Zach Fitzner

Zach Fitzner was born in Wyoming where he first became interested both in living wildlife and fossil remains. These interests have continued to guide him growing up in Colorado, where he explored mountains and deserts and throughout his life. Zach also attended college in Colorado, studying biology. It was studying biology that opened opportunities to go on a field course to Ecuador, intern in sea turtle conservation in West Africa and explore caves in Arizona among other exploits. This is where he also first landed a job in paleontology through a professor’s contacts.

Zach has worked in commercial paleontology in Colorado, South Dakota and Arizona. He has molded and cast fossils as well as prepared and restored skeletons as part of a team. Some of this work has been placed in major museums both in the US and abroad. His work has included shark fossils, a T. rex skeleton, invertebrates, mammals and of course crocodilians.

While working with fossils and wildlife, Zach has also kept himself active in the outdoors, hiking, camping, backpacking and canoeing/kayaking regularly. He’s even participated in more extreme outdoor sports such as caving, SCUBA diving, rock and ice climbing and mountaineering expeditions including Denali and Rainier.

All of these skills and interests come to bear in Zach’s writing where he explores natural history, conservation, ecology and the outdoors. While writing Tears for Crocodilia, Zach spent time hiking, canoeing and assisting in alligator research on golf courses as well as background reading and interviews. Zach believes that good non-fiction should be at least partially based upon the author’s own experience.