In her home state of California, Stephanie Panlasigui grew up 7 miles from the Pacific Ocean, where she enjoyed spending time with her family while swimming, spotting dolphins, and hiking on the bluffs. Stephanie began her career as a naturalist, guiding children to explore redwood forests, buckeye groves, tidepools, and sandy beaches. Now she works on understanding how restoring and protecting habitats can support thriving human and wildlife populations. She holds a master's degree in environmental management from Duke University and a bachelor's degree in environmental sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.

From her home base in North Florida, Erika Zambello has explored hundreds of parks, reserves, and wildlife refuges across the Southeast and around the country. She was a National Geographic Young Explorer and serves on the board of the National Parks Traveler website. She holds a master's degree in environmental management from Duke University and a master's degree in strategic communication from the University of West Florida. As a writer, she has been featured in National Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Voices, Backpacker, Florida Sportsman, and other publications.