What is the early history of the Earth and the solar system? And where did we come from? The OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission has scooped up fragments from the surface of a near-earth asteroid named Bennu in a complex seven-year, 200 billion-mile mission designed to shed light on these fundamental questions.

Bennu isn’t a solid object. Rather, it’s a rotating, cathedral-sized hunk of accreted rubble or regolith. This material is ancient, dating from the earliest days of the solar system. And most exciting scientifically, detailed scans made by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft reveal the presence of numerous carbon compounds, some of which are the basic building blocks of life. There are also indications that some of these compounds have been altered by water – a vital requirement for life as we know it.

NASA expected the asteroid to consist mostly of compacted dust and small pebbles, but instead, images of Bennu reveal a vast range of sizes of rocks and boulders, some as large as a two-story building. These must have been parts of larger bodies blasted apart by violent collisions in the distant past. And, these boulders are not all the same, suggesting complex individual histories. Where did they come from?

I can’t wait for the big reveal NASA has planned for October 11. We should learn a lot about the history and composition of the rocks and dust samples that have been captured, and thus the very earliest history of the 4.5 billion-year-old solar system of which we are a tiny, tiny part.

This blog, which I am launching today, will also span the depths of history. Most of the attention will be turned on the wild places of the earth, with a major focus on the wildest piece of the Rocky Mountains, the magnificent Muskwa-Kechika wilderness where I have been privileged to spend a sizeable chunk of my life. But, no facet of the natural world will be off limits, with occasional glimpses into the workings of the universe itself. It will be a personal exploration as well, as I share experiences, lessons, and knowledge accreted from a lifetime on the land as a logger, guide, trapper, conservationist, and avid observer of natural history. I hope you enjoy the journey!