John Gifford

Oklahoma City writer and author​​

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John Gifford is a writer, author, and naturalist with a special interest in North America's grasslands. He writes frequently about the landscapes, waters and wildlife of Oklahoma and the southern Great Plains while exploring conservation issues impacting people and communities both locally and globally.

His work appears in American Forests, Big Sky Journal, the Dallas Morning News, the Atlantic, U.S. News & World Report, the Christian Science Monitor, Southwest Review, and has been recognized in The Best American Essays and The Best American Sports Writing anthologies.

He's the author of several books, including Red Dirt Country: Field Notes and Essays on Nature (University of Oklahoma Press, 2019), Pecan America (University Press of Kansas, 2019), and Landscaping for Wildlife: Essays on Our Changing Planet (Belle Point Press, 2026).

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