You may have noticed that lately the job of writing this letter has been passed around to members of the S&H team. This lets our readers get to know the people behind the magazine—and makes my life easier. This issue’s letter is penned by our creative director Sandra Salamony. Every editorial page in this magazine benefited from her craftsmanship and artistry. —BEN NUSSBAUM Scouting art is my favorite job at S&H, and I’m so happy to have Mary Alayne Thomas as our featured artist in this issue (interview on page 8). The women in her paintings (peppered throughout the issue) are clearly one with flora and fauna—harmonious, empathetic equals. I like to imagine the story behind each artwork; what are they saying to each other? If only we could talk to animals! Like the song says, first we must “learn their languages.” Recently I completed a naturalist certificate and became captivated by birding by ear. In classes we listened to bird calls and songs, learned a vocabulary to describe them, and took early morning bird walks to listen first, look second. First we met familiar bir …