(Researcher) Thom Powell
Thom Powell is an Oregon science teacher, environmental educator and naturalist, kayak instructor and professional river guide. For several years he was a curator for the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. Powell is perhaps best known for his book The Locals: A Contemporary Investigation of the Bigfoot/Sasquatch Phenomenon (2003). Powell was part of the BFRO team that collected the Skookum Cast, thought by some primatologists such as Daris Swindler and other scientists to represent the body impression of a large bipedal ape.
Powell has generated some controversy for granting credence to the possibility that sasquatches possess metaphysical capabilities, and he supports the as yet unsubstantiated proposition that some individuals, such as Janice Coy and others, have succeeded in habituation efforts. He argues that sasquatch researchers should focus on habituation as a primary means of documentation.