Carol Savonen is a naturalist and writer. She studied biology at Lewis and Clark College, grad work in aquatic biology at OSU. She completed an MS in botany and University of Vermont. Working as a field biologist and environmental educator in Oregon, Washington and Alaska for more than a decade, she became interested in science writing. After a completing a fellowship in science communications with AAAS and a stint as a science journalist at the Oregonian, she joined the faculty at OSU, where she was a science and garden writer for 20 years. She writes a weekly gardening column for the Salem Statesman Journal. Now retired (emeritus) from OSU, she enjoys gardening with her husband at her home on the Marys River, as well as cooking, hiking and mushroom hunting, exploring, art and conservation work.