Outskirts Press, INC.

Caryl discovered her love for nature at a young age, thanks to her Dad and a certain pond on the outskirts of Wichita, Kansas. When a snapping turtle walked into their garage one day, Caryl’s world was turned upside-down, not just because the turtle was so awesome in itself - which it definitely was, to a 4-year-old - but because of a whole new concept that arose in her mind when she asked her Dad, “Who takes care of the turtle?” and her Dad replied, “No one, he’s wild, so he takes care of himself!” The idea that animals roamed free on the earth and didn’t need human help was fascinating, and Caryl spent most of her 62 years increasing her knowledge of wildlife and the natural world in various ways. She majored in Environmental Studies at U.C. Davis, and worked for the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Oceanic Society, the California Marine Mammal Center, N.O.A.A., Wolf Haven International, and other agencies, in addition to working on her own projects, such as an 18-month harbor seal behavior study in La Jolla and Pacific Grove, California. Her first animal-related story was published in the Los Altos Town Crier when Caryl was 9 years old. She has more recently written a set of articles called “Harbor Seal Highlights”, an article for Wolf Haven entitled “The Coyote - Our Adaptable Genius”, and 4 other articles on coyotes that were published by the Oklahoma Nature Conservancy Tallgrass Prairie Docent Newsletter. She has also written several children’s stories, featuring Carlos, the “Coyote Who Wouldn’t Eat Meat”. Caryl says the 2 authors that most inspired her are James Herriott and Farley Mowat. Currently Caryl and Poppy, her Irish Collie, and Honeydew, her cat, are enjoying the coastal environment and “stealth camping” while waiting for senior housing.