Jackie Heinricher ’86. Photo: Carlos Javier Sanchez ’97.

Quick flashback: The Evergreen Magazine, Spring 2009
A young girl runs through her back yard, where her father has planted golden bamboo in a cool, rustling jungle. She grabs a few poles and imagines the next project she can create from their woody stems. Close to 40 years later, Jackie Heinricher ’86 runs Boo-Shoot Gardens in Mt. Vernon, Wash.,
a multimillion-dollar biotechnology company . …(Story continued on Evergreen Magazine web page.)

Jump Forward to May 7 2013: Jackie’s world has gotten very big and her passionate message about the global benefits of bamboo cultivation are being heard in very influential places.

Provitro Biosciences  [formerly Boo-shoot Gardens] has been awarded the first-ever U.S. patent for large-scale production of bamboo plants enabling commercial production of fast growing, high yielding timber bamboo. Here is an excerpt from Provitro’s announcement:

MT. VERNON, Wash., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Provitro Biosciences LLC (or “Provitro”), a subsidiary of Pendrell Corporation (NASDAQ: PCO) today received a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering foundational technologies that enable the rapid, disease-free, and high volume production of bamboo plants for the first time. The patent issued today reflects more than a decade of innovative research by Provitro in the field of non-genetically modified commercial-scale plant propagation methods.

Continue reading →

Sarah Amell ’03, Project Manager, Maritime Archeologist and Principle of Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants

Greeners old enough to have been devotees of the television series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau (1968-1976), will feel a surge of oceanic wanderlust to learn that Sarah Arnell ’03 is living the dream. The South Puget Sound area native has possibly the best job title ever: Maritime Archaeologist.

After receiving her B.A. from Evergreen, she earned a Master of Maritime Archaeology from Flinders University of South Australia and has worked on archaeological sites, including shipwrecks, in Queensland and Tasmania.  Read Sarah’s complete bio on the website of Terra Cultural Resource Consultants.

Craig Bartlett ’81, animator, writer, musician and father of two Greeners.

If you’re on your way to Comic-Con this week, be sure to say hello to Craig Bartlett ’81. He’ll be hanging out with a team of Nickelodeon animators on Thursday, July 18 from 2:00 p.m.

Here’s the scoop, straight from Nick:

Panel: Nick Re-Mix – It’s time to go behind the slime! Nickelodeon is bringing together Craig Bartlett (creator, Hey Arnold!), Chris Viscardi & Will McRobb (creators, The Adventures of Pete & Pete), Jay Howell & Jim Dirschberger (creators, Sanjay and Craig), and Steve Borst & Gary “Doodles” Di Raffaele (creators, Breadwinners) to offer an insider’s look at the creative process behind some of our funniest, most endearing and fan-favorite cartoons from the past, present and future. These creators will discuss what inspired them and reveal what it’s really like to bring a show to life at Nickelodeon. So don’t miss out on this exclusive panel – plus get a sneak peek at Nickelodeon’s brand new animated series Breadwinners. Moderated by Chris Hardwick (voice of Craig, Sanjay and Craig). Room 7AB

Self-Portrait, Craig Bartlett ’81

Be sure to congratulate Craig on the crazy success of Dinosaur Train on PBS. We can’t wait to see what he’s dreaming up next.

Seabird McKeon ’99, post doctoral scientist at The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

Seabird McKeon ’99 recently co-authored a study of the reproductive strategies of poison frogs. His research is summarized in Smithsonian Seriously Amazing. By studying the behavior and habits of poison frogs through the reproductive cycle, McKeon has noted larger forces at work:

“…complex predator-prey relationships may have played a role in selecting the ideal habitat for tadpoles and influenced many species of poison frogs to move their progeny from the ground into the trees. In addition, the scientists demonstrated that studying the natural history of modern species can inform the understanding of evolutionary changes in behavior.” (Italics added).

Seabird followed his scientific inquiry from Evergreen to graduate school at the University of Florida to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Fla. His study, Predator Driven Reproductive Behavior in a Tropical Frog was published in Evolutionary Ecology, July 2013, Volume 27, Issue 4, pp 725-737.

Human parents may identify with this notation from the Smithsonian’s summary: “…scientists have studied the compromises inherent in reproduction strategies, including where and why species select certain areas over others to reproduce and raise their young in. ”

Good schools?

AntFarm Manager Samara Davis ’11 (right) with Chef Damon Schwab preparing for AntFarm Cafe’s soft opening July 11. (Photo credit: Jim Hart, Sandy Post)

The Antfarm Cafe quietly opened last week in Sandy, Oregon, a Portland suburb about 40 minutes southeast of the city. Think sustainable agriculture, locally sourced food, small business development, education and at-risk youth programming and you have the business model that kind of looks like Evergreen.  Read more in the Sandy Post, and for alumni in the Portland area, watch for notice of the grand opening in August.