Richard Pallardy is a science writer based in Chicago. After seven years at Encyclopedia Britannica, he struck out on his own and is now freelancing. He writes mostly about animals, plants, and how they interact with their environments. He is fascinated by everything from charismatic megafauna to miniature deep sea clams. By investigating the creatures that share our planet, he hopes to underscore their importance and share the joy that learning about them can bring to the lives of even the most science-averse among us.