16th Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week™
January 7-15, 2006
Music Road Hotel & Convention Center
Wilderness Wildlife Week Experts
Biographical Information - 2006
Alligator Aaron is one of the stars of a Silly Safari Show which is a fast paced, high-energy comedy show also starring Jungle John. They are wacky, zany, and they love to sharing their many animals with you. Help set them straight on a Silly Sarfari today!
Donna Allen grew up in Pigeon Forge and attended elementary school here. She is a descendant of William Hatcher, pioneer settler of the area.
Herman Adams is a native of Pigeon Forge. He has many anecdotes of his years growing up in ‘downtown’ in the fifties.
Anne Allison is a retired educator and a member of The American Bear Association (ABA). She volunteered for several years at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in MN. Anne collaborated with Kathy Sherrard in Designing and maintaining the website for the organization for three years. In 1999 they created a children’s activity book about bears. Recently, she has become a member and volunteer of the Appalachian Bear Center in TN and she volunteers for Wild For Life Center for Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Asheville, NC. Anne has presented programs in MN and NC, and annually at Wilderness Wildlife Week.
Email: wildscove@direcway.com
Lendel Abbott is a talented woodcarver who carves with a pocket knife like they did many years ago. He has written a book on how families lived many years ago in the mountains.
Jeff Alt is a talented speaker who walked the entire 2,160 mile Appalachian Trail. Jeff recently trekked the 218 mile John Muir Trail across the Sierra Nevada with his wife. He is the author of the award-winning A Walk For Sunshine and A Hike For Mike. He is a motivational speaker and teacher with a master’s degree in Communication Disorders. Jeff has appeared on ESPN’s Inside America’s National Parks presenting hiking tips, as well as other national and regional talk shows.
Email: altjt@juno.com
American Eagle Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization dedicated to the mission and vision of preserving the USA’s majestic eagles and fragile environment for future generations to enjoy. They are also dedicated to caring for other birds of prey, many of which have been injured or orphaned. Their goal is to rehabilitate raptors for reintroduction into the wild, yet provide a home for those that are permanently disabled. At the Dollywood based facility, they are federally licensed caregivers to more than 60 resident birds that are non-releasable due to physical handicaps or accidental imprinting on humans. Some are trained for educational purposes, while others are placed in captive breeding projects. As a result of their reproduction efforts, they have released dozens of eagles into the Great Smoky Mountains.
Website: www.eagles.org
Lloyd Arneach, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, learned his first legends from two storytelling uncles on the reservation. Lloyd’s stories range from the “old stories” of the Cherokee to more contemporary stories. He is also a published author, lecturer and teacher. He has performed at the Kennedy Center (2001), the National Folklife Festival, Washington, D.C. (2003), at the request of the Smithsonian Institute, he performed for the Grand Opening of the American Indian Museum in Washington, D.C.
Email: larneach@dnet.net
Louise Bales is a self taught artist who lives “off the traveled path” in Gatlinburg, as her family has for generations. The quality of Louise Bales’ delicately detailed watercolors reflects her dedication to her craft. The scope of her subject matter, the rich and abundant wildlife of her mountain home, is the expression of a woman whose roots are deeply planted in the rich soil her family has owned for generations.
Stephen Lyn Bales – Lyn, a native of Gatlinburg, has been on staff at IJAMS Nature Center in Knoxville for six years as Development Manager and Naturalist. He routinely implements programs for groups of all ages. Lyn also writes regular nature columns for the Farragut Press and Hellbender Press, and is finishing a book on natural history for the University of Tennessee Press.
Alfred Ballinger is a retired instructor from the Health and Physical Education Department at Tennessee Technological University. He taught Outdoor Recreation courses in camping, backpacking, canoeing and rock climbing. He currently owns Cumberland Mountain Outdoor Sports, an outdoor equipment and supply shop in Cookeville, TN, and guides adventure trips to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Cumberland Island, Boundary Waters Canoe Area and other wilderness areas.
Email: cmosports@tn.access.com
Bays Mountain Park Raptor Center is a unique facility that has been designed, built and staffed entirely by volunteers. Their variety of life backgrounds combined with their study of raptors presents a fresh look at the world of raptors.
Email: parkassoc@chartertn.net
Jane Bradley lived on Route 4, Ore Bank Road, when she was a little girl. She went to school in the old Pigeon Forge Elementary building that was a few steps from the Old Mill, and then attended the brand new school house at the site of the present day City Hall. Ms. Bradley, the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ed and Frankie Oury, remembers walking to Butler’s General Store at recess and paying a dime for ice cream.
Larry N. Bristol, professional Geologist Paleontology Coordinator at East Tennessee State University and the Gray Fossil Site.
Email: bristol@etsu.edu
Fred Brown , Senior Writer for the Knoxville News-Sentinel, has been a journalist for more than 30 years. He is a member of the Scripps Howard Hall of Fame and a recipient of both the Malcom Law Trophy for Feature Writing. Fred’s newest book is entitled, Marking Time – East Tennessee Historical Markers and the Stories Behind Them. He is also the author of Serpent Handlers and Their Faith and is a co-author of Discovering October Roads: Fall Color and Geology in Tennessee with Harry Moore.
Email: brownf@knews.com
Bob Brittle performs at various community activities, resorts, churches and social functions. He is a tour guide for Smoky Mountain Tour Connection and a native of Florida. Bob and Russell Fox provided a weekly summer program at the Elkmont Campground Amphitheater for 3 seasons.
Email: bbrittle@netzero.net
Tom Brosch owned and operated a popular hiking store near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for several years. His deep knowledge of history on the park, the people who lived here, and the location of the many trail systems provides him with ample skill to serve as the Wilderness Wildlife Week Transportation Director.
Email: amtnhiker@aol.com
Mary Beth Bryman is co-founder of Wild For Life, Inc. located in Asheville, North Carolina. She and co-founder Susan C. Wright together have more than 28 years of wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education. Wild For Life, Inc. rehabilitates many mammals, songbirds and birds of prey each year. Wild For Life, Inc. is licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Wild For Life is a 501(C)3 organization.
Email: wildforlife@wildforlife.org
John Burgess is an avid hiker. John has enjoyed his participation as hike leader and hiking with retired citizens for more than 8 years.
Bill Burr is an experienced hiker, backpacker, guide and outdoor photographer. Bill’s guided hikes and backpacking trips frequently offer fascinating insights into the human history of, and it’s impact on, the area being visited. Several of his hikes have appeared in regional publications, as well as being syndicated nationally.
John Byrd is associated with the Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization that works with high school and college students, and specializes in radiotelemetry on snakes, bird banding, aquatic salamanders, and more.
Email: cresosnake@aol.com
Glenn Cardwell retired as a Park Ranger from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He grew up in "Big Greenbriar", and now lives in Pittman Center where he serves as Mayor.
Jack Carman is a graduate of Mississippi State University, and a retired aeronautical engineer. An amateur botanist and recipient of several photography awards, Jack is the author of Wildflowers of Tennessee, Tennessee’s first color photographic field guide.
Email: jcarman@WildflowersTn.com
Melvin Carr was born and raised in Sevier County, and has watched the area grow through the years. He served in the United States military aboard the battleship USS Pennsylvania at the early age of 17 for nearly 5 years. They covered every amphibious operation in the Pacific War except Iwo Jima. He has pastored churches for 38 ½ years since late 1952. He continues to support and work with young pastors in the area, and enjoys working in his 3 gardens.
Benny Carroll works with Rocky Top Outfitters in Pigeon Forge. He has been a fishing guide for 14 years.
Stuart Carroll has been a Ranger/Naturalist with Fall Creek Falls State Park for more than 20 years. He received his B.S. Degree from the University of Tennessee – Martin, and a master’s degree from Tennessee Technological University. He has been a recipient of the coveted “Ranger of the Year” award from Tennessee State Parks, and additional numerous conservation and education awards.
Email: stuart.wcarroll@state.tn.us
Frank Carter has been a member of Retired Citizens of the Smokies for more than 17 years, Frank hikes every Friday year-round. He also has a genuine interest for wildflowers and the history of the Smokies.
Brigitte and David Cate have hiked all the official trails of the GSMNP, and are members of the 900 Miler Club. David is a retired judge of the Knox County Chancery Court, and Brigitte had a career as a hair-stylist. In addition to hiking the 2,168 mile Appalachian Trail, they have hiked the 270 mile Long Trail in Vermont.
Email: leadingandtrailing@yahoo.com
Kendall Chiles is a freelance nature photographer with more than 20 years of photography experience. His photographs have appeared in numerous books, magazines and brochures. He is an Instructor for the University of Tennessee/Smoky Mountain Field School, and a Board Member of Southern Appalachian Nature Photographers. His prints are available locally at Papworth Gallery.
Email: kchiles@esper.com
Herb Clabo grew up in the Spruce Flats area of the Great Smokies. He and his family spent many, many hours collecting herbs for the family’s medicine and for selling. He has a broad knowledge of the uses of many of these herbs that he learned from his mother. Clabo tells that he and his brothers rode “Old Doll”, their horse, over to Greenbrier to sell their time-consuming collections.
Gwen Cody is the Genealogist at the Pigeon Forge Public Library. Gwen grew up on Dixie Avenue in Pigeon Forge, attended elementary school in the old building near what is now Patriot Park. She also attended the new school house on the site where the City Hall is now located. Her ancestors are some of the first families of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Allen Coggins is a free-lance writer, photographer, and researcher who supports his passion for all three by working as a semi-retired subcontractor for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and as a Smoky Mountain tour guide. His book Place Names of the Smokies, explores the origins of the names of streams, ridges, valleys, and other features within our nation’s most visited national park. He has written over a hundred magazine and journal articles including several entries in the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture and “A Walking and Driving Tour of Historic Gatlinburg and Vicinity” (which he co-authored). He lives with wife Barbara in Blount County near their beloved Smokies.
Email: ursey@bellsouth.net
Babette Collavo is the Volunteers-In-Parks Coordinator and Leave No Trace Master for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Babette has a 24-year background with the park, having served in a variety of areas, such as Volunteer Bear Research Assistant, Backcountry Law Enforcement Ranger, and Secretary to the Superintendent.
Email: babette_collavo@nps.gov
Jenna Conforti has worked as a Keeper/Trainer with the Knoxville Zoo Free-Flight program for 2 years. She trains birds and performs with them at the zoo, as well as for school outreach programs during the winter.
Dan Conner is the son of the late Jehu S. and Nellie Lenore Bradley Conner. He lived in the Smokemont community of the Great Smoky Mountains until 1949, when at the age of 21, he and his wife Norma Jean Burnett Conner moved to South Pigeon Forge. His father operated a country store at Smokemont when Conner was a boy. As a young adult, he opened a Gulf gas station in Pigeon Forge in 1952, just as the first lane of the new blacktop road was opening. That road was soon to be the Parkway. He later opened the Norma Dan Motel across the road from the Gulf station. The Conners have one daughter, Danette Conner, and three grandchildren.
Robin Cortvriend has hiked the Smoky Mountains for the past seven years, particularly trails in the GSMNP. Robin has led many hikes for the Haywood Hiker group and is a member of the Carolina Mountain Club.
Dr. Thomas L. & Pat Cory have been professionally involved in photography since 1989. They teach photo workshops and conduct guided photography trips throughout the United States, Europe, and the South Pacific.
Email: tompatcory@aol.com
Katie Cottrell has held the volunteer position as Co-Director of the Clinch River Raptor Center for more than 19 years. She has been active in the rehabilitation of songbirds, water birds, and birds of prey during that time, and attended 5 national symposiums sponsored by International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association. Katie has completed many classes associated with wildlife rehabilitation.
Email: katiecorvid@ccol.net
Jungle John Cusson is the founder and co-owner of Silly Safari Shows, Inc. Jungle John is a well-known animal expert and celebrity. Silly Safaris provides engaging family entertainment and educational school enrichment programs featuring trained, live animals to audiences throughout the Eastern United States.
Email: junglejohn@sillysafaris.com
Gary “Biscuit” Davis is the ONLY 3-time National Bluegrass Banjo Champion. This Chattanooga, TN native relocated to the area, and has since served as Bandleader and Record Producer for Dolly Parton. He is currently performing for Dixie Stampede Dinner Theater and is the Assistant Manager/Music Instructor at Off The Beaten Path music store in Pigeon Forge.
Bill and Rosemary Deitzer – Bill is an adjunct physical education instructor at Cincinnati State College and the University of Cincinnati leading hikes and map/compass usage classes. Bill has hiked in all 50 states and leads trips to the Smokies for a local health club. He is a member of the Highpointers Club, Appalachian Trail Conference, and the Sierra Club. He is a member of the 900 Miler Club having completed all 800 trails in the Smokies.
Email: billdeitzer@nuvox.net
E. Kim Delozier is the Wildlife Biologist for GSMNP, and is responsible for the Black Bear Management Program. A native of Sevier County with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Kim has been employed with the National Park Service for more than 21 years. His expertise extends to black bear management, exotic wild hog control, and river otter and peregrine falcon restorations. Most recently, he has also become involved with the experimental release of elk into the GSMNP.
Email: Kim_Delozier@nps.gov
Wanda DeWaard has shared Earth Kinship and Outdoor Education programs with people of all ages and a wide variety of backgrounds in community groups, schools, colleges, camps, environmental centers and teacher conferences since 1974. She holds a master’s degree in Recreation and Environmental Education and has directed youth and family camps all over the U.S., Canada and Germany. Currently, Wanda works as a program consultant and freelance outdoor educator in the Great Smoky Mountains area. Anything and everything in the natural world brings out her enthusiasm and contagious sense of fun.
Email: earthkin@icx.net
Liz Domingue is the originator and owner of Outdoor Adventures through which she leads guided interpretive hikes in addition to conducting environmental education for youth, adults and fellow educators. She holds a master’s degree in Wildlife/Conservation Biology, and has conducted research on amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles. She is the author and photographer of Paddling Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and a contributing writer, photographer and consultant for McGraw-Hill Science Textbooks. She now resides in Sevierville, TN.
Email: justgetoutdoors@aol.com
Website: www.justgetoutdoors.com
Jerry Drown is a retired advertising photographer from Atlanta who now uses his photographic skills to document the flowers native to the Smokies. He is one of the original Wilderness Wildlife Week participants, and has lived in Gatlinburg for more than 16 years.
Kenneth H. Dubke is a member of the Tennessee Ornithological Society and has been tracking the states nesting Osprey for more than 40 years. More recently he has been working with Golden Eagles in the Southern Appalachians and the endangered Whooping Crane in the Eastern United States.
Terry Edgington is a retired agricultural education teacher with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and a master’s degree in Administration. Terry has been an educator for more than 30 years, and is a Certified Hunter Education Instructor with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.
Email: terrye@charter.net
Nikki Edwards has worked as a Keeper/Trainer with the Knoxville Zoo Free-Flight program for 6 years. She trains birds and performs with them at the zoo, as well as for school outreach programs during the winter.
Bob and Gloria Epperson are a photographic team and very active in obtaining images of wildlife and nature in the lower forty-eight states, Alaska and Canada. After Bob retired from electrical contracting and land developing, they started traveling, completing five round trips to Alaska by automobile during the last fourteen years. They are driven by the challenge of photographing wildlife in their nature setting.
Email: bgepperson@comcast.net
Judy Felts moved to Nashville to pursue her career in music by performing at Opryland. After leaving Opryland, she began singing and playing keyboards for Grand Ole Opry star Bill Anderson. She recorded her first Christian CD in 1995. She is the founder & President of “Christian Women in the Marketplace”, a Nashville based organization. She is also on the board for ACT (Artist in Christian Testimony). The last several years she has had an open door to the Tennessee Prison for Women serving as a facilitator for their Friday night worship service for the inmates. Judy and her husband Mike have two children and live in Franklin, TN.
Email: JudyFelts@kw.com
Jim Foster is an experienced hiker and volunteer in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He is a retired Protestant minister with a deep sense of the mystical dimensions of the earth.
Email: jimsandyfoster@yahoo.com
Steve & Regina Garr are the owners of Birds-I-View, Inc., specializing in backyard nature products and found at www.birds-i-view.biz. They are 2002 recipients of the “Environmental Stewardship Award” from the TN Department of Environment and Conservation. Steve is the President of the North American Bluebird Society, and the Garr’s business is a Corporate Sponsor of that organization. Bringing Bluebirds “back to the city” has been a focus of much of Steve’s research. The Garrs are Life Members of the “Hummer/Bird Study Group”. Steve possesses a sub-permit to band songbirds and hummingbirds in order to attain and share valuable data. Steve and Regina have been featured on such TV programs as “ Tennessee’s Wild Side”, “Volunteer Gardener”, and “Talk-Of-The-Town”.
Email: steve@birds-i-view.biz
Robin Goddard is retired from a 32-year teaching career. She received many education honors including Tennessee Environmental Teacher of the Year, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, and VIP National Park Service – Little Greenbrier School Interpreter. She also teaches at Tremont.
Email: rlgoddard@aol.com
June M. Goforth taught Physical Education in Knox County for 38 years. The dulcimer became a hobby about 10 years before she retired from the school system. After overcoming some learning difficulties about hearing and understanding music she found that the teacher “ness” of her enjoyed sharing with others the “soul” of the instrument. She has taught workshops for dulcimer clubs, at festivals and at Elderhostels for the past ten years.
Martha Graham grew up in the Mill Creek area of Pigeon Forge, now known as Conner Heights. She operates Shady Oaks Campground on the same property that belonged to her parents, Wiley and Carrie Wear Franklin. Graham enjoys speaking about her grandfather, W.R. Franklin’s water and engine powered mills, Old Harp singing and the Pigeon Forge area in general. Smoky Mountains area heritage means everything to Graham who stresses the need for younger generations to learn and know about how their ancestors lived.
Erin Gray has worked as a Keeper/Trainer with the Knoxville Zoo Free-Flight program for 3 years. She trains birds and performs with them at the zoo, as well as for school outreach programs during the winter.
Veronica Greear is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Fisheries Science in 1998. She has been employed with Tennessee State Parks for more than 6 years and is currently a Park Ranger II and EMT-IV at Panther Creek State Park in Morristown, TN.
Email: veronica.greear@state.tn.us
Kevin Hamed is a Biology Instructor at Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, VA. He previously served as the Manager of the Steele Creek Park Nature Center. He earned a B.S. degree in Biology from Tennessee Technological University and an M.S. degree in Biology from ETSU. He is conducting research on amphibian and small mammal populations.
Email: khamed@vhcc.edu
Lucas Harkleroad works with the Sevier County Electric System and is associated with Green Power, a cooperative program involving the Sevier County Electric System and Tennessee Valley Authority. The program is concerned with fuel alternatives that work with the environment.
Email: lharkleroad@sevces.org
Tom Harrington is a retired Insurance Agent. He is a Volunteer Interpreter with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park assigned to Resource Education in Cades Cove. He also works with the Naitonal Parks Community Outreach Program. He is a graduate of East Tennessee State University. Tom has been hiking weekly in the GSMNP for 23 years.
Email: t3hiker@ntown.com
Michael J. Harvey is Professor Emeritus (since June 2000) and Adjunct Faculty member in the Dept. of Biology at TN Technological University in Cookeville. From January 1985 through July 1998, he served as Chairman of the department. During the previous 18 ½ years, he served on the faculty of the Department of Biology at Memphis State University. His primary research interests involve conservation biology and behavioral ecology of mammals, particularly endangered bats. He has also conducted research on reptiles and amphibians. He is author of numerous publications on these subjects. He has been awarded more than $1 million in research grants from various federal, state, and private agencies and organizations.
Email: mharvey@tntech.edu
Robert Hatcher retired in March 2001 as the Coordinator of the Non-Game and Endangered Wildlife Program for the TN Wildlife Resources Agency. Since his retirement, he has answered all eagle email inquiries to the American Eagle Foundation. He received his master’s degree from Auburn University in 1962, and had been employed with TWRA since 1963. Bob has been associated with the release of more than 300 young bald eagles and approximately 47 young golden eagles in Tennessee to restore natural nesting.
Email: hatcher2@bellsouth.net
Jim Headrick owns the Comedy Barn Theater in Pigeon Forge. He has been a pig farmer for nine years and is well versed in pigology. He considers himself a Ham. Arnold the pig was discovered to have mind-reading ability and is part of the Comedy Barn show.
Dr. Alan S. Heilman retired from the Dept. of Botany at the University of Tennessee where he was a Professor for 37 years. He continues to photograph plants and conducts photography workshops regularly.
Dr. Laura E. Higgins, M.D. owns the Mountain View Llama Farm and operates English Mountain Llama Treks with Lucy Lowe. Dr. Higgins is a member of the National Pack Llama Trail Association and has served on the Board of Directors of Southern States Llama Association. She’s been a practicing surgeon in Sevier County since 1992. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine.
Email: hikingmd@aol.com
Jeanie Hilten is the Administrative Officer with Discover Life in America, Inc. She has more than 25-plus years experience in environmental education and natural resource conservation in the Smokies and with parks and preserves in TN, IL, and AZ. She and her husband, Richard, live in East Miller’s Cove where they enjoy gardening, music, hiking, and motorcycle adventures.
Email: jeanie@dlia.org
Bill Hooks is a former naturalist, ranger and tour guide in GSMNP. Bill is also a nature photographer with his specialty being floral in nature. He recently co-authored Whistle over the Mountain, a history of the Little River Lumber Company and the Little River Railroad.
Paul James is the Executive Director of Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville. He has a keen interest in extinct and endangered species. He is a board member of the Knox County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Smoky Mountain Planned Giving Council.
Email: pjames@ijams.org
Ken Jenkins, professional photographer and creator of Wilderness Wildlife Week, is known throughout North America. He is an accomplished author of numerous books covering black bears, grizzlies, and other wildlife. He and his wife Vicki own Beneath the Smoke, a nature company and gallery in Gatlinburg. Because of Ken's vision 16 years ago, WWW is now an award-winning event, having won the prestigious International Festival and Events Association's Pinnacle Award for Best Educational and Best Environmental Program.
Kristine Johnson is the Natural Resource Specialist for GSMNP. She holds a master’s degree in Forestry from the University of Tennessee. Her duties include forest insect and disease management, control of exotic plants and ecological restoration.
Email: kristine_johnson@nps.gov
Dr. Harley E. Jolley is a retired historian with a master’s and Ph.D. in History. He served as a seasonal park ranger for the National Park Service for more than 26 years. He is a recipient of the "Thomas Wolfe Literary Award" and "The Edward H. Abbuehl Environmental Education Award."
Brad Jones has been a Park Ranger, Naturalist and Special Events Coordinator with the Johnson City Parks and Recreation Department for 16 years. As a member of the Tennessee Recreation & Parks Association, Brad has served as the North East District and Resource Management Chairs. He has participated in several environmental and study exchange programs that have taken him to places such as Russia and South Korea. Brad lived and worked at the Grand Canyon, and has explored and experienced the canyon in many ways.
Email: cbjwdp2@johnsoncitytn.org
Joe Kelley served as a National Park Service Ranger for more than 30 years mainly in the Smokies and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He retired in 1994 as Superintendent of Obed Wild and Scenic River in Tennessee. He actively conducts talks and provides instruction of "old ranger skills" such as tracking, search and rescue, and map and compass use. He also serves as a guide with Smoky Mountain Tour Connections.
Email: KelleyTown@charter.net
Veta King has been the organizer of “Our Search For The Past” for many years. She is the author and publisher of Mountain Folks of Old Smoky, a book primarily of reprinted stories that ran in the Mountain Press newspaper. Her collection from the weekly column contains interviews of people who talk of old time mountain ways. King has an interest in preserving mountain heritage, and worked as the organizer of the Smoky Mountain Heritage Festival in Pigeon Forge last year. Her paternal grandparents lived in the Dudley Creek and Glades areas. She works part time at the Pigeon Forge Public Library.
Mark Klemetsrud has been seen in theaters across the western U.S. for nearly 30 years. He has performed in more than 75 productions in roles ranging from the title role in Macbeth to the villain in Bertha the Beautiful Typewriter Girl. A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting, Mr. Klemetsrud has won many awards. He has performed professionally at the Missouri Repertory Theatre, Creede Repertory Theatre and Jester Dinner Theatre among others. In 1991 Mr. Klemetsrud wrote and performed Theodore Roosevelt: Rancher, Hunter, Cowboy at the request of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. He added Theodore Roosevelt: Conservation President to his repertoire in 1995 for Devils Tower National Monument where his performances have become an annual event.
Knoxville Zoo Bird Show offers some natural history about birds of prey and a talking African Grey Parrott. Staff include Stephanie White, Lead Keeper/Trainer; Nikki Edwards, Keeper/Trainer; Erin Gray, Keeper/Trainer and Jenna Conforti, Keeper/Trainer.
Email: stephw@knoxville-zoo.org
Knoxville Zoo – Zoomobile – The Zoomobile travels all over East Tennessee teaching the wonders of the natural world with a variety of small live animals. Steve McGaffin schedules visits to schools, preschools, churches, senior citizen centers, and community events. More information can be found at
www.knoxville-zoo.org/outreach.htm
Bill Landry is the voice, host, narrator and co-producer of "The Heartland Series". For more than 16 years his program has continued to celebrate the people and the land of the entire Appalachian region. "The Heartland Series" has received three Emmy Awards. Bill has written and directed many of the episodes. As a graduate of the Dallas Theatre Center with a Master of Fine Arts degree, Bill considers himself a lover of theatrical crafts that have an educational purpose and has portrayed numerous characters on the series. Prior to joining WBIR/TV, he was an accomplished theatre professional and performed a one-man show, Einstein the Man, before hundreds of groups and organizations in 38 states and Canada.
Betty Large taught school in Pigeon Forge for 38 years. She has lived in Pigeon Forge for 52 years. She and her husband Eugene have one son (Phil), daughter-in-law (Amy), and two grandchildren.
Bill Lea was President of the American Bear Association. He has taught Photography Workshops in the Smokies for more than 11 years with approximately 5000 photos that have been published in books, calendars, and magazines. Bill is the author of the book Great Smoky Mountains Wildlife Portfolio. He lives with black bears for two months every year. You can see more of Bill’s photos at www.BillLea.com Email: bears@dnet.net
Lee Lewis has been involved in search and rescue, including technical rescue since 1990. As a volunteer he has responded to incidents across Sevier County including the GSMNP in field operations and search incident management. Lee has over 965 hours of SAR training, and is a graduate of the National Search and Rescue School. He is certified as a Search and Rescue Technician II, Wilderness First Responder, & Man-tracker. He is a member of the National Assoc. For Search And Rescue (NASAR), and the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT). He is currently only one of two people who have hiked all six trails to Mt. LeConte in under 24 hours. Lee has led numerous hikes into the GSMNP for Wilderness Wildlife Week.
Email: lplewis@planetc.com
Dr. Donald W. Linzey is the author of Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mammals of Virginia and Snakes of Virginia. He is a Professor of Biology at Wytheville Community College in Virginia. He received his Ph.D in Vertebrate Zoology from Cornell University, worked as ranger/naturalist for GSMNP, and has conducted mammal research in the park since 1963. Dr. Linzey also served as principle investigator for endangered species research on the northern flying squirrel and northern water shrew in the southern Appalachians for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He is currently coordinating mammal research for the All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory in the park and researching the causes of declining amphibian populations in Bermuda.
Email: wclinzd@wcc.vccs.edu
Lucy Lowe operates Little Creek Horse Outfitters in Western North Carolina. She also is co-owner of English Mountain Llama Treks with Dr. Laura Higgins. She has a master’s Degree in biology and animal science from Western Carolina University. Lucy is a biology instructor at Haywood Community College in Clyde, N.C. when she isn’t trekking in the mountains.
Mr. Ted Loveday’s ancestors were from the heart of Pigeon Forge’s early ‘downtown’. His maternal grandfather was Mr. Arthur Roberts who operated the blacksmith shop across from Pigeon Forge Pottery, and his great uncle was Mr. Arlie Roberts who owned the Texaco Service Station/Garage. Mr. Loveday grew up on Dixie Avenue and attended school in the old building near his home before transferring to the new building across the river. His mother, Mrs. Mattie Roberts Loveday, played the organ and piano for First Baptist Church for many years.
Charles Maynard is the Director of Development for the Holston Conference Camp and Retreat Ministries. In addition, he has authored several books including Churches of the Smokies, and co-authored Time Well Spent-Family Hiking in the Smokies and Waterfalls and Cascades of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Email: smokycwm@aol.com
Dwight McCarter is a retired Ranger, National Park Service. Dwight has published his book, Lost, that includes his collection of true stories and gripping personal accounts of tracking hopelessly lost persons in the Smoky Mountains. He has recently completed another book entitled Mayday! Mayday! involving 54 plane crashes in the Smokies from 1916 to 1999.
Email: shiconge@bellsouth.net
Tamsin McCormick is a Geologist and Educator in the canyonlands region of SE Utah. She has a PhD in Geology from Arizona State University and is currently Executive Director of Plateau Restoration, a conservation-based non-profit organization in Moab, Utah.
Email: info@plateaurestoration.org
Lynne McCoy is a state and federally licensed independent wildlife rehabilitator and environmental educator. She has worked with mammals, and birds for more than 30 years. She is the Past President of East TN Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and writes a newsletter, It’s A Wild Life, about rehab experiences and information.
Email: Backwoodslynne@aol.com
English McCarter served during World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He served as a elected City Commissioner on the Pigeon Forge City Commission for 36 years. He lives in Pigeon Forge with his wife Evelyn.
Arthur McDade is a Park Ranger with the National Park Service at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He works in the North District of the Resource Education Division. He has been with the National Park Service since 1985. He authored the book Old Smoky Mountain Days, published in 1996 by Panther Press, and in 2000 he authored Natural Arches Of The Big South Fork published by the University of Tennessee Press.
Email: Arthur_McDade@nps.gov
Don McGowan is the owner/operator of EarthSong. After living in Sevier County for several years, Don now lives at the head of Beaverdam Valley near Canton, North Carolina. He gives photographic tours of GSMNP, conducts nature photography workshops, offers fine art prints, stock photography, and natural light commercial images. His work has appeared in numerous publications including Blue Ridge Country, Georgia Journal, Outdoor Photographer, National Parks Conservation Association magazines and National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps. He is a guest instructor of photography at John C. Campbell Folk School.
Email: mcgowan592@aol.com
Mrs. Archie Ray McMahan taught school in Sevier County for several years, beginning with the old one and two room school houses. One of Miss Archie Ray’s more noted pupils was Dolly Parton. Miss Archie Ray was Miss Dennis of the Pearl Valley Community. Aside from teaching, she has been active in her community and her church.
Mike Meldrum has been a National Park Service Ranger implementing resource education for several years in the Cades Cove District. This is his 6 th year in the Smoky Mountains.
Email: mike_meldrum@nps.gov
Bob Miller has been the Spokesman for Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1989. He serves as the park's key liaison with Friends of the Smokies. Bob is a 29-year veteran with the National Park Service with assignments at Acadia National Park in Maine, as well as Ford's Theater, the White House, and the monuments of Washington, D.C.
Email: Bob_Miller@nps.gov
Douglas D. Mills is Co-Producer and Videographer of "The Heartland Series" for the past 19 years. He has experienced many wonders of the outdoors since he began with the series. According to Douglas, the challenges and rewards of filming in this beautiful region keeps him going.
Email: dmills@wbir.gannett.com
Harry Moore is the Geotechnical Director with TDOT in Knoxville. Prior to his career, Harry earned his bachelor & master’s degree in geology from the University of Tennessee. He is licensed as a Professional Geologist and has authored several Geology books. He, along with Fred Brown, co-authored Discovering October Roads: Fall Color and Geology in Tennessee. His new book is entitled, The Bone Hunters: The Discovery of Miocene Fossils in Gray, Tennessee was published by the University of Tennessee Press in 2004.
Email: hlaamoore@aol.com
David E. Morris works as an Anesthesiologist. David is the co-author of Waterfalls and Cascades of the Great Smoky Mountains and Time Well Spent-Family Hiking In The Smokies. He is an active member of Southern Appalachian Nature Photographers with several published photographs to his credit.
Dr. William & Susan Morrow – Doc is a retired professor from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He has previously served on the Appalachian Bear Center's Board of Directors. They are both extremely involved with several organizations including Friends of the Smokies and the National Park Service. Doc and Susan were selected as Volunteers of the Year for 2000 by the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce.
Email: docandsusan@ntown.com
Bonnie Myers is the author of “Best Yet Stories of The Early Life & Times of Smoky Mountain People”. She has also published a book about the “Walker Sisters”, as well as a third book.
Email: myersbon@aol.com
Harvey and Melba Oakley have both published several books on Wiley Oakley and the Smoky Mountains which are available for purchase through them or at the bookstores in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Harvey is the son of Wiley Oakley. He worked for 31 years in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Melba, Harvey’s wife, has many of her own unique stories and outstanding poems.
Rena Ogle is the daughter of Walter and Lillie Ownby of Greenbriar. She grew up in what is today the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She and her husband, Wayne Ogle built and operated on e of the first motels in the City of Pigeon Forge, Wayne’s Motel. In later years they purchased Red’s Motel and changed its name to the Mountain Breeze Motel on the Parkway. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and other historical organizations.
Ted Olson is Associate Professor of Appalachian Studies and English at East Tennessee State University. He is the author or editor of several books, including Blue Ridge Folklife (the University Press of Mississippi, 1998); Breathing in Darkness (Wind Publications, 2005); CrossRoads: A Southern Culture Annual (Mercer University Press, 2004 and 2005); The Bristol Sessions: Writings About the Big Bang of Country Music (McFarland & Company, Inc., 2005); and Hiking Trails of the Smokies (Great Smoky Mountains Association, 1994, revised edition 2001).
Email: olson@etsu.edu
Janavee Ownby, along with her husband Lum Ownby, operate Ownby’s Wood Crafts producing fine wooden crafts in the old mountain tradition. Mrs. Ownby was born in 1931 in the Glades Community to Oliver and Cecil Ownby Ogle. She was the third of 9 children. She is descended from William and Martha Hane Ogle, the first settlers of Gatlinburg. Mrs. Ownby had many ancestors who were among Gatlinburg’s early craftspeople. Her grandmother Nancy McCarter Ogle wove white oak baskets and her father made chairs and stools to sell in shops in the 1930’s. Mrs. Ownby has done weaving, made baskets, woven corn shuck chair bottoms and woodworking.
Gary Peeples is an outreach specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He has degrees in journalism and forestry from the University of Georgia. Prior to working with USFWS, Gary was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. He is an avid backpacker and seeker of backcountry swimming holes.
Email: gary_peeples@fws.gov
Ben Pickard, a former English Professor at the University of Florida, has published many books on local history. For two decades he worked on and maintained the Suwannee River section of the Florida Trail. An experienced hiker, he completed the Appalachian Trail in 1995 and since then has been a hike leader for the Haywood Hikers.
Email: candbe@sbcglobal.net
Mike Povia has more than thirty years experience as a hike leader, backpacker and rappelling instructor. Mike is intimately familiar with the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Brief side trips to points of interest frequently accompany his hikes.
Email: hiknmik@aol.com
Jeanne Renfro is a naturalist and storyteller who worked as a ranger in Cades Cove for 7 years. She has a B.S. degree in Outdoor Recreation and Nature Interpretation from Southern Illinois University. She and her husband, Jim, have 3 children.
Jim Renfro is the Air Quality Program Manager with GSMNP. Jim coordinates, monitors and implements research on regional airborne pollutants that contribute to acid deposition in streams and soils.
Email: jim_renfro@nps.gov
Allen Ricks is the Information/Education Officer with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. He is the volunteer East Tennessee District Director for the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is an avid wild turkey hunter.
Email: allen.ricks@state.tn.us
Tom Robbins is a Park Ranger with the Division of Resource Education in the GSMNP. Of his 29 years of service with the National Park Service, 26 years have been with the GSMNP. Tom has previously received the honor of being selected by officials of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as the park’s “Employee of the Year”.
Email: Tom_Robbin@nps.gov
Charles B. Robinson is a native of Washington, D.C., but now lives in Beltsville, MD and Maryville, TN. He is a volunteer Wildlife Interpreter at Patuxent Research Refuge, National Wildlife Visitor Center. He is a member of Operation Migration, and the Whooping Crane Conservation Association. Since 1992 he has led or worked on projects at the refuge involving nature trails, outreach programs, and helping the quality of life of Refuge wildlife. He has close to 5000 hours of volunteer time at the Refuge and specializes in habitat, wetlands, and Whooping Cranes.
Email: cnprobinson@aol.com
Scott Rogers is an avid outdoorsman, camper and hiker. He became the first above the knee amputee in history to hike the 2,174 mile Appalachian Trail in ’04 – ’05. Scott is also a Pilot and apprentice aircraft maintenance mechanic. He and his wife, Leisa, reside in Washburn, TN, with their 7 home-schooled children.
Email: Tes2fy@gmail.com
Jane Rollins is the Education Director of the Chattanooga Audubon Society. She received an A.S. degree from Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC and a B.A. degree from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Jane spent 5 years as a Florida State Park Ranger at Sebastian Inlet State Park. Prior to becoming a Park Ranger she owned and operated her own beachside garden center. Jane was involved with restoring natural plant communities as well as educating the public about invasive or non-native plants. Her interests include nature photography, birding and gardening.
Email: audubonrollins@aol.com
Phylis Rollins has been rehabilitating wildlife for over twenty years specializing in mammals and reptiles. She is a certified backyard wildlife naturalist, nature writer, and environmental educator, and has presented at symposiums for both the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and the International Rehabilitators Council, most recently in Toronto, Canada, November 2005. She is past president of the board of directors for both the Wildlife Rehabilitators Council ( Knoxville, TN). Phylis also creates a variety of handmade soaps at home to help support the rehabilitation work she does and to increase people’s awareness of the many ways they can help wildlife.
Email: phyliscritter@earthlink.net
Dan Russo is a retired Associate Professor of Economics from East Tennesse State University. He and his wife Rosalie are active in several conservation groups and have been recognized for their volunteer work. In recent years they have focused on assisting new groups, guiding them through the organizational process and the process of obtaining State and Federal tax-exempt status. They are volunteers for Tennessee’s Division of State Parks for which they recently completed a survey to determine the effectiveness and impact of twenty-two State Parks friends groups.
Bob and Martha Sargent are licensed bird banders specializing in hummingbirds. They are founders and directors of The Hummer/Bird Study Group, Inc., and are authors of books, scientific publications as well as popular magazines and newspaper articles. They have been involved in organized birding for more than 20 years. The Sargents are authors of the highly successful book Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Like all of us, they simply love birds, and have received several prestigious awards for their outstanding contribution to ornithology, public awareness and education of bird conservation.
Email: Rubythroat@aol.com or HummerBSG@aol.com
Ray Sellers has lived in the Great Smoky Mountains area for more than 26 years. He is a retired Park Ranger, and has worked in several diverse National Parks. He is an avid hiker and outdoorsman, and can be found somewhere on a trail on any given day. Ray has a sincere interest in Wilderness Wildlife Week, and works tirelessly toward a successful event each year. He was the “Volunteer of the Year – 2001/2002” for the City of Pigeon Forge’s Office of Special Events.
Sandy Sgrillo opened her llama trekking company in January of 2001. Previously, a resident of Miami, FL and a limo driver, Sandy moved to Sevier County in 1998 due to her love of the mountains, nature and animals. She found a way to combine both by establishing and operating Smoky Mountain Llama Treks.
Email: llamahiking@aol.com
Frances Fox Shambaugh is a native of the area, as well as, an artist, weaver and historian. She knows the people and their stories, and has been collecting and documenting them for 26 years. Recently, she was appointed Historian by The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies, and has completed 30 classes for credit in the Art Education program of the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.
Steven Shaper is a biological science technician in the vegetation management section of the GSMNP. His background is in Forest Management/Forestry.
Email: steven_shaper@nps.gov
Kathy Sherrard is a retired educator and member of The American Bear Association (ABA). Kathy has volunteered for several years at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. Kathy collaborated with Anne Allison in designing and maintaining the website for the organization for three years. In 1999 they created a children’s activity book about bears. Recently, she has become a member and volunteer of the Appalachian Bear Center in TN and she volunteers with Wild for Life Wildlife Center for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, in Asheville, NC. Kathy has presented programs in MN and NC, and annually at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge.
Email: wildscove@direcway.com
Marty Silver is a Park Ranger/Naturalist with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. He has worked within the Tennessee State Park system for more than 25 years, and has received numerous environmental education awards.
Marti Smith has lived in Sevier County for 11 years and has hiked over 600 miles of the trails in the GSMNP. She manages 2 Great Smoky Mountains Association Bookstores at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center and the Parkway Welcome Center. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati. Hiking is her favorite past time.
Email: martha_smith1204@yahoo.com
Michael Dean Smith has been a guide and field naturalist on the Colorado plateau since 1976. He holds degrees in Outdoor Education and Outdoor Recreation and Resource Management from Colorado Mountain College and Prescott College. He is president and founder of Plateau Restoration and Conservation Adventures in Moab, Utah.
Email: info@plateaurestoration.org
Lisa L. Stewart is the Director/Curator for the Appalachian Bear Center (ABC). She has been a wildlife rehabilitator since 1990 possessing permits from TN and MS. She holds a degree in Animal Science. Lisa is a member of East Tennessee Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, and she regularly conducts educational outreach programs for ABC.
Email: appblackbear@aol.com
Mrs. Annah Stinnett taught school for 35 years. She taught in tow one-room school houses: Caney and Big Ridge; and at Millican Grove, a two-room school house. Mrs. Stinnett finished her teaching career in the primary grades at Pigeon Forge Elementary. She was born in Sevier County. Her parents were Jerry and Julia King. She is married to Wendell Stinnett.
Harold Stinnette has been involved in nature photography for the past 18 years. For the last 14 he has been teaching nature photography workshops and speaking on the subject to various groups throughout the southeast. Harold has been with Wilderness Wildlife Week for 15 years. He is founder of Natural Impressions Nature Photography Workshops. Harold is the author of Camping Tennessee. He lives with his wife Donna and son Brandon in Spring City, TN.
Email: NaturalImpressions@juno.com
Bill Stiver is a Wildlife Biologist with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He coordinates the wild hog control program and wildlife inventory. He also monitors and assists with black bear and wildlife management activities. A native of Michigan, he received a B.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Michigan State University and an M.S. degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Tennessee.
Email: bill_stiver@nps.gov
Mel Strickland grew up on a tobacco farm in Eastern North Carolina. He started playing the guitar at age 15. He now enjoys playing the pedal steel guitar, dobro, autoharp and harmonica. He has worked with Bill Anderson, Loretta Lynn, Stonewall Jackson, and The Osborne Brothers to name a few.
Kathy Strunk, Co-Director of the Clinch River Raptor Center in Clinton, TN, for the past 20 years. She is a math teacher and also co-directs the Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization, a research project for high school students. She holds a permit from the National Birdbanding Laboratory and involves students in the M.A.P.S. birdbanding project, which is a national effort to learn more about our migratory songbirds. Kathy has attended four National Symposiums sponsored by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association and numerous classes.
Email: hawkicu@ccol.net
Dr. Chuck Summers is a Minister and Photographer, and he currently resides in Middlesboro, KY. Chuck, an award winning photographer, enjoys sharing the beauty of God's creation through his photography. His images have appeared in a number of magazines, and he is the author of A Year In The Big South Fork and A Year In The Cumberland Gap National Historic Park.
Email: chucksummers@charter.net
Joe Taft is a Retired Senior Naturalist. Joe has a B.S. degree in Agriculture from the University of Tennessee, and a master’s degree in Forestry. He worked at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport for more than 25 years. He enjoys wildflowers, photography and hiking.
Email: jhtaft@earthlink.net
David B. Taylor, Jr. is currently Interpretive Services Supervisor, and has been employed at Bays Mountain for 32 years. He is responsible for Environmental Education for K-12 students who come from 45 counties. He has a B.S. degree in Forest Management from the University of Tennessee.
Email: taylord@ci.kingsport.tn.us
Tony Thomas is known for his guitar playing but is also an accomplished musician on other instruments including harmonica, banjo, bass, fiddle, mandolin and just about anything acoustical, as well as, most electrical stringed instruments. He is also known for his song writing that tells stories about the people of the region, the history, the way people lived back then and the way people live today. Having taught himself to play, his music has been heard and played around the world. He has 11 CDs (featuring more than 100 original compositions), 1 music video and 2 instructional videos to his credit. Tony volunteers as a porch picker for the Museum of Appalachia. He also performs for the National and State Parks services, and schools. Tony’s music includes Appalachian music, bluegrass, old country, civil war music, gospel, and ballads.
Email: Lonzothomas@aol.com
Jim Thurston, has been a landscape photographer, using a 4x5 view camera for nearly twenty years, making all his own color and black and white prints. His posters and notecards, along with his new Smokies Calendar, are available in the National Park visitor centers in the Great Smoky Mountains and Yosemite. Jim’s original prints are available locally at the Papworth Gallery.
A. Christine Tipton was a faculty member of the History Department at ETSU for 12 years, and has authored the book entitled Civil War In The Mountains focusing on East Tennessee and North Carolina. For 2 years, she and her husband, Sam Pinkerton, coordinated Civil War Days, an encampment entailing the Battle of Red Banks in 1864 and were instrumental in erecting a Tennessee Historical marker for the Battle of Red Banks. She is a past member of the Tennessee Civil War Heritage project that is funded by congress to research, interpret and preserve the state’s history during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Email: Shinemtn@preferred.com
Rick Varner is a Wildlife Biological Technician with GSMNP. Rick has been involved in the control of the exotic wild hog within the park since 1988. He has coordinated the installation of food storage cable systems at all of the park's backcountry sites.
Email: rick_varner@nps.gov
Ken Voorhis is the Director of Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. Ken has been an environmental educator throughout several states for more than 22 years. His programs are designed to encourage participants to cultivate a deeper appreciation of the Smokies.
Email: ken@gsmit.org
Greg Ward is the owner of Rocky Top Outfitters, Inc. in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Greg has conducted fly-fishing courses for more than 21 years. He has written and published articles in several popular outdoor magazines and newspapers. The popular book, Fly Fishing Guide To The Great Smoky Mountains, includes a chapter that he contributed.
Website: www.rockytopoutfitter.com
Email: RockyTopOutfi t@aol.com
Stephanie White has worked as a Keeper/Trainer with the Knoxville Zoo Free-Flight program for 6 years. She trains birds and performs with them at the zoo, as well as for school outreach programs during the winter.
Email: stephw@knoxville-zoo.org
J. David Whitehead has been the Wildlife Manager with the state for 20 years. He manages two Wildlife Management Areas totaling 200,000 acres in Monroe County.
Email: david.whitehead@state.tn.us
Robert E. Whittemore is theChief Geologist, General Shale Brick, Johnson City, TN for 36 years. He leads interpretive geology hikes for Roan Mountain State Park, Warriors Path State Park and Johnson City Park and Recreation Dept. He presents geology talks to area middle schools and is a Certified Professional Geologist.
Email: rewhittemo@aol.com
Andrea Wilson works primarily in the medium of pen and watercolor. In addition to her butterfly and leaf paintings, she also paints landscapes of the Great Smoky Mountains area. Andrea has painted for more than 30 years, and her work continues to evolve with creative ideas.
Website: www.andreawilsonartist.com
Email: andreas-studio@comcast.net
Grady Wilson served in 5 campaigns in the Pacific during WWII. He will be participating as part of the panel – So Far From Home: War Stories.
Wings of America is an up close look at America’s magnificent Birds of Prey. This educational program features non-releasable birds including eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and vultures, some in amazing free flight. The program is a dramatic and effective way to learn about wildlife, environmental and ecological concerns.
Valerie Wood is a volunteer with the Bays Mountain Raptor Center. The center has been in existence for several years. Their goal is to present programs featuring some of the birds of prey living at the park.
Susan C. Wright is co-founder of Wild For Life, Inc. located in Asheville, North Carolina. She and co-founder Mary Beth Bryman together have more than 28 years of wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education. Wild For Life, Inc. rehabilitates many mammals, songbirds and birds of prey each year. Wild For Life, Inc. is licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Wild For Life is a 501©3 organization.
Email: wildforlife@wildforlife.org
Pete Wyatt has more than 23 years experience with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as a Wildlife Professional. He is currently the Regional Wildlife Diversity Coordinator for 21 East Tennessee Counties classified as Wildlife Manager III. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries from the University of Tennessee. He has taken numerous courses in Ecology, Mammalogy and Ornithology.
Email: pete.wyatt@state.tn.us
Joel & Kathy Zachry are a husband and wife team. Joel is a retired college Biology Professor and Kathy is a medical company consultant. Together they own Great Outdoors! Adventure Travel!, leading sessions and hikes throughout the country for more than 25 years. Joel has served as Board Member and President of a Montana based Great Bear Foundation and our regional Appalachian Bear Center.
Website: www.gowithgoat.com
Email: joel@gowithgoat.com
Gabrielle Zeiger is a potter and an avid mycophile who enjoys all aspects of nature. She is a member of the Tri-Cities Mushroom Club and the North American Mycological Association.
Email: grimbobbles@yahoo.com
|
