Suzanne Swedo, director of W.I.L.D., has backpacked the mountains of every continent. She has led groups into the wilderness for more than thirty years and teaches wilderness survival and natural sciences for individuals, schools, universities, museums, and organizations such as the Yosemite Conservancy and the Sierra Club. She is author of Best Easy Day Hikes Yosemite National Park, Hiking Yosemite, Hiking California’s Golden Trout Wilderness, and Adventure Travel Tips, all FalconGuides. She lectures and consults about backpacking, botany, and survival on radio and television, as well as in print. While she lives in Los Angeles, California, she has been leading hiking groups in Hawai’i for more than twenty-five years.