Thomas Elpel's interest in the natural world began when he was a child, when he went on a hike with his grandmother in southwestern Montana, learning about edible and medicinal plants. He has earned a reputation as a wilderness survival, botany, and foraging specialist. In Pony, Montana, he started Outdoor Wilderness Living School, LLC (OWLS), where he teaches Stone Age survival skills to children. Via his Green University, LLC, he conducts adult classes in outdoor skills and sustainable living. Tom lectures and writes to encourage a more intimate and involved relationship with nature.