These events are from our 2009 Festival.
Keynote address - Rainforest-River-Ocean Connections: Nutrient and Energy Pathways that Fuel Riverine Food Webs
Aquatic biologist
Mark Wipfli from the University of Alaska will start off our festival with a discussion of the connections between our
rainforest, its rivers, and the oceans that surround it.
We know they can’t exist without each other, but how do they feed each other? And just what do salmon have to do with trees and shrubs? Brought to you by the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program.
Eating Alaska -
DocumentaryEating Alaska is a serious and humourous documentary about connecting to where you live and eating locally. It is a journey into regional food traditions, our connection to the wilderness and to what we put into our mouths. Director Ellen Frankenstein will be speaking about and showing her film during the Festival's opening event at 7:00pm, Thursday, September 10th. Brought to you by SEACC, the Petersburg Public Library, and the Rainforest Festival Committee.
The Tongass Rainforest Festival Art Show Our art show will open on Thursday, September 3rd with an artist's reception from 5-7pm at the Clausen Memorial Museum. The show will feature original art from local artists inspired by our natural environment.
The show will run through the end of the festival (September 13th) and culminate in a guided tour of the art from a naturalist's perspective, led by Brian Paust. For more information, contact Annabelle 518-0799 or
alfawolf@gci.net.
Artists: All art must be submitted to the Clausen Memorial Museum, ready to show (that means ready to hang) by Wednesday, September 2nd, 4pm. Up to three new/not previously shown pieces may be submitted and your work can be sold if you wish. All types of art and crafts are encouraged. You will be encouraged to attend the opening and bring some finger food to share. This is the first art show to be associated with the Tongass Rainforest Festival and only your participation can make it a success. Please join us
Kid's Art Share
"Be Creative @ Your Library" was the theme for the Summer Reading Program. Throughout the summer the kids have been learning about a variety of art techniques. The last week of the program will offer them open studios to use their new skills to produce Rainforest Art. The art will be displayed at the Public Library from August 31st - September 14th.
Lichen Dyeing Workshop
Karen Casselman is from Nova Scotia and is one the the world experts on using lichens as dyes for textiles. She will prepare a two day workshop on how to use lichens dye fibers for quilters, knitters, spinners, stitchers and felters. This workshop is for senior high school students and older. There will be a small fee to cover material expenses. Karen’s book can be accessed at: http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/Lichen_Dyes-The_New_Source_Book.html
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning: The Alaska Problem
It’s hard to resist all those beautiful clams and mussels living at the edge of our rainforest. Come get the facts on PSP from an expert in marine toxins, Alaska Sea Grant’s Ray Ralonde.
Stream Ecology Walk
Take a walk along a rainforest stream with Professor Mark Wipfli to learn about this unique ecosystem and how it connects our forests with our oceans.
Intertidal slideshow
ADF&G dive technician Jeff Meucci will share a series of remarkable slides from his many dives in Southeast Alaska. Come see what lives beneath the surface of our oceans!
Kids Nature Walk
Are you a fruit? Come with me to find all of the different kinds of fruits that we can and learn about how plants use their fruits to trick you into carrying their seeds from place to place. Please wear rubber boots and dress for rain or shine. Guide: Joni Johnson
Edible Seaweeds
Curious about seaweeds found in Southeast but not certain where to begin? Sonja Koukel, Cooperative Extension Service UAF, will familiarize you with common seaweeds, their habitats, and their dietary uses. Products will be available for taste testing.
Mushroom Identification Workshop and Fieldtrip
Steve Trudell is a mycologist and photographer from Washington who has worked in mycology for over 30 years. He is an affiliate professor of the College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington. He will conduct a 6 hour workshop on mushroom identification and also conduct several forays into the forest during the festival. He is the co-author of the soon to be released book Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest by Timber Press.
Home Canning Fish in Jars
Whether you are new to home canning or an experienced home canner looking for updated research, this program is for you. Information will include how pressure canning low acid foods protects individuals from the poisonous toxin, Clostridium botulinum, that causes food related illness and can be fatal. Join Sonja Koukel, Cooperative Extension Service UAF, for a lively discussion and bring your questions!
Edible Seaweeds
Curious about seaweeds found in Southeast but not certain where to begin? Sonja Koukel, Cooperative Extension Service UAF, will familiarize you with common seaweeds, their habitats, and their dietary uses. Products will be available for taste testing.
Kid's Nature Craft
Make A Fairy Garden
Did you ever wonder where fairies live? Create your own magical world using natural materials from our forests and shores - a place you might live if you were a fairy... kids under 6 must be accompanied by an adult.
Guided Muskeg Walk
How thirsty are our sphagnum bogs? Come walk along to learn identification of some common wetland plants and how they can be used. Sphagnum for heat, sphagnum for baby diapers, sphagnum for gardens... What other functions do our massive muskegs provide for us?
Guide: Joni Johnson
Rainforest Gala featuring the Taste of the Rainforest Potluck and Wild Berry Cookoff
Join your friends and neighbors for a community potluck and baking contest, with live music accompaniment. Bring your favorite dish to share at the potluck, whether from your wild foraging, hunting, or fishing – or the grocery store! Then, enter your best dessert using local wild berries in the cookoff. Categories for judging include best pie, best jam or jelly, best kid’s creation (entrants 16 and under), and “other.”
Guided Edible Mushroom Walk
Do you have an interest in eating local mushrooms? Fixed income got you eating low on the food chain? Join local edible mushroom guru Joseph Stratman and padwan Emil Tucker for a thrilling ride down the fungal highway. We'll talk turkey about gastronometric gourmet varieties and the ghastly ghouls that can freeze your soul just by looking at them. We'll spin tall tales about fields of mushrooms that you may never see! During last years festival we walked more than a hundred yards in pursuit of these delicacies, this year we hope to go double the distance in search of our hearts desire, the edible mushroom. Bring your basket, pocket knife and binocular color vision. Definitely for the faint of heart!
A Naturalist’s Walk through the Art Show
Can’t find your rain boots? Enjoy a guided “nature walk” through this year’s art show under the sheltering roof of the Clausen Memorial Museum. Led by local naturalist Brian Pau
Kids Outdoor Art Project
with Ashley DuRoss
Learn about the art of the Aboriginals and use traditional materials: limited to palette, rocks, and sticks to paint with! We will focus on the animals of the Tongass Rainforest as our subjects and create our own Aboriginal themed Rock Art. Please bring a rock to paint on and a twig to paint with.