William Coperthwaite is a native of Maine who has traveled the world in search of folk-art techniques and subsistence skills. Impressed by the beauty and intelligence of the traditional Central Asian nomadic tents called "yurts," Coperthwaite adapted and introduced to North America yurt design and construction. In the past four decades has participated in building more than three hundred yurts for family homes, schools, camps, and outbuildings. Awarded a doctorate from Harvard University's School of Education for his work with Eskimo villagers, Coperthwaite has taught in a variety of innovative educational settings. His organization, the Yurt Foundation, now serves to promote sensible and economical self-reliance through workshops, lectures, and publications. Peter Forbes is a longtime leader in the American land conservation movement, both through his work with the Trust for Public Land and his talks, writings, and photography. The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people, to improve the quality of life in our communities and to protect our natural and historic resources for future generations. John Saltmarsh is one of the founders of The Good Life Center, the Nearing's former homestead in Harborside, Maine.

He is an associate professor at Northeastern University in Boston with a joint appointment in the departments of Cooperative Education and History. He has been a Visiting Research Fellow at the Feinstein Institute for Public Service for Providence College. He resides in Wayland, Massachusetts.