Kanuti’s Annual Winter Celebration, held recently in Allakaket, AK, was attended by over 60 people from Allakaket and Alatna and was once again a hit with kids and adults alike. This year, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve helped support the effort. Marcy Okada, the Subsistence Coordinator for Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, and Maria Berger, the Lead Education Specialist (NPS) at the Fairbanks, Alaska Public Lands Information Center, attended the event and provided a well-received after-dinner presentation about Gates and NPS, and a craft table that was very popular with the youth.
Kanuti truly enjoyed partnering with NPS during this event, and very much appreciated the support NPS provided. The community seemed to greatly enjoy being able to learn so much in one stop. UAF representatives were also at the School during the evening event, providing excellent information about their programs and a table of information and free items. The community had a full night of fun! Of course, one of the most enjoyed parts of the evening, was the Taco dinner, provided by Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges and fully prepared by Friends Volunteer Sarah Matthews, who worked hard during the entire event to make sure everything we needed was taken care of – thank you Sarah for your hard work making a wonderful dinner for so many! And thank you to UAF for providing a great dessert! In the spirit of doing more with less, working together can fill in gaps while also strengthening ties. Kanuti looks forward to continuing to work with partners and the communities of Allakaket and Alatna in the future. 
(Report filed by: USFWS)
Category: Volunteer Activities
Friends Volunteer in Allakaket (Kanuti)
Education Specialist Allyssa Morris and Friends of Alaska Refuges Volunteer Jeff Walters visited the Allakaket school in mid-December where they presented programs to pre-k to 12th grade classrooms about mustelids, which are mammals that belong to the weasel family. Students learned about behavior, diet, and movement patterns of weasels such as the wolverine, marten, ermine, and river otter. Students also played games that allowed them to behave like a weasel and use their sense of smell to find food caches hidden around the classroom.
Learning can be fun!
(photos: USFWS)
2016 Refuge Week – Celebrations at Arctic, Kanuti, and Yukon Flats Refuges
by Allyssa Morris, Environmental Education Specialist (USFWS)
National Wildlife Refuge Week reminds Americans how nature enriches our lives and adds to the beauty of our country. This special week highlights the National Wildlife Refuge System – the network of lands and waters that protect wildlife and their habitats. This year Arctic, Kanuti, and Yukon Flats Refuges celebrated that connection with the natural world by hosting two events in Fairbanks with the help of the Friends of Alaska Refuges.
Archery Night was held at the Morris Thompson Center on October 11, 2016. The event was geared for youth ages 9+ years old. Trained Service staff and volunteers taught youth proper techniques and skills in an outdoor setting. Inside the main lobby there was an array of activities such as owl pellet dissections, pelts and skulls, and the opportunity to make a nature-inspired rubber stamp card. Visitors were also able to warm up with a cup of hot cocoa. Friends of Alaska Refuges member Dave greeted visitors at the entrance and member Joseph grilled hotdogs. It was a brisk and cold evening full of activities and smiling faces.
The second event was Refuge Day at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum. This event was geared for youth ages toddler to 8 years old. Attendees were able to make a squishy sensory fish pouch, play an animal matching game and even receive a blue goose removable tattoo. The highlight of the event was meeting Puddles the Blue Goose, who received many hugs throughout the event. Friends member Jeff handed out juice boxes and cookies and Friends member Sarah led a craft on making blue goose clothespin magnets. This was a fun day to learn and celebrate the refuges!
Friends Member Dave Personius greets visitors at the Morris Thompson Center at Archery Night
The Cotter Family dissects owl pellets and learns about food chains with Botanist Janet Jorgenson
Betty Morris, age 2, demonstrates how big a polar bear can be
Refuge Day at the Children’s Museum:
Puddles with Children’s Museum Staff; Friends members Jeff Walters and Sarah Mathews hand out cookies and juice to attendees.
Kaktovik Polar Bear Conservation Project – Part 1
The Kaktovik Polar Bear Conservation Project is a collaboration between the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Marine Mammal Management Program to address increases in polar bear concentrations and visitor use around the native village of Kaktovik. Friends is sponsoring Jacqueline Keating to volunteer for three weeks, assisting with daily bear counts, visitor education, and school outreach. She is completing graduate work on managing bear viewing on the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and is really thankful for the opportunity to experience a different type of bear viewing management.
Arctic Village Science and Culture Camp Goonzhii
- Migratory birds
- Animal tracking and drawing
- Archery
- Dog sled construction
- Skin sewing
- Caribou butchering and processing
- Blueberry picking
- Plant identification
“I had the opportunity to meet Sarah James [community elder and Friends member], who has been speaking to protect the habitat for the future. It was a treat to get out on the field trips and experience the beauty of Arctic Village in fall,” says Brenda.
Friends Atigun Gorge Float in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
(Photos by Lione Clare)
- Reward members for long-time Board service, and
- Recruit and engage Fairbanks individuals as active Friends members
