Jonathan Poppele is a naturalist, author, and educator with wide-ranging interests. He earned a master's degree in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, studying citizen science, environmental education, and how to cultivate a personal relationship with the natural world through animal tracking. He has taught ecology, environmental studies, biology, and technical writing at the University of Minnesota.

An avid outdoorsman and student of natural history, Jon is a member of the Minnesota Trackers Club and the International Society for Professional Trackers, and he is the founder of the Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project. A Black Belt in the peaceful martial art of Ki-Aikido, Jon is also the founder and director of the Center for Mind-Body Oneness in Saint Paul, Minnesota.