For more information
Contact Project Coordinator
Stacy Studebaker
at tidepoolak@ak.net
or 907-486-6498
|
The project could not have been possible without the help of Mike Anderson who donated his services, expertise, and equipment to the burial, excavation, skull lift, and restoration of the pit area. We are all deeply indebted to his community spirit, his willingness to work around our schedule, his sense of humor, and his dedication to the entire project. Lee Post of Homer Alaska, has been invaluable as an advisor for our project. He is a whale bone expert that has authored books on the subject of whale skeleton rearticulation and has reassembled more whale skeletons than perhaps any other living person! He will help us with the final rearticulation process of our whale. The US Fish and Wildlife Service provided continuous support, staff, the suits, gloves, a Weatherport tent and port-a-potty as well as refreshments for everyone. They did a tremendous job at keeping the volunteers happy. The Kodiak Refuge Manager, Leslie Kerr helped with every detail of the planning and was present for the entire event. Jeff Lewis did the test excavation and made signs for the dig. Paul Banyas, the Fish and Wildlife Service's ingenious maintenance man did everything, from planning details of the project to building a large plywood crate to transport the skull in. Being a master carpenter, he assisted Lee Post with the reconstruction of the skeleton, and countless other things including installing the whale skeleton in the new visitor center. The National Marine Fisheries Service enforcement officer, Ken Hansen, was instrumental in planning the project and in securing the permits and federal oversight of this project for a community educational experience. His agency will house all of the bones at their Gibson Cove facility for the next year or so while the bones are cleaned by volunteers and allowed to drip fat over the winter on the end of their dock! Alaska Pacific Seafoods provided the 8 large metal totes/crates that the bones were transported to town in and will rest in throughout the winter on the dock at Gibson Cove. Bruce Nelson, a local wildlife artist, was an integral part of the planning team, helped everyday with the excavation and created custom designed "We Dig Whales" t-shirts for all the volunteers. He is helping Stacy with the bone clean-up Hank Pennington, a local professional photographer, will photograph each bone for a digital skeletal catalog for science and for posterity. He and his wife Jan documented the event with digital photography. A professional videographer named Geoff Baer from Luminosity Pictures, an independent documentary film company from New York, filmed the blessing ceremony, the exhumation and the initial cleaning and sorting of bones at Gibson Cove. His company owned by Susan Peehl and Andrew Hall, will produce a documentary of the entire project at its completion. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game provided the electric fence and other logistical advice. Larry VanDaele was an integral part of the burial team. Thomas Lance and Blythe Brown transported the fence and installed it. The University of Alaska Sea Grant Program provided expertise with local marine mammal biologist Kate Wynne and her assistants. Kodiak College provided a classroom for the two volunteer orientation sessions. The whale is named "Gordie" after Stacy's 92-year-old father, Gordon Studebaker, who has been enthusiastically present for the entire project including the 3-day dig and providing Stacy with continual moral support! Stacy's husband, Mike Sirofchuck, provided continual moral support and was the official Gate Keeper and primary gofer during the excavation. Thanks also to the Pasagshak Bridge Association and the residents of the Pasagshak area for supporting and participating in the project. The U.S. Coast Guard provided communication about the project to their community and some very enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. Rick Thompson from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources granted permission to conduct the experiment on state land. Dave Horn, a life long resident of Kodiak, volunteered his time,
equipment and ingenuity to move the whale skeleton to its new home
and hang it from the second story ceiling. THANKS TO ALL THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES THAT HAVE HELPED WITH THE PROJECT SINCE MAY 2000.
Advisors, Sponsors, Media and Other Support • Leslie Kerr - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Other publicity: Kodiak Daily Mirror: Wednesday, Aug.
4th, 2004 |
 Stacy Studebaker, project coordinator. |
