Peninsula Clarion Contributor

  • 237 Stories
  • Page 1 of 12
Brown bears fishing for salmon on the Russian River. (Photo by Kris Inman/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Fishing with bears

Anglers and bears spend more time on the river as the first run of salmon makes its way upstream. While the rivers and tributaries offer… Continue reading

 

Learn to identify the invasive green crab. (Photo provided by NOAA)

Refuge Notebook: Invasive green crab rapid response plan: Just what the doctor ordered

As Alaskans, we all love our coastline. It’s where treasures are found, foods are gathered and nature unfolds. With over 33,000 miles of coastline, there’s… Continue reading

 

Braided flood plain into Skilak Lake. (Photo by Jackie Morton/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: The futures ahead

I’m sure you’ve all looked back at your lives at some point, thought back on decisions, be it with regret or gratitude, and recognized that… Continue reading

 

If you teach a kid to fish, she will feed you a trout breakfast every morning of the campout. This proved true for this girl, who holds up a rainbow trout while sitting on a kayak. (Photo by Leah Eskelin)

Refuge Notebook: Loon calls, campfire s’mores and prebooked campsites herald summer on refuge

There’s a buzz in the air. It’s the charged energy of early summertime in Alaska. It’s the murmur of fishermen counting their tackle. It’s the… Continue reading

If you teach a kid to fish, she will feed you a trout breakfast every morning of the campout. This proved true for this girl, who holds up a rainbow trout while sitting on a kayak. (Photo by Leah Eskelin)
A basket of lovage leaves harvested at a Kenai Peninsula beach, June 9, 2023. (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: I love beach lovage

For my family, as for many people on the Kenai Peninsula, growing and harvesting food is a regular part of our lives. We garden, we… Continue reading

A basket of lovage leaves harvested at a Kenai Peninsula beach, June 9, 2023. (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)
Thousands of pounds of trash collected at eight beaches. (Photo by Sarah Conlin/NPS)

Refuge Notebook: Collaboration on the high seas and other lessons learned on marine debris cleanup

“Cowboys use rope; you collected dock line.” Consider it another lesson learned onboard the R/V Island C. And there were many more over the six… Continue reading

Thousands of pounds of trash collected at eight beaches. (Photo by Sarah Conlin/NPS)
Winter is the time for fuel break projects. (Photo by Jeff Bouschor/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: What do wildland firefighters do in the winter?

Most people do not think about wildfires during the winter months, but the fire management program at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is hard at… Continue reading

Winter is the time for fuel break projects. (Photo by Jeff Bouschor/USFWS)
A YCC crew constructs a reroute on Skyline trail. (Photo by USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Youth Conservation Corps: Hard work has never been more fun

If you’re a regular visitor to the trails, cabins and campgrounds of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, chances are you’ve seen a cluster of students… Continue reading

A YCC crew constructs a reroute on Skyline trail. (Photo by USFWS)
Summer seasonal field crews grow professionally through experiencing the beauty and the bounty of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Summer seasonal photos show conservation endures in people as well as places

The promise of longer days arrived in February, just when I needed it. Lately, my days are filled with the necessary minutia of work, and… Continue reading

Summer seasonal field crews grow professionally through experiencing the beauty and the bounty of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by USFWS)
Example of a culvert blocked by natural materials on Port Graham Road. (Photo by Sarah Apsens/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Connecting fish and community to resources in Port Graham

Streams that baby salmon live in provide shelter from predators, food and conditions for optimal growth

Example of a culvert blocked by natural materials on Port Graham Road. (Photo by Sarah Apsens/USFWS)
Snowshoers make fresh tracks on Headquarters Lake on a weekly guided walk at Kenai National Wildlife? Refuge. (Photo by USFWS/Leah Eskelin/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Snowshoeing fun in the refuge

Having grown up in New England, I am no stranger to cold winters, lots of snow and season-specific outdoor recreational opportunities. Imagine my surprise while… Continue reading

Snowshoers make fresh tracks on Headquarters Lake on a weekly guided walk at Kenai National Wildlife? Refuge. (Photo by USFWS/Leah Eskelin/USFWS)
Letter to editor

Letter to editor: Homer Spit should be developed with birding in mind

We are Kenai Peninsula residents who reside outside of Homer but would still like to weigh in on the proposed Doyon development plan at the… Continue reading

Letter to editor
Pastor Meredith Harber

Minister’s message: Shining inner glow of love and life in depths of winter

“It’s very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you’d always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging… Continue reading

Pastor Meredith Harber
Letter to editor

Letter to editor: Do what’s right for Alaska’s families — Support WIC funding

Alaska stands at a critical juncture as Congress debates the future funding of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. This isn’t just a matter… Continue reading

Letter to editor

Legislature should vote to override governor’s education funding veto

This past session (2023), the Alaska Legislature approved a one-time funding boost to K-12 public schools for $175 million. The last time the state added… Continue reading

Letter to editor

Letter to the editor: Gov. Dunleavy fails state in key areas

I’m so disappointed in Governor Dunleavy and his actions in governing our state. He has slashed education funding and ignored the base student allocation (bsa)… Continue reading

Letter to editor
A snowmachine at rest in front of the Snag Lake public use cabin. (Photo by credit Scott Slavick/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Preparedness is key to staying safe in the backcountry

If you spend any time in the backcountry, it’s bound to happen: an ankle sprain halfway into a day hike; afternoon wind unexpectedly turns a… Continue reading

A snowmachine at rest in front of the Snag Lake public use cabin. (Photo by credit Scott Slavick/USFWS)
The bronze statue depicting a "giant Kenai Moose" of the early "19s" stands to welcome present-day guests to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Marking 82 years in the great flow of past, present and future on the Kenai

Whether they were pulling my leg or not, a couple of years ago, my kids started asking me questions like, “Mom, did you have phones… Continue reading

The bronze statue depicting a "giant Kenai Moose" of the early "19s" stands to welcome present-day guests to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by USFWS)
Young samplings are better than a muffin to this moose on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: We stand on the shoulders of giant moose

This story starts 2,500 miles southeast as the raven flies from Kenai National Wildlife Refuge to the heart of the Weminuche Wilderness in the southern… Continue reading

Young samplings are better than a muffin to this moose on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)
Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges volunteer Beth Sullivan surveys for the invasive plant elodea at Campfire Lake on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Aug. 30, 2023. Here she pulled up a rake full of star duckweed (Lemna trisulca). (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Deja vu and something new — Probing Kenai Peninsula lakes for invasive species

We had been here before. Agencies, nongovernment organizations and community members had all taken part in an effort to remove invasive northern pike and elodea… Continue reading

Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges volunteer Beth Sullivan surveys for the invasive plant elodea at Campfire Lake on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Aug. 30, 2023. Here she pulled up a rake full of star duckweed (Lemna trisulca). (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)