A Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award recipient and California Federation of Chaparral Poets honoree, Mary, grew up in the forested communities of Humboldt and Trinity Counties of Northern California. She has worked in photography, education, publishing, and liturgical design. Her career in children's literature focuses on nature and environmental education. Mary's outdoor life activities of wildlife photography, hunting, gardening, gold mining, and rock hounding keep her close to nature. She and her husband, Tim, have two sons and three grandchildren. www.maryalivingston.com