? What is the relationship between religion and nature in Ecology of a Cracker Childhood?