A committed naturalist since early childhood, Tal has been introducing people to wild places for 30 years. He spent much of two decades teaching in the experimental and experiential environs of Arthur Morgan School and The Arete Project, and he lives with his family in a timber-frame home that he and his wife designed and built out of local white pines. Tal writes a column on Appalachian ecology for Asheville's Mountain Xpress, maintains certifications in WFA and CPR, coaches cross country at Mountain Heritage HS, has served on the board of the Burnsville-Yancey Chamber, and is a co-founder of the South Toe Conservation Fund.