Instructor Profiles
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Richard Barnes – Richard came to Alaska from Minnesota
in 1972 and has extensive experience with northern forest ecosystems,
wood lore and survival techniques.
"In the woods the knife is a very important tool. You can use it to make other tools, shelters, make shavings for fire starting or cut an apple in half to share with a friend..." continued |
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Jan Dawe – Jan studies evolution of boreal forest plants and teaches for the Forest Sciences Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. |
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Rachel Kaplan - Rachel is studying something (though no one knows what yet, including her) at Brown University. She's had the privilege of being part of WITW since its start, and believes her annual spoon improves with each passing year. Rachel is the WITW photographer. |
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Toni Kaufman - Toni is a long time Alaskan, a potter and a yoga teacher and draws inspiration from the forest and its products in her life and work. |
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Rebecca Levey - Rebecca has worked as a teacher since 1991. She is currently involved in a cooperative woodworking school for children and parents called Pinocchio’s Workshop. |
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Phil Marshall – Phil has studied traditional hand woodcarving in Austria
and Norway, and studied under German and Italian masters in the U.S. "Woodworking smooths and hones my life.....hand, head and heart..." continued |
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John Manthei – John is a carpenter, furniture-maker,
and teacher. John has been working with wood since he was a youngster.
He teaches through UAF and also offers private classes. "After all these years I still love to build 'forts'. I now realize everything I do with my hands is simple an extension of that first love." |
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Charlie Mayo, St Croix Falls, WI – Since the 1970s, Charlie has had
a consuming interest in birch bark. He
has traveled to Scandinavia many times to study with the masters while pursuing
this interest. He has demonstrated at Rice Lake Audubon, Swedish Institute,
Luther College, Hostfest, and the Minnesota State Fair. He teaches at North
House Folk School in Minnesota.
"I lose myself when I come here. I get caught up with the things I like to do and the things other people like to do. I find it very humbling." |
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Carolyn Parker – Carolyn has done botanical surveys throughout Alaska and in other far northern landscapes for over 30 years. The rest of the time she stays based at the University of Alaska Museum while gardening, hiking and ski-joring in the boreal forest around Fairbanks. |
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Marianne Stolz – Marianne was born and raised in Germany where she completed a wood carving apprenticeship. Her passion for mountains and ice climbing brought her to Alaska in 1985. She now works as a professional wood carver, ice carver and artist. |
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John Zasada, Grand Rapids, MN – The biology,
ecology, use and management of birch in northern forests has been a
favorite topic of John's for many years. John is a recently retired
silviculturist with the U.S. Forest Service in Grand Rapids. Give John
a pile of birch bark and things are sure to happen. He teaches at North House
Folk School in Minnesota. John is off looking for the perfect birch bark somewhere in northern Minnesota and advises and encourages us from afar. |