Author, storyteller and musician Michael J. Caduto was born in 1955. He studied agriculture at the University of Rhode Island (B.A., 1978) and University of Michigan (M.S., 1981) with the intention of owning and working his own farm. Along the way, he became an ecologist and educator interested in Native American myths, legends and practices. He performs and gives workshops to raise environmental awareness and has taught collegiate environmental studies. His Earth Tales from Around the World (1997) won an Aesop Prize, awarded to the most outstanding books incorporating folklore and published in English for children. He is also author of Keepers of the Earth, Keepers of the Animals, Native… American Gardening, and others. His articles have appeared in numerous periodicals in natural history, including Nature Study, Vermont Life, Organic Gardening, and Vermont Natural History.