Todd McLeish

Rhode Island-based author Todd McLeish has been writing about wildlife and environmental issues for more than 20 years. While in college, he developed a passion for wildlife, natural history and environmental protection. Rather than pursue a biology degree, he chose to immerse himself in the natural world by volunteering to help biologists with their wildlife research and write about these experiences.In more than 100 magazine and newspaper articles, he has examined such topics as the return of wild fishers to southern New England, the impact of gulls on offshore islands, and an effort to census dragonflies in Rhode Island. He has written dozens of essays about backyard wildlife, profiled biologists and wildlife artists, and highlighted numerous threatened species, from piping plovers and ruffed grouse to northern blazing star and American burying beetle. The forthcoming "Narwhals: Artic Whales in a Melting World" is Todd's third natural history book.Todd is an expert birder, a popular leader of natural history walks, an in-demand public speaker about endangered species, and a former world joggling champion (juggling while jogging).