Frances F. Dunwell is the author of two award-winning books and a noted conservation leader, working tirelessly for over 40 years to protect the natural, scenic and historic heritage of the Hudson River from a variety of nonprofit and governmental positions. In the mid 1970's, as a young woman, Dunwell served as the Director of the Center for the Hudson River Valley and worked with transformative people --Franny Reese, Larry Rockefeller, Bob Boyle, Pete Seeger and others--on projects to clean up the river. Later, she led a successful coalition to support the passage of the NYS Local Waterfront Revitalization Act and helped designate the Hudson River Valley as a National Heritage Area. Her curiosity about the Hudson's unique history and legendary people was stimulated by a project she helped to coordinate which documented the engineering marvels, architectural wonders, artist studios, castles, industrial archaeology and rural cemeteries along the river, themes she has explored more fully in her newest book. She has donated royalties from sales of her book to the Natural Heritage Trust in support of river conservation. Dunwell is a life-long resident of the Hudson Valley and recalls a childhood on the river when it was so polluted that she had to get shots before going out on a boat, in case she fell in. Today, her work has made the Hudson River cleaner and more accessible for people to enjoy for swimming and boating. She has also helped communities deal with the realities of sea level rise and coastal storms, helped biologists restore Atlantic sturgeon, and helped citizens understand, love and protect the biodiversity of the Hudson Valley. Through her books, she hopes to inspire people to connect with the beauty and mystique of the valley, dream big for its future, and become everyday leaders who choose to make a difference.