Fire Island, off the coast of New York, is a barrier Island. Formed by sand, waves, and wind, it is a landscape in motion. In an era where storms and surges are increasingly extreme, barrier islands are often the main protection for mainland coastal communities and ecosystems. They protect because they absorb the shocks, and constantly change. For those who call barrier islands their home, it’s an endless tussle between rootedness and shifting sands. Humans rebuild houses shattered by storms, scientists manage predator-free deer populations, and mosquitoes proliferate in the Wilderness.