Architect Nancy Casey speaks in front of a small gathering at the Fireside Chat presented by the Kenai Watershed Forum on Nov. 30, 2022, at Kenai River Brewing in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Architect Nancy Casey speaks in front of a small gathering at the Fireside Chat presented by the Kenai Watershed Forum on Nov. 30, 2022, at Kenai River Brewing in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Watershed Forum’s Fireside Chats return Wednesday

The chats will cover a range of interesting topics, centered on knowledge, research and projects

The Kenai Watershed Forum’s Fireside Chats will return to Kenai River Brewing Company in Soldotna on Wednesday, kicking off six weeks of conversations about nature and conservation on the Kenai Peninsula.

Each chat is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m., running from Sept. 27 until Nov. 1.

Forum Membership Coordinator Sara Aamodt said Wednesday that the chats will cover a range of interesting topics, centered on “knowledge, research and projects.” She said the goal is to seize the opportunity to get interesting people and ideas in front of the community.

The first chat, “A Mitey Mass,” will be hosted by David Wartinbee, a board member of the forum. He will talk about growths of mites in local lakes that become so large they can be seen by pilots overhead.

A new topic will be in the spotlight each week. Matt Bowser will cover elodea and pike, local invasive species. Two presentations running back to back, “Backyard Botany,” by Bonnie Bernard and “Gardening in Alaska,” by Larry Opperman, will complement each other by discussing the growth of plant life in Alaska climates and offering knowledge residents can take back into their homes.

Dom Watts will discuss mountain goat research being done on the Kenai Peninsula, and Alexa Millward and Ben Meyer will close out the series by discussing their project to map anadromous rivers and streams of the Kenai Peninsula to establish protections.

That mapping project, Aamodt said, has lots of room for volunteer involvement, and attendees will have the opportunity to get involved with the work.

The goal is to give community members the opportunity to have their questions answered, Aamodt said. To that end, each chat is roughly half presentation, half conversation. Each presentation is designed to be accessible to anyone, even younger kids and families.

“Present scientific information in a way that any everyday person can understand and take home and share,” Aamodt said.

Especially as the chats stretch into winter months, Aamodt said attendees may need to dress for the weather; chats are held outside behind the brewery, truly at the fireside.

Fireside Chats are free to attend, with food and drink from the Kenai River Brewing Company available for purchase. Watershed forum members will get one drink provided by the organization.

More information about the fireside chats and about the Kenai Watershed Forum can be found at facebook.com/KenaiWatershedForum.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Josiah Kelly, right, appears for a superior court arraignment at the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchor Point man accepts plea deal for November shootings

Buildings operated by a local health clinic and an addiction recovery nonprofit were targeted.

A demonstrator holds up a sign during the “No Kings” protest on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at WKFL Park in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Homer hits the streets to say ‘No Kings’

Around 700 gathered locally as part of a nationwide protest.

Brooklyn Coleman, right, staffs The Squeeze Squad lemonade stand during Lemonade Day in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kids learn business skills at annual Lemonade Day

Around 40 stands were strewn around Soldotna, Kenai, Nikiski and Sterling for the event.

Planes are showcased at the Kenai Air Fair in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai fair shows off aircraft of all kinds

Cargo planes to helicopters were on display Saturday.

David Meyer. Photo courtesy of Chantrelle Meyer
Volunteers continue search for missing Happy Valley man

David Meyer was reported missing June 11 while kayaking in Cook Inlet.

Boats at Douglas Harbor under mostly clear skies on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
80°F in Juneau will trigger first-ever National Weather Service heat advisories

Officials say sun’s angle in Alaska makes temperatures feel higher compared to other states.

People carrying flags and signs line the Sterling Highway for a “No Kings” protest in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna ‘No Kings’ protest draws hundreds

The nationwide protest came the same day as a military parade organized at the behest of the Trump administration.

Council member Jordan Chilson speaks during a Soldotna City Council work session in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna council mulls change to meeting time

Meetings would be moved from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. under a resolution set to be considered on June 25.

Mountain View Elementary School is photographed on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Mountain View vandalized by children, police say

Staff who arrived at the school on Monday found significant damage, according to police.

Most Read