Featured Scientist


Ralph Perron

As a hydrologist with the USDA Forest Service at the HBEF, Ralph Perron conducts research year-round in the field and laboratory.

"My field season never ends. I spend at least two days a week in the field collecting precipitation, stream, soil, and weather data. In the summer I hike to collection sites, while in the winter I snowshoe and snowmobile to these sites. The best part of my work, which can also be the most challenging under adverse conditions (deep snow and cold rain) is the outdoor work. But even after a bad day, the work here is great." When he's not in the field, Ralph can be found in the Pierce Laboratory. Here he helps "to edit and keypunch this data, which is then analzed and published by our scientists."

After high school Ralph spent six years in the US Air Force, earning an Associate's degree along the way. After completing his tour, he decided to pursue a Bachelor's degree and entered the University of New Hampshire (UNH) as an undeclared student. "After all this time I still didn't know what direction I wanted to pursue!"

"During the first month at UNH I spent loads of time researching potential majors and was greatly impressed with the Water Resources Management (WaRM) program in the Natural Resources Department. At this point I was occassionally heading up to the White Mountain National Forest with the New Hampshire Outing Club for weekend hikes."

"When a summer technician position came open to assist in collecting research, I jumped on the opportunity to combine what I was doing in class with the enjoyment of hiking. Upon graduation from UNH, in May 1992 with a BS in WaRM, I received the great news that I had been accepted to fill a full-time position at the HBEF, with my field work continuing at Cone Pond." And Ralph has been conducting forest and hydrological research ever since.

Since arriving at the HBEF, Ralph's work has switched to the collection of long-term data, though he still gets to make a weekly trip to Cone Pond to collect samples, record precipitation, and maintain research equipment. He is also the site operator of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) site at the HBEF. The NADP monitors wet and dry deposition at over 200 sites located around the country. Ralph puts the data he collects into a nationwide database, which is then used to show spatial and long-term trends.

And because of the cooperation that exists between different scientists and research at the HBEF, Ralph occassionally gets to help with other projects. "A few special projects that I have worked on are: collecting water samples from all the ponds on the White Mountain National Forest, stream water sampling of many backcountry streams, and soil sampling throughout New Hampshire. I really enjoy these special projects, as they allow me to get my map and compass out and head off to discover an exciting remote location."

A career in science?

When we asked Ralph if he had any thoughts about what it takes to have a career in science, he remarked, "Ask questions if you don't understand and ask more questions to get a better grasp on interesting topics." If you have questions for Ralph, you can reach him at: rperron@fs.fed.us


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