Michael R. Jeffords is the retired education/outreach director for the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) and was staff photographer for the Illinois Steward magazine. Susan L. Post is a retired INHS field biologist and staff writer for the Illinois Steward magazine and the author of Hiking Illinois. They are the coauthors of Curious Encounters with the Natural World, Exploring Nature in Illinois, and Illinois Wilds. James R. Wiker is a research associate of the Illinois State Museum and an affiliate of the INHS.

Michael R. Jeffords, Susan L. Post, and James R. Wiker