Craig Pittman, a native Floridian, is the author of six non-fiction books about the state. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him “the most destructive force on campus.” Since then he has covered a variety of newspaper beats and quite a few natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires, and the Florida Legislature.

For 30 years, he covered environmental issues for Florida’s largest newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, winning state and national awards. He now writes a weekly column on the environment for the Florida Phoenix and co-hosts the popular “Welcome to Florida” podcast.  His books include the New York Times bestseller Oh, Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country, which won the gold medal for Florida non-fiction from the Florida Book Awards. His book Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther was hailed as one of the top twenty books of 2020 by Garden & Gun magazine. His latest book, published in 2021, is The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife.

Pittman was recently named a Florida Literary Legend by the Florida Heritage Book Festival, and won the Rachel Carson Award from the national Sierra Club. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two children.