Kirk Longpré is a free-lance writer with a particular interest in the relationship between music and education. He completed a thesis at Athabasca University entitled An Exploration of the Potential of Music and Narrative Song as an Instrument for Learning. He teaches at University of Victoria in British Columbia and has followed Elvin Bishop’s musical career since 1968.

Megan McCaslin, a former journalist, was introduced to the wonders of gardening by her father. As a child, she wandered with him among the oaks and camellias of their Los Angeles property, learning the Latin names of plants. She didn’t really dig in until, as a newlywed, she and her husband deemed themselves the New Orchardists, planting rare fruit trees and tending raised beds of flowers and vegetables in their Palo Alto garden.

Amanda VanDenBurgh is a director of clinical research at Allergan. Her projects include the FDA approval of Botox for spasticity; she is also the coinventor of the Latisse patent for hair growth.

Barbara Yunker is a social worker in Orange County, working in Adult Protective Services, a program for seniors and disabled persons. Barbara and Amanda have been together for twenty years, but have only begun gardening in earnest recently. The story of their garden can be seen at www.waterfriendlygarden.com.

Jennifer Jewell is the Creator and Host of the nationally syndicated, award-winning public radio program and podcast Cultivating Place, Conversations on Natural History & The Human Impulse to Garden. Her third book, What We Sow, on the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds, will be published by Timber Press September 19, 2023.

Jason Dewees works as horticulturist at Flora Grubb Gardens (www.FloraGrubb.com) in San Francisco. He also serves as a horticultural advisor to clients ranging from the San Francisco Botanical Garden and Conservatory of Flowers to landscape architects and home gardeners. Jason is working on a book for Timber Press entitled Design With Palms.

Lisa Lee Benjamin perseveres in her worldwide pursuit to generate environments that unite people, art, and science. Consulting and collaborating on a wide variety of projects, she has inspired sustainable solutions for diverse animal and human habitats; including insect commentary, food geography, green roofs and public gardens. Her current focus is foundational change and education. Lisa is co-author of The Professional Design Guide to Green Roofs (Timber Press 2013) and a founding member of many initiatives including Urban Hedgerow, Green Roof Alliance, Alpine Initiatives and UG LAB

Dan Heims is the president and guiding spirit behind Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc, a company noted for its new introductions to horticulture, including selections of Heucheras and their kin, Echinacea, Coreopsis, and Pulmonaria. Based in Canby, Oregon, he travels the world to find new plants, lectures widely, and is the author of Heucheras and Heucherellas (Timber Press, 2005).

Scott Zona, PhD, is a botanist with a long-standing interest in palms. He is co-editor of Palms, the journal of the International Palm Society and resides in Miami, Florida, where, sadly, Jubaea chilensis will not thrive. He is curator of the greenhouses at Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences.