Nancy Ross Hugo is a lecturer and outdoor writer whose articles have appeared in Horticulture, Fine Gardening, American Forests, Virginia Forests, Country Journal, and other publications. She was a columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Virginia Wildlife. She is the author of a book of collected essays, Earth Works: Readings for Backyard Gardeners (Virginia). Jeff Kirwan is Extension Specialist and Professor in the Department of Forestry at Virginia Tech. He serves on the state advisory committees for Project Learning Tree and the Master Naturalist Program. Robert Llewellyn has been photographing Virginia for over thirty years. His previous books include Empires in the Forest: Jamestown and the Beginning of America, created with writer Avery Chenoweth, which won five national awards in nonfiction and photography, and Albemarle: A Story of Landscape and American Identity.