Robert J. Korpella (Bob) enjoys all his roles in life as a husband, parent, grandfather, author, and organization consultant. He earned certification as a Master Naturalist, serving as program chair, vice-president and president of the Springfield, Missouri chapter over the past several years. As a naturalist, Bob has presented programs to students from pre-school to college on topics as diverse as stream ecology, fur bearers, insects, and bats and owls. He has also participated in bird surveys and monitored the health of streams at 14 different sites in southwest Missouri as a Level 3 Certified Stream Team member. He has received awards such as Choose Environmental Excellence, Water Warrior, and Stream Team Ambassador.
Bob’s nature photography has been featured in the Missouri Department of Conservation nature calendar and wildlife magazines. As a writer, Bob’s work has appeared in newspapers across the country as well as National Geographic’s Green Living. He is a lifelong learner, having earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas, and he is currently working on his M.Ed.
Bob and his wife, Helyn, live in northern Arkansas and enjoy frequent visits with their daughters and grandchildren. He also enjoys nature photography, hiking, fishing, hunting and kayaking.
Bob is the author of Dinosaur Dictionary for Kids, a book aimed at 5th grade students but enjoyed by ‘kids’ of all ages. East of Peculiar is the first book in a planned four-book series. Very Peculiar Mud Races, the second book in the series, is scheduled for release in late fall, 2023. Bob is also writing a novel for young adults that he hopes to release sometime in 2023.