Walking at night into a grove of tall eucalyptus trees is a thrilling adventure. We are suspended between the luminous trail of Milky Way stars and the forest floor noisy with dry fallen strands of bark: are they, perhaps, snakes? But as our flashlight glow licks the the dense foliage we suddenly feel safe, protected by the trees and the stars.

We are insatiably curious but never hurry: we walk, stop, walk back and stop again, not wanting to miss a thing. But after hours of such snail-slow progress we often have to start again: the light has just changed and the sky's hues darkened. And the whole landscape is suddenly new, ready to be explored. What brought us here, lifelong travelers bound by our shared work and marriage, is the warm night resplendent with stars and the contrast between the immense sky and the sheltering dark forest below. We look up, breathe in the eucalyptus fragrance and do not want to leave.

Vital Impacts is honored to have this photograph as part of our permanent, year-round collection.

Milky Way stars seen through canopies of eucalyptus forest at night, New South Wales, Australia.

Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott, a wife and husband team, are internationally published photographers of nature. They practice long commitments to places they love and spend most of the year following animals, ever-changing landscapes, and moving with the light and the seasons while exploring the rhythm and wild essence of remote places.