JANICE E. KIRK is a published author, illustrator, teacher, and musician. Trained as an artist, a singer, and a writer, she writes about nature, the arts, spirituality, and related topics. She holds a B.Mus. from U. of Oregon (Eugene) and a M.Mus. in Vocal Perf/Pedagogy from U. of Colorado (Boulder). She taught music, art, and language arts in the public schools (Oregon, California), and served as Art Coordinator and Project Writer for the Language, Art & Music Project in Shasta Co. Schools (1974-77). She recently retired as Adjunct Voice Instructor at Simpson U. (Redding, California). Currently she is a member of Faith Lutheran Church, Winona, Minnesota. After many years in California, Jan moved to Winona in the beautiful Mississippi River Valley to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Outdoor Experience: With their two children Jan and Don traveled, camped, sketched, and photographed throughout the American West. In the 1960s they collected information on wild edible plants for Don’s book, Wild Edible Plants of Western North America (Naturegraph Pub., 1975), for which Janice did 300 botanical sketches. Several summers found them on Teaching Staff at Holden Village (ELCA) on Lake Chelan in the Central Washington Cascade Mountains. Don was Village Naturalist; Jan taught watercolor classes. In 1976-77 a year–long camping trip in the Greater Southwest provided time for study, sketching, painting, and photographing plant communities amid stunning landscapes. Living close to the elements, painting and sketching every day changed everything. Jan gained a new perspective on the way life systems are put together, a vision of Planet Earth as a dynamic whole. It triggered a spiritual renewal and sparked advocacy for earth stewardship. Jan hopes her readers will re-connect with the outdoors, enjoy and cherish the earth.