Dana grew up in Ketchum, Idaho, and learned to flyfish, ride, and shoot as a child. Fascinated by the plants and animals of the mountains, she became an outdoor biologist, working as a conservationist in the Idaho high desert with special emphasis on small mammals and rare plants, and also teaching college students on field study expeditions to some of the wild places of the world.

To Dana, everything is a story: the time grandpa saw a murder in 1909 and what happens on the day of the spiders, how fireflies behave in the rainforest, how to bottle-raise baby pack rats, and what happened after the collies ate the cement. She has published many studies in scientific journals, plus the young adult SCAVENGER Series and the thriller series LITTLE DEMON CREEK in addition to her award-winning memoir, Wildflower Girl.

She lives in Idaho with her husband and Shelties.