You may be as likely to see model Summer Rayne Oakes walking her pet Madagascar hissing roaches as you are to see her on a photo shoot on the streets of New York City. A recent Cornell University alum with a B.S. in Natural Resources and Entomology, Summer Rayne moved to New York City in July 2004 to pursue what she refers to as, €œNeo-environmentalism,€ or innovative ways to address and take on environmental and social issues. She is currently a full-time model, but also works as a fashion-marketing consultant, coordinator of the Organic Portraits Project, and is an active participant in the Collage Foundation. For more information, visit her official site at summerrayne.net.

John Mlade, having married his undergraduate degrees in Biological Conservation and Geography with his graduate work in Green Building and Construction Management, is able to fill a unique niche in understanding our built environment. While a Masters Degree student, John created his specialized degree in green building, and has helped teach sustainability courses around the Colorado State University campus, including courses on Biomimicry, Sustainable Business, Bioneers, and Appropriate Technology for Sustainable Living. John is currently a research assistant at CSU Institute for the Built Environment, where his work centers around implementing green building strategies in school to create healthy places for teaching and learning. He also publishes a monthly e-newsletter called BioInspire, (click here to subscribe) featuring essays written by leading design professionals addressing the interface of human design, nature and technology. John€™s spare time is spent in the outdoors, often playing music.

Sean Schmidt is the Style Ambassador and Co-Founder of the Sustainable Style Foundation*, and the Founding Editor of SASS Magazine. His diverse interests and experience have led him from studying snow leopards in Ladakh, India, to becoming an international expert on venture capital funds in the former Soviet Union, to fourteen years working at Nordstrom, Inc. At work and in life, Sean is a firm believer in developing one's mind, body and spirit to its fullest extent. He strongly believes that empowering people to make positive change in the world as they express themselves through their individual style choices is a powerful force that truly will improve the quality of life for everyone.

Collin Dunn is Editor-in-Chief of SASS Magazine. Growing up in the mountains of Colorado gave Collin a strong sense of the inherent value in the natural world and the motivation to help preserve it. He believes that every person can do something every day to help improve their lives and the world around them.

Our "Heir Brains" department was a speech written by Severn Cullis-Suzuki. She has been active in environmental and social justice work ever since kindergarten. When she was 9, she started the Environmental Children's Organization (ECO), a small group of children committed to learning and teaching other kids about environmental issues. She was twelve years old when she spoke to the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. From 1997 to 2001 Severn served as a Commissioner for the UN's Earth Charter, a document that strives to serve as a code of ethics for human conduct towards our resources, our planet, and each other. Now 23, Cullis-Suzuki spearheads theSkyFish Project and continues to speak to schools and corporations, and at many conferences and international meetings. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Our "Wise Words" were compiled from quotations of Dr. David Suzuki, Severn Suzuki's father. He is also Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation, an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster. David has received numerous awards for his work, including a UNESCO prize for science, a United Nations Environment Program medal and the Order of Canada. He has 15 honorary doctorates from universities in Canada, the United States and Australia. For his work in support of Canada's First Nations people, David has received many tributes and has been honored with five names and formal adoption by two tribes.

Carly West is a freelance writer working from Tacoma, Washington. A varsity rower at the University of Puget Sound, Carly loves engaging in sport and spending time outdoors. Her future plans include an extended trip to New Zealand.

Originally from Hungary, Mrta Windeisen earned her graphic design degree from Western Washington University in Bellingham. After working as a graphic designer for Starbucks Coffee Company for five years, she developed my own style of illustration and named it KittenChops. Currently, she works as a free-lance graphic designer and illustrator and lives in West Seattle with her two cats, Cicka and Mitsu.

Miles Glew is thrilled to be living in Seattle after an agonizing four years in Olympia where he was earned his B.A. in psychology from the Evergreen State College. He now works as a research assistant at a consulting and development firm, where he is developing and testing the effectiveness of a multimedia, interactive computer tutorial aimed at reducing HIV transmission risk behaviors. In his spare time he enjoys a good laugh with his friends and can be seen attempting to lift weights at a local gym.