Chuck Graham is a freelance writer and photographer based in Carpinteria, CA. He has long considered the Channel Islands National Park as one of his favorite wild places. He has written about and photographed the islands for 30 years and has led kayak tours at the islands for over 20 years. His stories and photographs have appeared in a variety of publications, including Backpacker, Men’s Journal, National Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, The Surfer’s Journal, High Country News, Outdoor California, Westways, and Natural History. He is also the author of the award-winning book Carrizo Plain: Where the Mountains Meet the Grasslands. His most recent book, Paddling into a Natural Balance, Stories of Kayaking and Conservation around Channel Islands National Park, chronicles his own personal kayaking trips around the islands, woven around the recovery of flora and fauna in one of the least visited national parks in North America.