Collaborative Planning for Wetlands and Wildlife presents numerous case studies that demonstrate how different communities have creatively reconciled problems between developers and environmentalists. It answers questions asked by regulators, environmentalists, and developers who seek practical alternatives to the existing case-by-case permitting process, and offers valuable lessons from past and ongoing areawide planning efforts.

Understanding the history of care requires attention to personal narratives, such as a Maori grandmother's story, a Rarotongan leader's concept of duty to her people, or the sense of service that drove a long-term social worker. The case studies examined focus on the everyday nature of care operating across domestic, institutional and political spaces, and build upon areas of strength in women's history with its interest in family, motherhood, health, welfare, education and employment.