Hi! I am Sara Dant, an award-winning writer, historian, distinguished professor emeritus, runner, and avid outdoor enthusiast who lives in the Galisteo River Valley outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was born and raised in the West, received all my degrees from western universities, and I’m proud to live in the part of the country where the air is dry and the mountains are high.

My recent book is Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West (2023), a “big history” of the interaction between people and nature across twenty-five thousand years in the West. Reviewers have generously praised the writing, clarity, and breadth of Losing Eden, calling it “a brilliant book,” “stunning,” and “a powerful, irreplaceable environmental history.” 

In addition to my writing, I was a featured advisor and interviewee for the Ken Burns documentary film, The American Buffalo (2023). My experience as a public speaker has resulted in regular guest appearances on podcasts and documentaries. I also give talks and multi-media presentations at events, fundraisers, banquets, and conferences across the country. Additionally, I have been hired to provide expert witness historical research and testimony in court, including a precedent-setting report on Stream Navigability upheld by the Utah Supreme Court. As a lapsed journalism major, I’m always interested in talking with reporters and other writers.

My expertise is in the history of the American West, U.S. environmental history and politics, and American historical trends. My writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, PBS.org, Daily Gazette (NY), San Francisco Chronicle, The Press Democrat (CA), The Mercury (KS), and Colorado Sun as well as numerous scholarly publications.

Before retiring from academia in 2024 to write full-time, I was Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor and Professor and Chair of History at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. I earned my BS in Public Relations and Journalism from Northern Arizona University, and my MA in American Studies and PhD in History from Washington State University. Go Cougs!

Contact: SaraDant21@gmail.com