John Ballard Kirsch was a World War II veteran, rancher, and wildlife biologist before being ordained a priest at the age of 50 in 1969. A passionate outdoorsman and devout Catholic, he discovered a path during his seminary training that would enable him to combine his love of God and passion for nature. As a college chaplain for several years following his ordination he taught a course he called Eco-Theo that emphasized the sacredness of all creation. He continued this nature retreat program as much as his workload allowed during his years as a parish pastor in Montana, and retired from...