Robert Birkby brings a lifetime of backcountry experience to the writing of outstanding books about outdoor adventure and wilderness skills.
Raised in Iowa, he taught writing and literature at Southwest Missouri State University, then hiked the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail before launching a career as a Seattle-based writer, outdoor educator, and adventure travel guide.
Mountaineering journeys have taken him to the Cascades, Alaska, Russia, East Africa, and Nepal. For the Student Conservation Association he has led many trail crews in national parks and forests, and has taught trail maintenance and construction for conservation organizations and land-management agencies across America and in Siberia.
He is the 2010 recipient of the William T. Hornaday Gold Medal, awarded for distinguished service in natural resource conservation and environmental improvement.
Robert Birkby is the author of Lightly on the Land, three editions of the Boy Scout Handbook, the Scoutmaster Handbook, and other books for the Boy Scouts of America. His most recent publication is the Fieldbook, Scouting's manual of basic and advanced skills for outdoor adventure.
He lives in Seattle. His website is www.robertbirkby.com.
