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Harold A. Kantrud was born and raised in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. After a stint in the U.S. Marines, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife management from the University of Minnesota in 1963. In that same year, Kantrud began his career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working in North Dakota with Bob Stewart.

Kantrud continues to actively conduct research at Northern Prairie Science Center, where he has worked continuously for more than 30 years. He also maintains the center's herbarium collection, which now houses over 6,000 plant specimens from throughout the Great Plains. Like Stewart--Kantrud's long-time friend, colleague, and mentor--Kantrud is recognized as a well-rounded naturalist and an authority in wetland classification, field identification, habitat relations of waterfowl and grassland birds, and the taxonomy and ecology of wetland and grassland plants. Kantrud has authored or coauthored over 45 professional, technical, and popular articles.