Jeff Birkby's passion for hot springs began in the early 1980s when he was hired as a geothermal energy specialist for state of Montana. Jeff currently consults on geothermal energy projects, helping hot springs owners use their thermal resources for greenhouse, swimming pool, and space heating. Jeff is a member of the Humanities Montana Speakers' Bureau, and often lectures on the social history of hot springs of the West. More than a dozen soakable hot springs are within a two-hour drive of Jeff's home in Missoula, Montana.