Ellie Whitney, PhD grew up in New York City and received her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English and biology at Radcliffe/Harvard University and Washington Universities, respectively. She has taught at both Florida State University and Florida A&M University, has written newspaper columns on environmental matters for the Tallahassee Democrat, and has authored almost a dozen college textbooks on nutrition, health, and related topics, many of which have been revised multiple times over the years. In addition to teaching and writing, she has spent the past three-plus decades exploring outdoor Florida and studying its ecology. Her latest book is Priceless Florida: The Natural Ecosystems… (Pineapple Press, 2004).