Terry Pierce, WhaleTimes, Inc.

WhaleTimes, Inc. Board Member:

Terry Pierce

Hey Kids,

Jake, the SeaDog here. I caught up with WhaleTimes, Inc. Board Member, Terry Pierce while she was out promoting her latest book, Blackberry Banquet (Sylvan Dell Publishing 2008) and celebrating her recent graduation. Terry just earned her Masters in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts -- Congrats Terry! Here's what I discovered...
Terry is an award-winning author of seventeen children’s books. Her work includes picture books, easy readers, non-fiction, and joke books. A former Montessori teacher for twenty-two years, she now writes full-time, teaches children’s writing workshops, and is a visiting author to elementary schools.

How did you get interested in the ocean? I can't tie it to a specific moment in my life. As a child, my father always taught me to pay attention to and appreciate nature. My family vacationed at the beach when we lived in Washington, and when I was eleven we moved to Manhattan Beach in CA. I loved going to the beach and bodysurfing or just sitting on the sand staring at the waves. I married a surfer and though we've lived in the desert for some time now, we've always vacationed at the ocean so we could snorkel, scuba dive, take boat trips, or whale watch (basically anything that gets us in saltwater).

What's your favorite animal? Oh my, that's a tough question, but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say my favorite domestic animal would be cats (although dogs take a close second). I've had cats since I was a little girl (thirteen at one time!) and I can't imagine life without them. I often have a cat draped across my lap as I write.

My favorite wild animal is the humpback whale (although killer whales take a close second). I wish I could have a humpback draped across my lap as I write, but I don't foresee that ever happening.

What's your most amazing experience in the ocean?? I'd have to say hearing humpbacks singing in Maui (and boy, can they carry a tune!). When I was in college, I received a free issue of National Geographic magazine in the mail. Inside, was a vinyl record of humpbacks singing. I was fascinated by their "songs." Years later, when I was in Hawaii for the first time, my family was snorkeling and when we put our heads underwater, we heard humpbacks singing in the distance. It was amazing! I just about breached out of the water! A couple of years later, we were scuba diving in Maui, and again we heard their songs--they sounded so close I kept expecting a whale to slowly come into my view from the open blue sea.

What are two things do you do in your home to help the environment? Only two? A couple of years ago we switched all of our light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use much less energy than standard bulbs and have cut down on our electric bill by about $300 a year. We also recycle and use canvas shopping bags. That alone cuts down on our paper consumption and/or the resources used to recycle plastic grocery bags.

What is your goal for WhaleTimes, Inc? My goal for WhaleTimes is to take it to the next level. It's always been a great online resource, but I want to see it not only as THE "go-to" website for educators and kids, but additionally offering quality teaching materials that will go directly into the hands of those people. As a children's writer and former educator, I know the value of good books, and while there are many ocean-themed books on the market, I believe that we can offer something beyond the standard menu fare. I want our products to be something unique that will turn kids onto reading and science, leaving them saying, "WOW!"

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