The long-leaf pine forest ecosystem now exists in fragmented clumps but once covered 90 million acres of the southeastern United States. Human development threatens its fire-renewed existence, which balances straight and tall pines with a lush understory of wiregrass that uniquely supports a biodiverse habitat. Snow is uncommon in North Carolina, but in January 2018 it did. Excessive heat, unprecedented storms, and anomalous snowstorms are what we can expect in this era of climate crisis. “UNLESS someone… cares a whole awful lot,” will we see beyond short-term gains to protect our planet.