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Kimberly Kirner: In all my work, I first give thanks to and for my parents, one of whom is the coauthor of this book! My parents modeled for me a strong work ethic and a passion for making a difference in the world, and this has shaped my entire career. Second, I would like to thank my advisers and key professors from University of California, Riverside, who shaped my development as an anthropologist across my entire student career. Gene (E. N.) Anderson was always an engaged, supportive adviser, from the time he took me on at the beginning of my bachelor’s work, through my honors thesis, and eventually as my doctoral adviser. Gene is a brilliant scholar who has never lost his excitement for learning, doing fieldwork, or writing; I can never aspire to his prolific level of reading and publication, but I like to think I picked up his never-ending thrill of pursuing new knowledge. His works and guidance, so often in hours-long conversations at his office throughout my entire student career, developed my passion for ethnoecology and cultural ecology, as well as allowed me to have a very individualized space for processing theory. My other doctoral committee members, David Kronenfeld and Maria Cruz-Torres, were also instrumental in my development, each providing a different piece to the methodological and theoretical puzzle my work demands. David’s research and coursework formed my training in cognitive anthropology, and his guidance and insights continue to shape my work. Maria was a model for me as a female anthropologist conducting doctoral work in a male-dominated subculture. Her work and classes in political ecology built my understanding of the integration of political and economic systems in the lives of communities and their places, but more than this, her caring support and the courage she showed in her own research helped me know I could also walk such a path.

Jan Mills: Thank you to my daughters, Kimberly and Brooke, who taught me so very much about providing for children’s needs and how differently those may be expressed. I want to thank my father for teaching me the importance of freedom and giving back to the world; my mother, who taught me the importance of family and independence; and my sister Jackie for sharing the sacred journey. Also, thanks to the children, families, and staff of Rialto Unified School District, who taught me the importance of community. Finally, thanks to Helen Howard for her unending belief in my capabilities and Diane Williams, who was my supervisor so long ago and who trusted me to creatively teach “outside the box,” thereby allowing me to reach so many students from diverse backgrounds.

Collectively, we would like to thank our students, who have taught us how to teach, even as we have taught them.