LaShara J. Nieland, a native of Big Spring, Texas, taught honors biology in Abilene and Odessa, Texas, for twenty-seven years, sharing her love of nature with thousands of students.

Now retired, she lives in Odessa with her husband, Andy. She continues to pursue her interest in wildflower photography.

Willa F. Finley is a native of Floydada, Texas, where she grew up hoeing weeds that are now called wildflowers. She holds a PhD from the University of Nebraska, a MS from Texas Tech University, and a BS from Abilene Christian University.

Willa worked in agriculture research and in agribusiness in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Africa for a number of years, and owned and managed a horticulture farm in Zambia. Now residing in Lubbock, Texas, she is senior researcher in agricultural economics for LMC International in Oxford, UK, and participates in development projects in Africa. Her photography has received international recognition.