Photo: Chelsea Morgan, Magic Box Photography

I am a conservation biologist by day, writer by night, based in Duluth, Minnesota. I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, but fell in love with the woods and waters of northern Minnesota while doing field research in the state parks along Lake Superior's scenic shoreline.

My upcoming memoir, Heart of Palms, chronicles two years spent in Tranquilla, a remote Panamanian village. Based on my experience working as a community forester from 1991-1993, the book explores the complex relationships between people and nature, a tension zone posing both problems and solutions for conservation. The book will be published by the University of Alabama Press and available in spring, 2014.

Check out nature of modern life, a collection of random essays about the often unsung role nature plays in our every day lives.

Were you a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama? Follow the link to learn more about 50 Years - 50 Voices, a collection of stories that will be published in honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Peace Corps Panama in 2013. (Submission period is now closed).

Read anything good lately? I have. Visit my goodreads homepage.