Over the years, we’ve spoken to a lot people – mostly biologists – about how they were first bitten by the nature bug. Since these stories came from people who’ve made a living exploring, studying and maintaining the natural world, they follow familiar tropes: like an unexpected experience or sighting, or the influence of a parent or teacher who sparked that initial interest in the outdoors. Andrei Campeanu joined us on a hike co-hosted by Chris Martin and Dave Anderson recently. He isn’t a biologist, he’s just someone who loves going outdoors. But his story starts out similarly…with a sort of family pastime. “Most of my family was of German extraction, so hiking is something you do. You hike. You go to the mountains.” Beckoned by the ancestral siren, Andrei’s mother took him into the woods one day when he was eight years old. “I remember she gave me a stone to keep in my mouth. It’s a tradition but it also keeps your mouth moist.” He later confessed that tradition might well have been