Eva Begley holds a Ph.D. in botany from the University of California at Davis, has enjoyed plants ever since she was a toddler, and has been exploring the Sacramento Valley for more than forty years. She has taught undergraduate courses in botany and general biology as well as plant identification classes for the general public, worked in botanical and agricultural research labs, and served as a Senior Environmental Scientist and Senior Environmental Planner for several state agencies. Her articles on various natural history topics have been published in Outdoor California and other magazines, along with photographs taken by her husband, Paul Begley, and herself; she is also the author or co-author of a number of scientific papers. She lives in Sacramento, California.