Smithsonian - Perishable Pundit

Forest Service, Culture,and CommunitySusan Adams,Oxford, Mississippi; ProtectingForests and Wildlife HabitatsSusan Adams knew from earlychildhood that she wanted to heabiologist. In 2000, her dreamwas fulfilled when she took ajob as a research fisheries biologistat the Southern ResearchStation, Center for BottomlandHardwood Research. Adamswades, snorkels, and uses boatsin studying the behavior andecology of tish, crayfish, andamphibians in streams and riversinthe Southeast and Montana.Jante Agyagos,Cormnllc, Arizona; ProtectingForests and Wildlife HabitatsAs a district wildlife biologist,Janie Agyagos is responsible tortracking and protecting over50 rare species including birds,mammals, reptiles, amphibians,invertebrates, fish, and plants.Additionally, she is responsible formanaging the habitat ot variousgame species, building and maintainingwildlife structures, andidentifying and preventing thespread ot invasive plants. Skillsrequired in her job include snakehandling, nighttime navigation,kayaking, rappellmg, horsebackriding, and fence building.National Forest (Illinois). Shehas also served on the RegionalMulticultural Team as the coordinatorfor the African AmericanSpecial Emphasis Program.Kimherly Anderson,Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Water,Woods, and MountainsAs Regional PartnershipCoordinator for the ForestService's Eastern Region,Kimberly Anderson works toidentity corporate and nonprofitpartners for Forest Serviceprojects involving tish. wildlife,recreation, timber, and otherresources. One of Anderson'srecent accomplishments wasa partnership agreement withthe American Council ofSnowmobile Associations, whichwill result in the planting ot 7.S00trees throughout Wisconsin.John Anhold, Flagstaff Arizona;Camp Foodways/Tree DoctorsWorking as a forest entomologist,John Anhold travels aroundArizona assessing the state's fivenational forests. He is particularlyconcerned with the threatsthat insects, noxious weeds,and invasive species pose to theforests' health and well-being.Anhold's father, a retired ForestService employee, taught his sonsthe art of Dutch oven cooking,which Anhold and his wife LindaWadleigh, also a Forest Servicetogether and create lasting, livingmemorials to the victims ofterrorism and their families.Phyllis Ashmead, Mi-Wuk Village,California; Interactive ForestPhyllis Ashmead is an interpreterat the Stanislaus National Forest,and a recipient of the 2004Gifford Pinchot Excellence 111Interpretation and ConservationEducation Award. As an interpreter,Ashmead aims to instillrespect for heritage and nationalresources. Examples ot her projectsinclude On Fire!, a play aboutthe iyio wildfires that changednational fire management policy,and a program about NancyKelsey. the first woman to crossthe Sierra Nevada Mountains.Donna Ashworth, FlagstaffArizona; Fire Lookout TowerDonna Ashworth has spentthe past 21 years working as afire tower lookout at WoodyMountain Fire Lookout in theCoconino National Forest.Over the course of her career.Ashworth has become an expertatdistinguishing forms of smokeand at quickly pinpointingthe location of wildfires. Nowshe can easily tell whether adistant plume means troubleor is just the westbound dieseltram leaving Flagstaff.Barbara Balen, Hathaway Pines,[ 107]Berneice Anderson, Milwaukee,Wisconsin; Law EnforcementBerneice Anderson is PatrolCommander for the ForestService's Eastern Region,which covers 20 states. Sheholds degrees in criminal justiceand sociology, and previouslyworkedas a Law Enforcementofficer in the Wayne NationalForest (Ohio) and Shawneeemployee, continue to practice.Matt Amn, New York,New York; Forest LandscapesMatt Aran describes himself asthe luckiest person 111 the world.He isa landscape architect andthe coordinator of the ForestService's Living MemorialsProject in New York City. Thisproject uses the power of treesand green space to bring peopleCalifornia; Forest LandscapesBarbara Balen is the districtheritage specialist and interpretiveprogram manager on theCalaveras Ranger District inthe Stanislaus National Forest.She works closely with localNative American communitieson the protection, traditional use.and interpretation ot botanicaland archaeological resourcesFESTIVALPARTICIPANTS