The environmental themes of Skink—No Surrender begin on the novel’s first page. Richard is searching for sea turtle nests when Malley fails to show. Before he meets Skink, Richard has an environmentally conscious outlook. As he looks for nests, he narrates, “ever so often some random idiot gets caught stealing the eggs […] Pathetic but true” (2). Richard judges harshly those who harm nature. This also explains his interest in the ivory-billed woodpecker. He describes the demise of the bird species before commenting, “they were stalked and shot by hunters who sold the bodies to museums […] Pitiful but true” (82). He uses similar language here as in his description of turtle egg poaching. The negative human impact on nature saddens and angers Richard.

Environmental advocacy runs in Richard’s family. He introduces his mother as “a lawyer with a small firm that specializes in environmental cases” (28). While ruminating on Tommy’s violence nearer the novel’s climax, he recalls asking his father if he believed in evil: “I remember Dad mulling my question for a few moments before saying […] that it didn’t occur in any other species besides human […] Violence and brutal domination exist in the animal world as a means for survival, not as sport or sick amusement” (183).