The work presents the transformation of land and the precariousness of its once species-rich biota at pivotal moments of human contact. Space and time are compressed into a single narrative of Polynesian arrival, British exploration by Captain George Vancouver, the introduction of alien species (such as goats) which wreaked havoc in native ecosystems, and the planting of cash crops like sugarcane by American businessmen like Lorrin Thurston. Various Hawaiians and species populate the scene, with some plants and animals still living like the `iliahi (Hawaiian sandalwood) and Hawaiian honeycreepers while others are extinct (Hawaiian mamo, moa and most recently the tree snail Achatinella apexfulva).