Smithsonian - Perishable Pundit

I 'istnet1Gordon Grant,Corvallis, Oregon; ProtectingForests and Wildlife HabitatsGordon Gout has always beeninterested m how rivers workand the role watersheds play inpeople's lives. He spent 12 yearsworking as a white-water riverguide before returning to si In niltor his doctorate m hydrologyand fluvial geomorphology.As a Research Hydrologist, hestudies the effects of land use,dams, geology, and floods onriver pint esses. At the Festival,(rant uses an experimental river,complete with live vegetationand floods, to give visitors adynamic display ol river processes.lid dross, Brookings, Oregon;Interactive ForestUntil retiring from the ForestService in [997, Ed Gross workedas a soil scientist at the SiskiyouNational Forest. When the ForestService developed the SiskiyouForest Plan 111 the lciNos. Grossrealized the important role playedby dead organic matter 111 a forest'sregenerative cycle. It was becauseoi Ins efforts that the eventualForest Plan included recommendationsto leave "large woodymaterial" on the forest floorTony Guinn,Mountain I iew, Arkansas;Water, Woods, and Mountainslonv Guinn is the VisitorInformation Specialist at theBlanchard Springs Caverns, oneof the few caves 111 the I orestService system that offer toursto the public. Guinn arrangestours for the Caverns' yi 1,1 11 11annual visitors. She is also responsiblefor producing educationalprograms about the caves, thenhistory, and the bats and endangeredspecies that live thereJim Hammer, Winthrop,Washington; Call of the Wild|un Hammer has spent his entire40-year Forest Service carvelon the Methow Valle) Ranger111 the < )kanogan andWenatchee National Forests,where he now serves as Wildernessand Frails Coordinator. Beforemining mto an office position.Hammer was an expert animalpacker who built, maintained, andupgraded trails in the wildernessElizabeth Hawke, Milford,Pennsylvania; Interactive ForestElizabeth Hawke began her careerat Grey Towers National HistoricSue as a summer intern. Now,as the horticulturist of GiffordPinchot's ancestral home, Hawkenurtures the historic gardensand landscape, a moat, and theFingerbowl, the Pinchots' distinc -tive outdoor dining table. Shealso takes care of the groundsof the 102-acre estate, includingthe trees that were planted byGittord and his wale Cornelia,large sloping lawns, forests,trails, paths, and roadwav sCharles Hillary, Madison,Wisconsin; Forest ProductsCharles Hillary is a PhysicalScience leclinici.ui at the ForestProducts Laboratory. In his position.Hillary implements newtechnology and computers for theLab. He also conducts resean hthe pulp and paper division for thePostal Service recycling project,working on ways to removeinks, toners and glues from paperti1 t onform to standards forPostal Service suppliers. At theFestival, Hillary demonstratessimple ways for children andadults to make their own paper.inJack Holcomb, Lawrenceville,( Georgia; Arts & CraftsJack Holcomb "sprofessionalcareer is with the Forest Service,but Ins passion is constructingguitars by hand, spending atleast 250 hours on each guitar.Holcomb has worked withthe Forest Service tor 26 yearsand is currently the RegionalHydrologist for the Forest Servil eSouthern Region 111 Atlanta Atthe Festival, Holcomb displaysone of Ins classical guitars andgives an in-depth presentationon the methods and materialshe uses to craft his guitars.Saul Irvin, Seville, Florida;Camp Foodways/Fire CampSaul Irvin has been winking withthe Florida Division of Forestryfor 2s years, serving as a combinationfirefighter and ranger, or"hanger" (in Ins own words). As achild lie learned to hunt, fish, andfind his wax. around the woods,and now lie applies those earlylessons to Ins work as a forestranger. He also has become ,inexperienced cook, particularlyfor several varieties of cattish.Dórica Jackson,Ketchikan, Alaska; Arts & CraftsDórica [ackson began her professionalweaving career 111 the early1970s, combining her trainingintextile design with her newlyacquired knowledge and respectfor Northwest Coast Indian Art.Her Chilkat weaving can nowbe seen 111 various museumsaround the globe In addition,she shares her knowledgeby teaching apprentices andstudents at the Totem HeritageCenter m Ketchikan, Alaska.SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL