Naturalist Emily Stone talks about her canoe trip down the Namekagon River, which is protected by the National Park Service. A tiny mussel shell inspires her to be grateful that the river is protected, and to compare the birds and wildlife she sees along the stream to a string of pearls. At the end, she contemplates a quote from poet Mary Oliver from the poem "The Kingfisher," about how the world contains death every day, and every day we must work to find our own splash of happiness and gratitude in order to survive.