About Us
In 2020, I was a Wildland Firefighter in Yosemite National Park. But that is not when I first fell in love with Yosemite. I backpacked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, and the John Muir Trail four times, and on each trip through Yosemite, it stole a piece of my heart. In 2021, I got Rocky, my trusted, well-loved, beautiful Texas Heeler, who I have brought everywhere. Rocky truly is my best friend, and in 2021 I rode my bicycle, with Rocky in a trailer pulled behind, 3,500 miles across the country. When I first took Rocky to Yosemite I had this wild thought about a children's book about him, but it was just a thought. Years later my mother mentioned I should write a children's book about Rocky. And, on a training hike for fire season, with my fifty-pound vest on, as I hiked up a mountain on the Appalachian Trail it came to me. Bark Ranger! I got to my truck, grabbed by laptop and darted for the public library. I wrote the first Bark Ranger book that night.
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In February 2023 a friend showed me some of Rebecca Harnish's artwork and I was blown away. We instantly connected but as I was getting ready for fire season, she was preparing to hike the Continental Divide Trail. Our timing would not work, after months of failures with two other artists, I saw an email from Rebecca after a wildfire assignment toward the end of July. Her boyfriend had flown out to meet her on the trail and proposed. She missed him, and her family back in North Carolina and decided to go home. That was the same week I didn't know how Bark Ranger would come to life. We had an instant connection, and we started our collaboration shortly after. I owe so much of this dream becoming a reality to Becca. She is so talented, gifted and truly an amazing artist, woman and friend. Thank you, Becca, for brining Bark Ranger to LIFE!
Bark Ranger Team
@BackcountryNinjas
Kevin P Conley Jr is an author, wildland firefighter, long distance cyclist and backpacker, motivational speaker, philantropist and the proud best friend of the real Bark Ranger Rocky. Kevin's first book 'Above the Ashes', was self-published in 2022. Kevin strives to raise awareness about mental health, and give back to others.
@Rebecca.Harnish
"Artist and Bark Ranger illustrator Rebecca Harnish draws inspiration from the wonders of the natural world and thousands of miles hiking across the country. The National Parks have been a part of her life since early childhood, and were formative part of her appreciation of the natural world. Bark Ranger is the perfect opportunity to express her love of wilderness through the eyes of our favorite fluffy hero Rocky. She loves to dot the pages with native plants and animals from each park, and learn new things with every book!"