Outreach and education programs are important to grow young science professionals and engage communities in science in the parks. Below are a few examples of outreach programs and activities of the Southeast Alaska Network.
Alaska Youth Stewards particpated in oceanographic monitoring in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve with park biologist Craig Murdoch.
Alaska Youth Stewards includes Training Rural Alaskan Youth Leaders and Students and Youth Conservation Corps in Southeast Alaska. This program provides opportunities for experiential education, on-the-job training, career counseling, and job placement for youth. Youth (ages 16-25) are recruited from communities throughout the region to gain experience in fisheries, forestry, engineering, recreation management, community service, and cultural stewardship.
Community members in Gustavus, Alaska learn about sea otters, harbor seals, and sea lions in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Icy Strait from Jamie Womble, Southeast Alaska Network manager.
Jamie is a wildlife biologist who worked with Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve for over 15 years and is now the program manager for the Southeast Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network. She continues research on harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, and the marine ecosystems they depend on.
Students in Skagway, Alaska learn about monitoring weather and climate in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park with physical scientist Andy Bliss.
Weather and climate impact all kinds of physical and biological components of ecosystems, such as streamflow, fish habitat, oceanography, birds, and mammals. It is important to track weather conditions at a variety of elevations and locations within parks to learn about trends as well as extreme events. Long-term weather patterns (climate) can tell us how the environment might be changing and the impacts that might have.
Southeast Alaska Network staff helped organize the 2022 International Glaciological Society meeting and participated in field trips and talks.
The International Glaciological Society held a Symposium on Maritime Glaciers in Juneau in 2022. Participants, speakers, and local residents visited Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and learned more about glaciers in the park.
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Blog: CurrentsKeep current on the scientific research happening in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
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Klondike Gold Rush, BioBlitz!Bioblitzes, like this one in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, are an opportunity to engage youth in hands-on science.
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Ocean Alaska Science & Learning CenterThe Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center promotes the stewardship of marine and coastal ecosystems through outreach and education.
Last updated: March 22, 2023