Mary Austin (1868–1934) was born in Illinois. She later moved to California, where she gathered much of the background for her writings. Naturalist, essayist, feminist, and devoted opponent of commercial development, Austin wrote thirty–two books and more than two hundred essays in her lifetime, including Isidro (1905) and The Ford (1917). In 1925 she moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she lived in an adobe home until her death.
Walter Feller is a California based nature and wildlife photographer. Since 1996, Feller's work has focused on documenting the natural history of the Mojave Desert.
