Mark Derr moved to Florida with his family at age six; his interest in the state's history and ecology dates back to the late 1960s, when he watched the landscape around Winter Park change with the construction of Walt Disney World. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books, The Frontiersman and Dog's Best Friend, and his articles have appeared in Atlantic Monthly, Natural History, Audubon, and other publications. He lives in Miami Beach.
