David Benson is a writer and naturalist. He was the naturalist at Hawk Ridge in Duluth, Minnesota; and he has been the summer naturalist at Gooseberry Falls State Park and Jay Cooke State Park in Minnesota, and Pattison State Park in Wisconsin. He has conducted owl surveys and training sessions for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service, and has taught classes in owl identification and behavior for many groups. His first book, Stories in Log and Stone: The Legacy of the New Deal in Minnesota State Parks, won an interpretive media award from the National Association of Interpretation. He is the author of over 100 articles published in magazines and journals. David lives in Duluth, Minnesota with his wife Pam and sons, Jonas and Lars. He is a self-avowed Bird Nerd.