Some things in life we can prove to be true; some things we know to be true; and some things we accept to be true. Things we accept become beliefs. A desideratum is a powerful belief, a tool by which we guide our passage through life. When difficult decisions must be made after all facts have been assessed, the desiderata of our lives guide how we proceed. Naturalists cope with the interface between humanity and nature, a confrontation sometimes elegant, sometimes hostile. These are a naturalist's desiderata, the tools by which humanity can survive nature and nature can survive humanity. Series presented by Kevin Cook. Another forest lost to campfire; another steppe-squirrel colony paved; another expanse of steppe inundated by reservoir; another species slipped from endangerment into extinction: these really do happen no matter what we think or how we vote. This becomes the naturalist’s quest: accept that you cannot.