Events – Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges

A Groundbreaking Partnership for People and Wildlife: Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and Koniag, A Native Corporation, 9/16

Presented by Amy Peterson, Community Affairs Liaison for Koniag and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Tuesday, September 16, 5 – 6 pm Alaska Daylight Time

Kodiak – Amy Peterson in person at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 402 Center Ave. Reception follows.
Homer – Watch Party at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Hwy.
Soldotna – Watch Party at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Ski Hill Rd.
Anchorage – Watch party at BP Energy Center, Spruce/Willow Room, 1014 Energy Ct.
Zoom – Zoom link to be posted here the weekend before.

Home of the great Kodiak bear, Kodiak Refuge is one of the nation’s most significant national wildlife refuges, yet people have lived there and depended on refuge resources for thousands of years. Searching for a creative way to increase cooperation among all partners on Kodiak Island, then Refuge Manager Mike Brady and Koniag Regional & Legislative Affairs Executive Tom Panamaroff came up with the idea of a Community Affairs Liaison position. It was to be the first in the nation and would be jointly funded by the refuge and the corporation and supervised by the corporation.

Join Amy Peterson as she describes her invaluable role as Community Affairs Liaison. Amy’s job is facilitating communication and education between the Refuge and Kodiak Island tribes, corporations, and stakeholders, with emphasis on stewardship, tribal consultation, community collaboration, and cultural and educational outreach. This collaboration is not just limited to the Refuge but occurs throughout the Kodiak Archipelago region to improve the cooperative management of resources within the Refuge, which has specific geographic, cultural, and historical significance.

The Kodiak Refuge makes up nearly two-thirds of Kodiak Island but six villages are on or adjacent to the refuge and the refuge borders lands owned by Alaska Native village and regional corporations. In addition, lodges, commercial fishing sites, visitors, Kodiak City and Kodiak Coast Guard Base create a diverse human environment. The refuge needed someone who could navigate those worlds and bring people and organizations together and that is Amy. Come hear from upbeat Amy all about this hopeful project that is improving things for people and wildlife and creatively helping the refuge in a time of staff and budget crunch. And there will be a quiz! With prizes! And you can play online.

This program which started in 2021 has since been copied by Yukon Delta Refuge with a Community Affairs Liaison in Mountain Village. Other refuges across the country have made inquiries to Kodiak about how to do something similar.

Koniag Refuge Ranger, Veronica Johnson has worked two summers in the refuge visitor center. This is one of the youth programs we will hear about. The photo was taken in front of a mural in the Alutiiq Museum, which is a refuge partner.

Background

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is famous for its brown bears — largest of the brown (grizzly) bears — salmon, rugged coastline and emerald green scenery. The refuge was created in 1941 to protect Kodiak bears and their habitat. Today, the refuge has a broader purpose striving to protect interdependent species of fish, wildlife and plants within the largest intact, pristine island ecosystem in North America; and to ensure compatible management of wildlife, subsistence, recreation, and economic uses of refuge resources.

Koniag is an Alaska Native regional corporation formed pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Headquartered in Kodiak, Alaska, Koniag is owned by nearly 4,600 Alaska Native Shareholders of Sugpiaq and Alutiiq ancestry who have called the Kodiak Archipelago region — including the lands within the Refuge — their traditional homeland for more than 7,500 years. Koniag Shareholders and their Descendants continue to live on or near Refuge lands and rely on the harvest of wild foods and natural resources from within the Refuge for cultural, economic, nutritional, and spiritual sustenance.

We at Friends have contributed in a small way to the partnership by securing a grant from the Sam and Mary Lawrence Foundation which was matched five times over by Koniag to fund a student program YETI in the summer of 2024. These are the 2024 YETI ((Youth Environmental Education Internship) students.

Biography

Amy Peterson’s background prepared her well for this unique role as the Community Affairs Liaison for Koniag and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Although raised outside the state, she is the daughter of two schoolteachers who taught in Old Harbor and Port. When Amy came to Alaska, she settled in Old Harbor, working 17 years for the school district, giving her a solid background in youth programs. In addition, she worked for the Old Harbor Native Corporation and in the Village Clinic as her original training was as a certified medical assistant. She has five children and nine grandchildren and divides her time between Old Harbor and Kodiak City. Amy cherishes family life and engaging in traditional activities such as berry picking, fishing, and preparing comfort foods.

Franklin D. Rooseveldt created the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge “for the purpose of protecting the natural feeding and breeding range of the brown bears and other wildlife on Uganik and Kodiak Islands.”

Arctic Refuge: Art and Advocacy, Sept. 6 in Homer

Join us, Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges for a lovely evening of Arctic Refuge art, adventure tales, and ideas for advocacy on Saturday, September 6 from 5 to 7 pm at Bunnell Street Art Center. Fairbanks artist Lynn Larsen’s Arctic Refuge landscape paintings will be on display at the gallery. Lynn and her partner, Arctic Refuge guide Ron Yarnell, will share their experiences from more than 35 years exploring the Arctic Refuge and their thoughts about its future. Friends Advocacy Chair, Nancy Lord, will update us on the status of threats to the refuge, what Friends, working with partners, is doing to counter the threat of drilling and how you can help. Light refreshments will be served.

In 1988 Lynn made her first trip to the Brooks Range, a journey that changed the direction of her life and her art work. After that trip on the Wind River, she started drawing and painting landscapes. Flying over the Brooks for the first time, she felt she had found what she had been seeking and returned to the Brooks Range every summer to raft, backpack, and hike.

Lynn’s art will be on display at Bunnell for the entire month of September. The show entitled Time – Arctic Refuge will open with a First Friday event on September 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. which will include an artist’s talk. Many of Lynn’s recent works can be seen at https://arcticrefuge.art/lynn-larsen/

Time – Arctic Refuge; Juniper Creek

Tales from our 20th: Friends Flocked to Kenai Refuge

By Poppy Benson, Outreach Chair

As Friends newcomer Keith Jost of Anchorage said, “This is a really nice group of people.” And so they were – all 70 of them that converged at Kelly Lake Campground on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges on July 12. Friends came from throughout south-central Alaska to canoe, fish, hike, learn about wildfire on the refuge, eat great food, and enjoy the company of other refuge supporters. 31 camped overnight enjoying loon calls in the night and scolding by yellow-legs in the day.

The planning team was blown away with this enthusiastic response so we think we might need to do something similar every year. The demand is there for this type of experience. We more than met our objectives in getting people together to strengthen Friends bonds, getting people out on a refuge, making new friends, and learning about Friends, some of the issues facing refuges, the Kenai Refuge and the very significant Swan Lake fire.

We were fortunate in that two of the founding members – David Raskin our first president and Carla Stanley our first vice president were able to make the event. They were part of a handful of citizens that met at the Kenai Refuge Education building in November of 2005 and decided to form Friends. It has been quite a ride since then. We have grown to over 375 members, with 100 – 200 attending every meeting in person, at refuge watch parties or by zoom, dozens in the field volunteering and numerous refuge projects funded by Friends.

Could we make something similar happen in Fairbanks? Perhaps at the Tetlin Refuge? Want to be in on such fun times and show your support for Alaska’s National Wildlife efuges? Join us. We would love to have you.

Thanks to our photographers: Becky Hutchinson, Carla Stanley, Kieth Jost, Claire Holdaway, Kristine Sowl, Dan Musgrove, Marie McConnell, Paul Allen and Poppy Benson

Friends 20th: Celebrate at Kelly Lake, Kenai Refuge, July 12

Friends have been caring for our Alaska refuges for 20 years and that is worth celebrating, so let’s do it! – outdoors, on a refuge, and with new and old Friends, salmon, canoes, and fun. Join us Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges for our 20th Birthday at Kelly Lake Campground on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Saturday, July 12, mile 68.1 Sterling Hwy. Come for the day or campout with us Friday and or Saturday night. It is also a great chance to inspect the Swan Lake Wildfire Scar and learn from refuge experts how the land is recovering.

Saturday the 12th.

All day: Canoeing (refuge furnishes canoes), fishing(trout), andhiking (Seven Lakes Trail)
1:00 pm: Guided bird walk with Kristine Sowl, retired FWS bird biologist, may also do early morning TBD
3:00 pm: Guided plant walk through the regenerating 2019 burn area with John Morton, retired Kenai Refuge biologist
6:00 pm: Salmon and hot dog BBQ
7:00 pm: Fireside talk by Leah Eskelin, Kenai Refuge Ranger — The Swan Lake Fire Six Years Later

This is a members only event. Not sure you are still a member? Just ask us or rejoin here.

RSVP to us at info@alaskarefugefriends.org as we need to plan food and camping spaces. Tell us

How many coming
What days
Are you camping and tent or RV because we need to save space (not enough space for really big rigs).

You need to bring

sides or dessert to contribute to Saturday night feast
camp chairs
your own beverages
bug dope and your good company.

Wish List

More salmon

Another BBQ grill big enough for a salmon fillet

It was at the Kenai Refuge Education building in November of 2005 that a handful of citizens met and decided to form Friends. It has been quite a ride since then. We have grown to over 350 members, with 100 – 200 attending every meeting in person or by zoom, dozens in the field volunteering and numerous refuge projects funded.

But now as summer bathes the refuge and salmon swarm the rivers, let’s celebrate what we have accomplished – 20 years of supporting Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuges. July 12. See you there.

Place-Creation: An Invitation to Imagine the Arctic Refuge; recording online here

Presented by Tyra Olstad, 2024 Voices of the Wilderness Artist in Residence on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Tuesday, April 15, 2025, 5 pm Alaska Time
Thank you to Tyra for a wonderful program! You can watch the recording below:

Fairbanks – Tyra Olstad in person at the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, 101 Dunkel St. Reception follows.
Homer – Watch Party at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Hwy.
Soldotna – Watch Party at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Ski Hill Rd.
Anchorage – Watch party at BP Energy Center, Spruce/Willow Room, 1014 Energy Ct.
Zoom

The “Voices of the Wilderness” program connects artists of all different media and styles to federally managed Wilderness areas in wildlife refuges, national parks and national forests in Alaska, with the hope that the artists help give voice to what might otherwise seem like remote, unknowable places. In return for the trip of a lifetime, artists provide to the refuge a work of art based on the residency and that is what you will experience at this presentation. With her spoken word and visual images, Tyra Olstad will invite you to envision the Arctic Refuge, to actively immerse yourself in what she has experienced, and to imagine the Arctic from different perspectives and at different scales. (Think like a tussock!) It’s intended for audiences who know little about Alaska or the Arctic, much less the Refuge, to experienced Arctic travelers who will be encouraged to consider the place with fresh eyes. An Arctic Refuge staffer described her presentation as “goose-bumpy good”. Come let her help you imagine the Arctic.

Voices of the Wilderness artists are paired with staff and/or scientific parties to assist with stewardship and/or research projects and learn about the Alaskan wilderness. Tyra Olstad joined two research teams: a group of botanists, collecting data in the central Brooks Range as part of a long-term, global project tracking changes to alpine vegetation; and a team of hydrologists and permafrost experts, embarking on a multi-year study of relationships between permafrost, small drainages, and tundra ecosystems on the edge of the Coastal Plain. The piece that emerged from these experiences is an illustrated, creative, non-fiction audio-essay about the Arctic Refuge.

Our “home” in a vast landscape. Field camp on the edge of the Brooks Range. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Biography

Tyra A. Olstad is a creative non-fiction writer, photographer, and illustrator, whose books and essays explore concepts such as sense of place, place-attachment, and wilderness (Zen of the Plains and Canyon, Mountain, Cloud). Her work is informed by her education as a geographer (BA in Anthropology, Earth Sciences, and Russian Language & Literature from Dartmouth College; MA in Geography and Environment & Natural Resources from the University of Wyoming; PhD in Geography from Kansas State University) and inspired by her time working as a park ranger, visitor services specialist, paleontology technician, and physical scientist at national parks, forests, and other public lands around Alaska, the Intermountain West, and Upstate New York. She currently lives in Fairbanks with her partner, Phil, and their Aussie, Taiga.

Flying over the Jago River on the Arctic Refuge coastal plain.

Finding Refuge: Alaska Refuges’ Gifts Recording on line here

Presented by Matt Conner, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Services Supervisor

This meeting was held on Tuesday, March 18, 5 pm Alaska Daylight Time

Soldotna – Matt Conner in person at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Ski Hill Road. Reception follows talk.
Homer – Watch Party at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 95 Sterliing Hwy.
Anchorage – Watch Party at REI Community Room, 500 E. Northern Lights Blvd.
And Around the Country on Zoom

Matt Conner crossing Skilak Lake on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in his drift boat.

It is a stressful time. Many of us struggle with less than optimum health. Join Ranger Matt Conner of the Kenai Refuge as he describes how refuges can improve our mind, body, and spirit. Matt went through a personal transformation as the result of a health crisis and is now a certified personal trainer eager to incorporate health benefits in management activities. He was instrumental in adding outdoor exercise equipment to the Kenai Refuge Multi Use Trail with the exercises tied to animal adaptations so that wildlife appreciation and exercise can go hand in hand. Interpretive panels pair the unique abilities of Alaskan wildlife, like balance and core strength, with the same physiological traits in humans. Combining his passion for nature and wildlife and a new found love of fitness training, Matt brings these two themes together in his talk.

He will also discuss the importance of nature and refuges for both physical and mental health. He is knowledgeable in the research on the effects of nature on mental health. Learn about how refuges are a source for whole foods as well as a source for mental and spiritual connection.

Skilak Lookout Trail on the Kenai Refuge provides an aerobic workout as well as stunning views and wildlife watching opportunities.

Biography

It was all because his mom would not let him have a BB gun. That is why Matt said he got into the outdoor field. He was only allowed to have a bow and arrow. By age 13 he was competing on the national level in archery. A family friend took notice of his proficiency and invited him bow hunting starting a lifelong interest in hunting and the outdoors. Matt has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the human dimensions of forestry from the School of Forestry at Southern Illinois University. He worked at several national parks, the White River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas and the Fish and Wildlife Service Prairie Wetlands Learning Center before coming to the Kenai Refuge in 2014.

Three years ago a medical crisis changed his life. Matt utilized his scientific background to investigate the ideal lifestyle of exercise and diet to turn his health around. Along his journey he earned certifications as Personal Trainer, Nutritional Counselor and Correctional Exercise Therapy from the National Association of Sports Medicine. In addition to managing the large recreational program at the Kenai Refuge, Matt also works in his spare time as a personal trainer and volunteers at Central Peninsula Hospital in the Behavioral Health Division teaching group classes in fitness and nutrition. His life style changes have reversed his medical problems leaving him symptom free. He is a strong proponent of a healthy life style of which exercise and immersion in nature are key components.

Matt is an avid fly fisherman and hiker and loves to spend his falls harvesting free range protein by stick and string!!! (bow and arrow and fly rod). He lives in Soldotna with his wife and has two grown children.

Winter recreation offers serenity plus a good workout. Skiing across Dolly Varden Lake to the Dolly Varden public use cabin on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. pc. Lisa Hupp/USFWS

PC for lead photo: Joseph Robertia courtesy of the Redoubt Reporter

Art in the Arctic 2025

On February 7, 2025, Fairbanks’ annual Art in the Arctic show returned to Black Spruce Brewing Company, bringing together a lively crowd of artists, conservationists, and nature lovers. This year’s theme, Resilience in the Refuges: Fish and Rivers of the Far North, inspired six Alaska-based artists to showcase pieces that explored both the beauty and the struggles of northern fish and the rivers they call home.

The event was co-hosted by Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges and the three Fairbanks-based refuges—Arctic, Kanuti, and Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuges. Through art, the show aimed to spark interest in these special places and the challenges faced by fish species like char, cisco, grayling, salmon, sheefish, and dolly varden. These fish, built for extreme Arctic conditions, now face threats from climate change and human activities that could impact the streams and rivers they rely on to survive.

The opening night was a huge success, with more than 309 people filling Black Spruce Brewing Company. The crowd was diverse, including artists, biologists, federal and state employees, teachers, public defenders, and folks who simply stopped by for a drink and found themselves drawn into the exhibit. Visitors had the chance to chat with Arctic refuge staff and hear from fish biologist Randy Brown, who shared insights about Arctic fish species.

A big part of the night’s success was thanks to Arctic NWR employees Hanna McBrearty and Jennifer Reed, who worked hard behind the scenes to organize the event. Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges volunteers Tom Chard, Pam Seiser, and Jeff Walters ran an outreach table throughout the evening, signing up over 50 new people for the Friends’ newsletter and spreading the word about the importance of Alaska’s wildlife refuges.

Even with such a great turnout, the future of Art in the Arctic is uncertain. Fairbanks’ refuges no longer have the staff to organize it, and last year’s show had to be postponed due to venue challenges. Unless volunteers step up to keep it going, this could be the last Art in the Arctic after ten years of bringing people together through art and conservation.

The Fairbanks Friends group is talking about whether they have the time and resources to take over the event, but they can’t do it alone. If you love art, nature, and community events, now is the time to get involved. If you’d like to help keep Art in the Arctic alive, please reach out to info@alaskarefugefriends.org.

For now, we celebrate this year’s incredible show and everyone who made it happen. Whether you came to enjoy the art, connect with others, or learn more about the refuges, you were part of something special.

Three of our amazing artists: Marianne Stolz, Natalie Schuldt, and David Personius

Arctic Refuge manager Merben Cebrian looking at art with Ian Wright

David Personius's fish sculptures with table tent information

Fish biologist Randy Brown talking with a visitor (next to David's fish sculptures)

The Friends information table with artwork by Iris Sutton

The crowd at Art in the Arctic

Artist Amy Mackinaw's fiber art

Friends Board member Tom Chard giving out brochures and getting people to sign up for Friends.

Friends volunteers Jeff Walters and Pam Seiser

Jennifer Reed with our clicker after the 300th person walked in the door!

It was Worse than We Thought: Recording now online here

Presented by Heather Renner, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Supervisory Biologist

This presentation was recorded in Homer, AK on Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Homer – Heather Renner in person at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 95 Sterliing Hwy. Reception follows talk.
Soldotna – Watch Party at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Ski Hill Road
Anchorage – Watch Party at BP Energy Center, Spruce/Willow Room 1014 Energy Ct.
And Around the Country on Zoom

Sea cliffs and remote islands of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge provide ideal nesting sites, protected from terrestrial predators and close to the ocean food source. Aiktak Island in the Semidi Islands is one of the annual monitoring sites of the refuge. PC Ian Shive

As early as summer 2015, Refuge biologists could tell something was amiss at common murre breeding colonies in Alaska. Murres were not showing up to breed like they have year in and year out. And then, the bodies started washing up on the beaches. In winter 2015 – 2016, half of Alaska’s common murre population, 4 million birds, died in the largest single species die-off for any bird or mammal species in recorded history. And they haven’t recovered yet. Hear from Heather Renner, Supervisory Biologist of the Alaska Maritime Refuge, on the refuge’s work to document the scope of this unprecedented tragedy.

When birds die at sea, only a small percentage of the carcasses washes up on shore. What did it really mean in terms of total bird death that 62,000 carcasses were recovered up and down the coast from California to the Bering Sea? Breeding colony counts were needed to give a clearer picture. Unfortunately, for a few years after the die-off, murres didn’t breed successfully, so biologists couldn’t be sure how many had died and how many just weren’t returning to the colonies to breed. When breeding returned to “normal”, biologists learned the true scope of the die-off. Heather is one of six coauthors of a paper published in Science in December of 2024 that caused a considerable stir over the magnitude of the tragedy, the lack of recovery seven years later and the reason – a heat wave in the ocean.

The refuge where much of this drama played out, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, is an unusual and unusually remote refuge of 2500 islands, headlands and rocks stretched across more than 1000 miles of Alaska’s coastline. It is one of the world’s premiere seabird refuges, with 40 million nesting seabirds. Heather’s team includes biologists working in groups of two to three in field camps on uninhabited islands scattered along the coast. This group of dedicated scientists has been documenting since the 1970’s the status of seabirds, their numbers and breeding success; it was these data that allowed firm conclusions as to the extent of this tragedy. Data used in this analysis spanned two huge marine ecosystems, the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. They also included seabird monitoring data collected on Togiak and Alaska Peninsula/Becharof national wildlife refuges, as well as data collected by Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Round Island) and Middleton Island. Long-term ecological datasets like this are incredibly rare and are urgently needed to understand which species are most vulnerable in our changing ocean.
The before photo was taken in 2014 pre die-off and the post die-off photo was taken in 2021, six years after the event. South Island in the Semidi Islands.

Read More:
Monitoring the Common Murre: Mass Mortality in Coastal Alaska
Four Million Murres Missing: How long-term monitoring revealed an unprecedented wildlife die-off in Alaska

Biography

Seabirds, the Alaska Maritime Refuge and Alaska are part of who Heather Renner is. She is a life- long Alaskan who has worked for the Refuge for 25 years. She began her career at just 15 working in the Fish and Wildlife Service Regional office fisheries program. From there she worked her way up in other Alaskan Refuges – Alaska Peninsula/Becharof, YukonDelta, Togiak and Kenai – from a seasonal bio tech working in field camps to now supervisor of one of the most respected biological programs in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Heather even met her husband while he was completing his doctoral research in a field camp on Buldir Island. It has been her love for wild and remote places that drew her to Alaska’s refuges and inspired her to stay for so long.

Common murres nest in huge colonies laying their eggs right on the bare rock.

Heather said seabirds interested her because “they thrive in places that might seem miserable to people.” She also said she was excited about the science that could be done with seabirds and the questions that could be answered with 50 years of data. Much of Heather’s focus has been coordinating long-term monitoring datasets of seabirds and using those data to address scientific questions about both seabird conservation and ecosystem change. She is also interested in methods development for monitoring techniques. Heather has a BA in Biology from Colorado College, and a MS in Wildlife Management from Cornell University. She lives in Homer with her family and in her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, trail running and cross-country skiing.

What Really Matters: Reflections on our Combined 80 Years with Refuges

Presented by
Steve Delehanty, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Manager
Andy Loranger, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Manager

Tuesday, January 21, 5 – 6 pm Alaska Time
This program was recorded live and can be seen below:

Homer – Steve Delehanty in person at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Hwy. Reception follows talk
Soldotna – Andy Loranger in person at the Kenai Refuge Visitor Center, Ski Hill Road. Reception follows talk.
Anchorage – Watch party at BP Energy Center, Spruce/Willow Room,1014 Energy Ct.
Zoom

The Kenai River is the heart of the Kenai Refuge. With the salmon rich rivers, highway access to Anchorage, canoe country and mountain trails, campgrounds, refuge cabins and a fine visitor center, this is the most visited refuge in Alaska. That visitor use creates love for the refuge but also management challenges unique in Alaska. PC Lisa Hupp/USFWS

Andy Loranger and Steve Delehanty have spent decades as refuge managers of two of Alaska’s most iconic and significant national wildlife refuges – the Kenai and the Alaska Maritime refuges. They are retiring this month leaving a big hole in refuge management in Alaska. In one of their last acts, they will share with us what their years in the refuge system have taught them and what it might mean for us and the future of refuges. They have seen the best from our crown jewels in Alaska – the Kenai with its salmon highways, abundant moose and bear and lovely landscapes from lake country to alpine; the Alaska Maritime – largest seabird refuge in the world with tens of millions of birds, volcanoes, thousands of islands and otters – to other significant wildlife landscapes in Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin and elsewhere. This is a trying time for refuges. We all will benefit from their enthusiasm for refuges, their wisdom and a sense of the long view. Please join us for this significant event.

Alaska Maritime’s Steve Delehanty Kenai’s Andy Loranger

Biographies

Steve Delehanty has said that being a refuge manager is the best job in the world, except when it isn’t. While the incredible wildlife and wild places bring inspiration and solace, the real professional challenges as refuge manager generally involve people. “I love wildlife”, says Steve, “But I love people even more. Good thing, because I spend a lot more time at work dealing with people than I do with wildlife.” Fifteen years as manager of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge has topped Steve’s 39 year career with the Fish and Wildlife Service that began with an internship on Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota. Over his career, he has worked in Illinois, Montana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Alaska. Except for a brief internship in Illinois, Steve’s entire career has been in states near Canada.

Steve and his wife, Wendy, live in Homer. They have two adult children, one living in Alaska and one in Alabama. He likes hockey more than basketball, tundra more than forest, oceans more than mountains, and national wildlife refuges more than anything else.

Marine mammals, 40 million seabirds, and over 3000 islands characterize the Alaska Maritime Refuge. Most islands are only accessible by ship so the refuge has the largest ship in the Fish & Wildlife Service, the 120 foot R/V Tiglax. Very remote field camps, supervision of the Tiglax in the rough waters of coastal Alaska, and the dependence of the refuge’s abundant wildlife on off refuge food sources in the ocean create unique management challenges on this refuge.

Andy Loranger has been refuge manager at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge for 15 years. This was his second tenure on “the Kenai”. His first was as a wildlife biologist under Dr. Ted Bailey from 1988 to 1992. Andy said, “When I left Alaska to try refuge management in 1992, my only definitive career plan was to return someday. Being given the opportunity to come home to Alaska, and amazingly to the Kenai Refuge, has been an immense privilege.”

Accompanied from the very beginning by his wife Linda, a registered nurse, Andy‘s career journey started as a seasonal biological technician on the Benson Wetlands Management District in Minnesota, and continued in Alaska in the early 1980s with more seasonal employment on field crews conducting Arctic nesting goose research on Yukon Delta and Izembek refuges. This experience led to a permanent appointment as Nowitna Refuge’s first wildlife biologist, and later a similar role at Kenai. Upon leaving Alaska, he managed refuges in Arizona and Texas and served as Chief of the Refuge System’s Division of Natural Resources in the Fish and Wildlife Service’s national headquarters in Washington, DC. Andy received national recognition for his work in 2018, when he was selected as Refuge Manager of the Year by the National Wildlife Refuge Association. Andy said, “The refuges I served on, and my time in DC, helped me realize what true treasures we have in each and every one of our national wildlife refuges, and to appreciate the depth of dedication of our staff, Friends and volunteers.”

Andy and Linda reside in Soldotna and have 2 adult children, John and Emily, who also chose careers in public service. “We were so fortunate to share the wonders of the natural world on national wildlife refuges as a family, and more recently with our childrens’ families, and best yet, with our grandson Ira. In many ways these experience define who we are, and they have truly been the gift of a lifetime for all of us. Our retirement plans are for more of the same!”

It was Alaska Out There! High Winds, Rain Wash out 2024 Walks for the Wild

By Poppy Benson, Vice President for Outreach

Forecast 50 mile an hour gusts canceled Yukon Delta’s Walk for the Wild in Bethel, wind-lashed rain across Homer Spit dampened enthusiasm for the Alaska Maritime Walk and buckets of rain resulted in no takers for 3 of the 4 guided Walks offered at Kenai Refuge. And if that wasn’t bad enough, high winds toppled a tree cutting power to the Kenai Refuge Visitor Center. The 15 that showed up for the Trails Discovery Room in the Visitor Center had to enjoy it by flashlight! Only the Anchorage Walk scheduled for a different day pulled off without a hitch in lovely fall weather. Between the four planned walks, only about 25 people actually walked and $790 was raised. Walk for the Wild is a national program to get people moving in nature and also raise money to support the work of Friends groups.

Ready to outreach but no one to outreach to! Becky Wick holds down the tent at the Kenai Refuge. Friends Marie McConnell, Tim Shipman, Dan Musgrove and Christina Paxman as well as Becky gamely turned out to run the event but no takers. PC Marie McConnell

But Anchorage was glorious. Meg Parsons (far right) led the Walk held at the Campbell Creek Science Center which preceded our Octobermembership meeting. PC Poppy Benson

Only the furry really enjoyed Alaska Maritime Refuge’s wet and wild Walk on the Homer Spit. Interpretive signs lined the 5K route. Carla Stanley and Kevin and Jeanne Walker helped on the soggy event which attracted only 7 walkers to our outreach table.

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Art in the Arctic 2025

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