"Rennicke's powers of observation are the strength of his writing," says former Backpacker Executive Editor Tom Shealey. " It's being able to see things other writers can't.

Jeff Rennicke is also the author or co-author of nine books including Isle Royale (Winner of the prestigious "Director's Award" for best book on a national park, 1990) and most recently Treasures of Alaska: The Last Great American Wilderness published by the National Geographic Society. His other books include Bears of Alaska in Life & Legend (Roberts Rinehart, 1983), Spirit of the Hills (GSMNHA, 1991), three volumes of the Colorado Geographic Series, and others.

"Jeff Rennicke's voice is informed, insightful and lyric," says Kevin Klose, formerly of The Washington Post, now president and CEO of National Public Radio.

Rennicke's work has taken him to many of the wildest places on five continents -- crawling into the dens of hibernating black bears in Colorado, hang gliding over North Carolina's Outer Banks, river rafting in China, exploring the Antarctic peninsula on a Russian research vessel, searching the canyons of Utah for hidden rock art, kayaking alone down the rivers of Alaska's Brooks Range, skiing through Minnesota's BWCAW at -30 degrees, and shooting the rapids of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon by dory.

"Rennicke has been there, and he writes vividly about where he has been - with respect and affection for both landscape and language." -- Stephen Trimble, author of Blessed by Light.

Jeff Rennicke is available for assignment work. He may be contacted at P.O. Box 576, Bayfield, WI 54814 (715)209-5785, Jeff.Rennicke@conserveschool.org. Writing samples, references, and more information available upon request.

* "The Art and Business of Nature Writing", August 22, 2001, delivered at Vermillion College, Ely, Minnesota as part of the Listening Point Writers Retreat. Contact: Bob Olson, Listening Point Foundation, 13567N Uhrenholdt Drive, Hayward, WI 54843 (715)634-2305.

* "The Wilderness of Wonder", April 7, 2001, closing keynote address to the Wilderness Travel Symposium, Northland College. Contact: Clayton Russell, Associate Professor, Northland College, (715)682-1491, crussell@northland.edu.

* "Storytelling as a Writer", February 7, 2002, delivered to three sections of the Washburn High School English department. Contact: Kathleen Radtke, (715)779-3466.

* "Courting the Muse", August 5, 2000, delivered to the students of the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) of the University of Idaho Glaciological and Arctic Sciences Institute. Contact: Dr. Maynard M. Miller, University of Idaho, 208-882-1237, jirp@uidaho.edu.

* "Alaska: Stories from the Great Land", February 10, 2002, delivered to the public as part of the Chequamegon Bay Audubon Lecture Series at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland, WI. Contact: Neil Howk, National Park Service, (715)779-3397.

* I have been asked by the National Geographic Society to present three on-board lectures as part of a Society-sponsored expedition aboard the Wilderness Adventurer on its voyage through Alaska's Inside Passage August 12-19, 2002. Contact: Jim Bullard, jbullard@ngs.org.

* "The Trek That Opened The Gates of the Arctic", National Geographic Adventure, April 2002 (biography of Robert Marshall).

* "Dances With Moose", Backpacker, April 2002 (the stories and natural history of moose).

* "Wide Open Spaces", Backpacker June 2001 (the fight to preserve prairie wilderness).

* "The Slow Road", AAA World, May/June 2001 (Banff & Jasper National Parks).

* "Chillin' On the Tatsheshini", National Geographic Traveler, April 2002 (celebrating the 10th anniversary of the protection of the Tatshenshini River).

* "Learning Your Wings", AAA World, March/April 2002 (Learning to hang glide).

* "An Infinity of Ice", New Choices, January 2002 (Alaska's glaciers).

* "A Special Place to Visit: Apostle Islands", Wilderness, 2001-2002 (a look at the wilderness designation plan at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore).

* "Ten Gallons to the Acre", Backpacker, June 2001 (A look at Bush's "energy policy" and its effect on public lands).

* Treasures of Alaska: Last Great American Wilderness, National Geographic Society, Special Publications Division, May 2001.

* "I Cried Out Aloud For You", Backpacker, June 2002 issue (a 6,000-word story on the death of a hiker in the Wyoming mountains).

* "Fire in the Sky", Reader's Digest (European Edition), November 2002 issue (a look at the science and wonder of northern lights).

* "In the Lap of Winter", National Geographic Traveler, December 2002 issue (a look at winter in Finnish Lapland).