Robert Manning is Steven Rubenstein Professor of Environment and Natural Resources and Director of the Park Studies Laboratory at The University of Vermont. He teaches and conducts research on the history, philosophy and management of parks, wilderness and related areas. He has won the university's highest awards in both teaching and research. Martha Manning is an artist working in fiber and print making. Her work has been published in national magazines and shown in nationally juried shows.

The Mannings published Walking Distance: Extraordinary Hikes for Ordinary People (Oregon State University Press) in 2013. The book has been described as "beautiful" and "inspiring", is endorsed by the Sierra Club, Appalachian Mountain Club, and American Hiking Society, and is now in its second printing. Robert Manning has published ten other titles, most of which are academic books that are used in courses throughout the world. Robert has just completed a substantive and richly illustrated guide to the U.S. National Parks that is designed for a popular audience and that will help celebrate the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service.