SARA MARTEL endured innumerable close encounters with poop during her eleven years as a zoo-keeper at the St. Louis Zoo. Mostly these were from species dear to her, including the multiple fly-by poopings she received from rainbow lorikeets. She served, too, as an assistant field biologist helping with seabird research for organizations including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Sara has since written about wildlife conservation efforts for regional and national publications including Sierra, National Wildlife, Birder's World, Birding, and the Boston Globe Magazine. Her husband Rick, along with Scout the dog and Maverick the cat, heard countless dinner-time poop tales during this book's writing.