Resurrection Bay is precious. Glaciers spilling out of both the Harding and Sargent Icefields push down to treeline or tideline, unnamed peaks recede along the horizon and in the Bay itself, sea mammals, pelagic birds, and salmon do their thing. Perched on an alluvial fan at the head of the Bay, Seward hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors drawn by the same natural beauty and wildness that keeps locals here throughout the year.
Since the establishment of Kenai Fjords National Park in 1980, Seward's economic base has shifted toward tourism. Tourism relies on an intact ecosystem and all its attributes. That's what we try to protect.
Seen any insults or crimes against our environment that need to be addressed? Call our hotline 224-7607 or 491-0353. Anonymity guaranteed!
Beach and Watershed Cleanup - May 18UPDATE (Friday May, 17 7:30pm): Because of predicted rough seas, we're shifting efforts from marine to watershed.
The beach and watershed cleanup is still on for the same time and place- 8:00am at the
North Ramp parking area ("x-float" of the small boat harbor- off Port
Ave.) regardless of weather conditions.
Unfortunately, due to terrible water conditions out on the bay and beyond,
We'll be shifting all the boat volunteers onto the other watershed and
beach teams in the morning. So, we'll organize these groups and head off
from there.
Everyone's help and perseverence in this weather will hopefully make for
short work on those areas that need cleaning up.
-Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning.
Salud- Tim
Schoolyard Habitat Program is looking for volunteersHello All,
After months of planning and waiting for the ground to thaw, we're now seeking volunteers to help build the new Elementary School Native Plant Park.
To volunteer, signup by following this link http://www.doodle.com/ak9mhwsus59uvdk6 and complete the short Doodle survey so that we’ll know which days and times that you’re able to help. Please forward this email to anyone who you think would like to help.
Here’s the schedule: the garden prep (for adults and youth over the age15) will be on
June 4th 1:00pm – 5:00pm
June 5th 10:00am – 9:00pm (with breaks for lunch and dinner)
June 6th 10:00am – 5:00pm
We invite all area youth (and parents) to help with the planting in the afternoons of June 10 to 14.
Please open the attached file for more details.
In addition to the Seward Schools, KPB & School District and the Fish and Wildlife Service; we now have the following new project partners, Seward Community Foundation, Seward Boys and Girls Club and the Seward Teen & Youth Center
Thanks and have great weekend!
Matt Gray, PE
Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance
Watershed Program Coordinator
224-4621 work
mgrayrbca@gmail.com
www.rbca-alaska.org
ASLC Science Seminar, May 22Please join us for our next science seminar:
Infective Endocarditis in Sea Otters
Seminar Speaker: Katrina Edgar, Ph.D., Alaska SeaLife Center
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
12-1pm (Brown Bag Lunch)
Bear Mountain Conference Room, Alaska SeaLife Center
Free Seminar, Everyone Welcome!
Dockwalkers programVOLUNTEERS NEEDED
WHO ARE DOCKWALKERS?
Dockwalkers are volunteers who inspire and educate boaters and other recreators to be environmentally sound while boating in Alaska. These volunteers distribute boater kits with educational materials while visiting marinas, boat launch ramps, boat shows and events.
HOW DO DOCKWALKERS HELP?
The efforts of Dockwalkers increase boater awareness about clean boating, thus improving the recreation experience in Alaska while helping to preserve its precious wildlife habitat and water quality.
HOW DO I BECOME A DOCKWALKER?
People interested in becoming Dockwalkers are required to attend a free 1.5 hour training class. The training provides an overview of environmentally-sound boating practices, information about how to conduct Dockwalking, educational materials that Dockwalkers will distribute including boater kits. Training in Seward will be at 5:30 PM, on the 29th of April at the new library.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For more information on Alaskan Dockwalking pilot projects and Alaska Clean Harbors, contact Rachel Lord at Rachel@inletkeeper.org or 907-235-4068-x29 The Alaska Clean Harbors website can be found at www.alaskacleanharbors.org.
In Seward call ROBIN COLLMAN Cell 907 362-3266 EMAIL collman@gci.net
Our watershed programScheffler Creek streambank restoration project
RBCA recently installed two salmon viewing platforms and rehabilitated the stream bank. More
RBCA helps with fish passage culvert replacement
In adequate culverts can prevent both spawning and juvenile salmon from swimming through them and can close off miles of otherwise good fish habitat. More.
Stewart property, floodplain lands purchase is final
This land sale will protect salmon habitat in Salmon Creek. More
Storm drain stenciling reminds residents and visitors where surface runoff ends up. More.
Surveying local streams for addition to the state’s Anadromous Waters Catalog
Listing in the Catalog provides streams an additional layer of protection. More
RBCA’s weed work summary
Invasive plants can have significant impacts to fish and wildlife habitat if not controlled. More.
Kenai Fjords National Park and the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance receive Coastal America Spirit Award
Tim Johnson of the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance and Jim Pfeiffenberger of Kenai Fjords National Park accept a Coastal America Spirit Award at the 2012 Alaska Forum on the Environment, Feb. 9, 2012/NPS Photo
Kenai Fjords National Park and the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance (RBCA) were recently honored with a Coastal America Spirit Award for their cooperative work to remove marine debris from beaches around the park. Over the last six years, this partnership has cataloged and removed thousands of pounds of debris from local beaches, reducing hazards to marine life, and improving the visitor experience on these beaches. The project has also gathered valuable data on the composition of marine debris and its rate of accumulation. Much of the work, spearheaded by RBCA Marine Debris Coordinator Tim Johnson, has been accomplished with hundreds of hours of volunteer labor.
Over the years, the effort has grown to include not just nearby, easily-accessible beaches, but also more remote locations such as Thunder Bay and Taroka Arm on the park’s outer coast.
The award was presented at this year’s Alaska Forum on the Environment in Anchorage. An estimated crowd of 300 were on hand for the ceremony, where an eight minute video about the cleanup effort was also screened. The video can be viewed here:
Caring for the Coast: Beach Cleanup in Kenai Fjords from Ocean Alaska Science and Learning on Vimeo.
Coastal America is public-private partnership effort that brings together people and resources from federal agencies, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to collaboratively address our nation’s coastal environmental challenges. Their Spirit Awards recognize exceptional projects that demonstrate the ‘spirit’ of teamwork for group efforts that are poised to address challenging coastal issues. Kenai Fjords National Park plans to continue working with RBCA in the coming years to address ongoing marine debris issues in and around the park. Please call Tim Johnson at 224.7094 if you are interested in volunteering for the upcoming cleanup series this summer.
Be Bear Aware!
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