Member Profile: Jerry Hightower
If you see Jerry Hightower out on the river, chances are he will be paddling an old 17-foot Blue Hole Canoe. Other paddlers in short, swift whitewater kayaks can tease Jerry all they like for his old-fashioned craft, but he’s loves the way it handles and says it’s one of the best touring canoes around.
In high school, Jerry was known to skip class from time to time and escape to Sope Creek or the Palisades. His parents figured that if was the kind of trouble he was going to get into, well that was all right. In fact, he has spent most of his life enjoying and protecting the Chattahoochee River which, he says, “has given so much to me and has influenced every aspect of my heart, spirit and soul.”
In addition to 30 years of service as a U.S. National Park Service Ranger, Naturalist, and Environmental Educator at the CRNRA, Jerry has been active in efforts to protect the Chattahoochee since 1960s. Additionally, he has been an innovative educator who sees the Chattahoochee as “the very best classroom that (he) would ever have.” Among other achievements, he began a pilot program to develop campus habitats and certify schools with the National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program. Thanks to his efforts and those of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, our state is number one in the nation for schools certified with the National Wildlife Federation.
The Canoe Knows the Way
As Jerry sees it, the river has a positive affect on the mental and physical health of all who come in contact with it, “like a huge medicine chest. It never stops touching people,” according to Jerry. “It changes lives.” He thrives on sharing his understanding of the river with others as an educator and a guide. In addition to leading paddle trips for UCR (above) and the Chattahoochee Nature Center, he loves to explore Georgia’s wilderness areas to the north and traverse its coastlines, leading trips to other wild places in his “free time”.
Jerry Hightower continues to translate his rich knowledge of the Chattahoochee River into journeys of exploration for those following him through shoals and flatwater. And of course, he’ll be paddling a long, Blue Hole canoe. “The canoe knows the way,” says Jerry, “I just come along for the ride.” |
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Member Profile: Fran Burst
Photo Credit - Scott Sonnenberg
When Fran Burst was growing up in the 50s and 60s on twelve acres of land just outside of Dallas, Texas, she watched the creek running through her family’s property rise and fall. “Water was the thing we were most conscious of growing up,” she says. And she was aware of its limits. “I knew things were limited,” says Fran.
Years later, living in Atlanta with a successful career as an Emmy-award winning producer well in place, Fran realized that though she had worked with many companies and nonprofits, she hadn’t addressed her long-felt passion for the environment in film. She found the Georgia Conservancy and met Sally Bethea in her pre-Riverkeeper life. One result was the video Stream of Conscience: Natural Solutions for Clean Water. Another result was a collaboration which led to Fran’s unofficial role as UCR videographer and river storyteller
Telling the Story of Water Through Film
Through her work, Fran encourages viewers “to think about water as the incredibly precious resource that it is.” She has documented the importance of erosion and sediment control for UCR’s Get the Dirt Out Program, helped to educate students about water quality through the Waters to the Sea interactive CD-Rom, told the story of UCR’s history and mission, and produced PSAs for UCR’s annual river race and festival. One of her favorite projects was creating the video diary for the Soque River Restoration project in the Chattahoochee’s headwaters. Fran has also created videos for Georgia Adopt-a-Stream and the Georgia Water Management Campaign, as well as many other clients working to protect our natural resources.
What no list of credits will say about Fran Burst is that she is all about relationships. She will drop whatever she is doing to help someone who needs her to lend a hand. After her son Joe left the nest, Fran happened into teaching. An inspired and inspiring educator, Fran has been named the Art Institute of Atlanta’s 2008 Faculty Member of the Year. She has also mentored more than 100 interns and apprentices during her film career.
It was a lucky day for UCR and the Chattahoochee when Fran’s passions for film and water collided, and she and her team at Burst Video/Film, Inc., continue to provide support for UCR’s video projects.
Fran Burst-Terranella and her husband Tony Terranella live in Atlanta’s Inman Park. |
