Educational Resources

Explore our virtual library of resources for teachers, students, and parents to learn more about Bering Land Bridge!

 

Coastline at Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.

NPS Photo / Tahzay Jones

Coastline

Bering Land Bridge is comprised of 571 miles of coastline that provides extensive and varied habitat for birds, fish, and terrestrial animals.

• Learn more about salmon in Alaska using the Alaska Salmon curriculum from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
• Quiz yourself! How much do you know about Alaska’s salmon? Test your knowledge with the Pacific salmon quiz from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
• Listen to the US Fish and Wildlife Service's award-winning Fish of the Week! Podcast. Check out season 1 to investigate the diversity of fishes in Alaska.
• Check out this article on coastal dynamics at Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.
• Watch a Youtube video to learn about arctic lagoons and their impacts on coastal ecosystems. Or access the audio-described version.

 

A male Common Eider.

NPS Photo / Savannah Glasscock

Migratory Birds

Situated at the crossroads of the Asiatic-North American flyway, Bering Land Bridge supports over 170 species of migratory birds.

• Discover the projects, research, and resources of the Alaska Migratory Birds Office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Read about the iconic yellow-billed loons and willow ptarmigans found at Bering Land Bridge.
• How do researchers track migratory birds? Read about recent advances in electronic tracking devices used by scientists in Alaska.
• Explore how migratory shorebirds use coastal areas in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.
• Looking for birds? Get information on bird viewing, birding hotspots, and identification in Alaska from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

 

Devil Mountain Maar Lake in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.

NPS Photo

Maar Lakes and Volcanic Activity

The Espenberg Maars are the largest maar lakes in the world and the most northernly located volcanic features in North America created during the Ice Age.

• It’s a hot topic! Read about the volcanoes and lava flows of Bering Land Bridge.
• Discover the explosive story of the Espenberg Maars.
• Read about the different kinds of lava flow surface features, including those found at Bering Land Bridge.
• Get technical! Learn how scientists can use lake sediments from the Espenberg Maars to estimate the past climate of the region and when people may have moved into Beringia.
• Check out this article on volcanoes and permafrost in Bering Land Bridge to learn more about maar lakes and what they may tell us about surface features on Mars.

 

Reindeer herding on the Seward Peninsula.

NPS Photo

Reindeer Herds

Bering Land Bridge is the only National Park Service unit that allows reindeer herding. Today, all reindeer herds on the Seward Peninsula are managed by a handful of herders and the Reindeer Herders Association.

• Learn about Sinrock Mary, also known as the Reindeer Queen, whose reindeer herd once made her the richest woman on the Seward Peninsula.
• Explore the history of reindeer herding in Alaska through Frank Churchill’s 1905 photographs.
• Access the library of research, resources, and images offered by the Reindeer Research Program at University of Alaska Fairbanks.
• Read about the history of Ublasaun, a winter settlement that arose during the early history of reindeer herding on the Seward Peninsula.
• What’s the difference? Discover the differences between caribou and reindeer.

 

Algae at Serpentine Hot Springs.

NPS Photo / Savannah Glasscock

Thermal Waters

Serpentine Hot Springs provides a steamy oasis from the rigorous climate of the area. Frequented by travelers and locals alike, Serpentine is a place of both cultural importance and geological significance.

• Learn about the most visited spot at Bering Land Bridge, Serpentine Hot Springs.
• How do people get there? Read about how to visit Serpentine Hot Springs.
• Watch a Youtube video to discover what makes Serpentine Hot Springs so special.
• Take in the view with the Serpentine Hot Springs photo gallery.
• What makes hot springs hot? Learn about the geology of Serpentine Hot Springs.
• Dive into the Iyat/Serpentine Hot Springs brochure to learn about its use, both past and present, for healing, recreation, and simple solitude.

 

A rock cairn at Kuzitrin Lake in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.

NPS Photo

Human History

Bering Land Bridge contains some of the earliest records of human habitation in North America. Major archeological sites contain evidence of human activity from roughly 12,000 years ago.

• How did people get here? Learn about the lost continent of Beringia and the Bering Land Bridge Theory.
• Discover the ice age animals that once roamed Beringia alongside humans.
• Unearth the history of driftwood houses in coastal Alaska through an archaeological site at Cape Espenberg.
• Read about the fluted spear points found near Serpentine Hot Springs within Bering Land Bridge and their implications for a new understanding of the peopling of the Americas.
• Explore 3D models of fossils and artifacts found in Alaska’s National Parks. (External link to Sketchfab)
• Learn about how studies at Cape Espenberg in Bering Land Bridge can help archaeologists determine the history of marine mammal hunting in Northern Alaska.

 

Granite tors near Serpentine Hot Springs.

NPS Photo / Ken Hill

Vast, Roadless Landscape

Bering Land Bridge is one of the most remote National Park Service units. It is disconnected from all road systems and far removed from major cities.

• How do you get to a place with no roads? Explore the opportunities for hiking and backpacking, flying, and snowmobiling into the preserve.
• Read about the impacts of roads on lichens, one of the most species-rich groups of organisms to inhabit the arctic.
• Dive into the rich mosaic of plants found across the diverse landscape of Bering Land Bridge.
• Geology rocks! Discover the geodiversity and geologic resources of Bering Land Bridge.
• Learn how scientists can use permafrost landforms to better understand the impacts of climate change in Alaska.

 

Fish on a drying rack in Teller, Alaska.

NPS Photo

People on the Land

Bering Land Bridge is a vital landscape for Indigenous communities who depend on the land just as their ancestors did for many generations.

• Learn about subsistence in and around Bering Land Bridge and across the state of Alaska.
• Read about observations of environmental change and effects on people at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.
• Listen to the Project Jukebox interviews from University of Alaska Fairbanks to learn how climate change affects local communities in Alaska.
• Explore the research, resources, and programs from Alaska Native Language Center at University of Alaska Fairbanks.
• Read about Qatŋut, a cultural celebration rooted in one of the oldest and largest gatherings in Iñupiaq country: the Sisualik Trade Fair.

 

A red fox looking over a grassy knoll.

NPS Photo

Animals of the Tundra

Bering Land Bridge is home to numerous species of animals which rely on the natural resources found in the tundra.

• Read about some iconic land and marine mammals, fish, and birds of Bering Land Bridge.
• Watch a Youtube video on muskox, otherwise known as the “bearded ones.”
• Play the Arctic Animal Discovery game to see who’s who on the tundra!
• Explore the Alaska Wildlife Notebook Series from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
• Register for a distance learning program to learn about the tundra, its animals, and what it's like to live in Alaska.
• Beavers are moving in! Learn about how they change Arctic landscapes and the Earth's climate.

 

Become A Junior Ranger!

Would you like to proudly wear the Bering Land Bridge Jr. Ranger patch? Download the Junior Ranger Book to become an official Bering Land Bridge Jr. Ranger. When you are done, send it to us via email or snail mail and we'll award you with your hard earned patch and certificate.

 

Want to be a Junior Ranger?

Download the Junior Ranger Book!