Barbara Herkert has a undergraduate degree in biology from UC Santa Barbara and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. She is the author of two nonfiction picture books and three picture book biographies. Her informational picture book entitled This Old Madrone Tree , was released in September of 2023. Barbara currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington with her family, two dogs, and a variety of wildlife, including a nearby heronry.