 “Environmentalism” didn't begin in the
70’s or 80’s as most believe. It
actually started long before. As a
child Walt Beineke was caught up in the
idea that growing and planting trees
could help “save the earth”. In
addition to his mother's influence, Boy
Scouts cemented his love of the
outdoors, trees and growing things and
helped set his goal to become a
forester. The friends made during those
times, and his marriage to his high
school sweetheart provided him with
lifelong support. After earning a BS in
forestry from Purdue, he went on to earn
a Masters from Duke and a Ph.D. from
North Carolina State.
Somewhere
along the way, it became obvious to him
that people who owned land and had money
should become interested and involved in
planting trees. By growing trees faster
and with greater value, he felt that
progress could be made in trying to
replace some annual crops with tree
crops.
With
advanced degrees in forest genetics in
hand, he became a professor in forestry
at Purdue, and while teaching several
courses, accomplished the research that
developed genetically improved black
walnut. He patented the first trees for
timber and patented the first trees
using DNA fingerprinting as part of the
patenting process. His work has
provided many jobs and given a boost to
the economy by founding an entirely new
industry.
Walt is
Professor Emeritus of Forestry and
Natural Resources at Purdue and was a
teacher and researcher for 34 years. He
was voted outstanding teacher in his
department seven times and outstanding
advisor twice. He is the author of over
100 articles and several book chapters.
He is listed as the inventor on 23
patents and presently consults for
industry and private land owners on
growing and managing tree plantations. |
