Outstanding Florida Outdoor Book of the Year 2nd Place

Gary Rankel writing, Tom Craig maps and design

Max Schulman Publisher

Florida Outdoor Writing Association​ - 2020 

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           TOM CRAIG  is the principal author of the latest of the 4  books  he and Max have produced. Tom is a life long graphic artist, photographer and designer with extensive experience creating and managing commercial projects in the resort, recreational, athletic, and entertainment industries.

            As a resident and Councilman for The City of Inverness and board member of the Tourist Development Council for Citrus County, Tom is dedicated to enlightening everyone he meets to live a healthy life by spending time outdoors in some kind of activity. Other volunteer positions: Small Business Development Council at the University of Central Florida in Orlando - Volunteer Advisor and, Inverness Fine Arts Festival - Director.

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               MAX SCHULMAN is the Principal Author and Publisher of the Treasure of the Trails - Hiking, Biking, and Birding - Citrus County. Max invited two authors, specialists in their fields, to author the Paddling and Kayak Fishing books. ​ 

                  Max is a retired USAF aviator and intel­ligence officer. His duties during a career span­ning four decades took him on trails, paths and the pavement of over 40 countries in North, Central and South America; Europe, South­west Asia - and several Pacific Islands. Besides navigator and electronic warfare schools he attended land and sea survival courses special­ized for winter, desert, jungle and mountain environments. 

                 Colonel Schulman has lived in Inverness, Florida. He is a board member of the Citrus County Tourist Development Council, and consults on commu­nity development and environmental issues. ​

               TOM & MAX are involved in their community, actively volunteering for environmental groups and activities. Tom is President and Max is Vice President of the Citizen Support Organization of The Friends of the Withlacoochee State Trail and both are members of the Nature Coast Ramblers Hikes, Bikes, and Paddles.     ​

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                 MATTHEW A. CLEMONS  is the leading author of "Finding the Treasures of the Trails, Paddling - Citrus County."

Matt has a degree in Environmental Marine Science and in Wildlife Conservation. After a 17-year career serving with several State of Florida conservation agencies, Matt is an ACA-certified SUP Instructor and holds a Coastal Kayak Guide endorsement. He is the former manager of St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve. He is a certified Eco-Heritage Guide and instructed a portion of the University of North Florida’s Eco-Heritage Guide Certification Program entitled “Environmental Ethics and Sustainability”.

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                    GARY RANKEL  is the leading author

of "Finding the Treasures of the Trails, Kayak Fishing - Citrus County" which is currently out of print. 

            Gary received his B.S. in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin, and his M.S. in Fisheries Management from the University of Idaho where he conducted research on depleted cutthroat trout populations in the St. Joe River. 

               Working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gary participated in an effort to restore endangered cutthroat trout populations in Nevada and established a Fisheries Assistance Office in Arcata, California, where he served as project leader of the Klamath River Salmon and Steelhead Investigation Program. At the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. he administered a national program overseeing tribal fish, wildlife and outdoor recreation resources, and Indian hunting, fishing and gathering rights.

              After 35 years, he looked forward to retiring in the Pacific Northwest, but his Scottish wife, having had her fill of cool, rainy weather, wanted to live in sunny Florida, so they compromised and headed to Citrus County.