Nick Varney
Nick Varney
Pollen collects on the beak of a female rufous hummingbird and is transferred from flower to flower. (Photo by T. Eskelin, USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Only warm-blooded pollinator on peninsula has wings, will travel

This past weekend I participated in the Summer Hummingbird Days event hosted by the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. It was a great event focusing on… Continue reading

Pollen collects on the beak of a female rufous hummingbird and is transferred from flower to flower. (Photo by T. Eskelin, USFWS)
Mills Creek, May 11, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Gratitude

On May 11 this year, just past 8 a.m., the day started cold

Mills Creek, May 11, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
There are two photos of Mystery Creek plots burned by Swan Lake. This plot was only burned by the Swan Lake Fire and has blackened duff with variable depth of burn, low shrubs resprouting from surviving roots, and other plants seeded in since the fire. Photos were taken in 2021.

Refuge Notebook: Swan Lake Fire — A burn severity story

If you live in Southcentral Alaska, there’s a good chance you’ve driven or hiked through the 2019 Swan Lake Fire. If you’re like me, maybe… Continue reading

There are two photos of Mystery Creek plots burned by Swan Lake. This plot was only burned by the Swan Lake Fire and has blackened duff with variable depth of burn, low shrubs resprouting from surviving roots, and other plants seeded in since the fire. Photos were taken in 2021.
Nick Varney
Nick Varney
A Kenai River fisherman and his mother celebrate a successful catch. (Photo by Boo Kandas)

Refuge Notebook: Kenai River, the river that does it all

I did not fully appreciate the recent history of the Kenai River and surrounding watershed until I read Shana Loushbaugh’s thesis, “The history of land… Continue reading

A Kenai River fisherman and his mother celebrate a successful catch. (Photo by Boo Kandas)
Hope, Alaska on May 14, 2022. (Courtesy of Sabine Poux)

Out of the Office: Hope

Working in journalism is draining for a lot of reasons. We’re constantly taking meetings and phone calls, trying to produce multiple stories per day, and… Continue reading

Hope, Alaska on May 14, 2022. (Courtesy of Sabine Poux)
A LifeMed helicopter waits on June 10, 2014, at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska. The author took a medevac flight in May 2013 in a similar helicopter. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Out of the Office: Planes, trains, automobiles and helicopters

Every new Alaskan has a bucket list of things they want to check while living here (hopefully, a long time). One subset would be “modes… Continue reading

A LifeMed helicopter waits on June 10, 2014, at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska. The author took a medevac flight in May 2013 in a similar helicopter. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Paved sidewalks are trails are maintained at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, after the partial government shutdown ended on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Refuge Notebook: Be nice to nettles!

Editor’s note: This article first appeared May 14, 2004, and is reprinted with minor edits. Spring has arrived in full force, and it’s time to… Continue reading

Paved sidewalks are trails are maintained at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, after the partial government shutdown ended on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
Installation of culverts in Kelly Lake Road. (Photo provided by FWS)

Refuge Notebook: More than fins, feathers and fur

In the fall of 2010, I found a job opening listed through USAJobs, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at a location in Soldotna,… Continue reading

Installation of culverts in Kelly Lake Road. (Photo provided by FWS)
An orange-crowned warbler is one of the bird species that likes to nest in slash and wood piles. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/FWS)

Refuge Notebook: Nesting birds can use our help

It’s that time of year when spring cleaning, yardwork and some much-needed sprucing up around our homes and properties are upon us. Likewise, there continue… Continue reading

An orange-crowned warbler is one of the bird species that likes to nest in slash and wood piles. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/FWS)
The bridge at Tonsina Point. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Tackling Tonsina

I’m reluctant to hike alone in Alaska. As much as I like being by myself and wandering in the woods, my concerns about encountering wildlife… Continue reading

The bridge at Tonsina Point. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
YCC Enrollees harvest beetle-killed spruce for a facility enhancement project. (Photo by Nick Longobardi/FWS)

Refuge Notebook: Youth Conservation Corps: A legacy of hard work and good times

Do you know a local high school student who likes to work hard in the outdoors, doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty, and is looking… Continue reading

YCC Enrollees harvest beetle-killed spruce for a facility enhancement project. (Photo by Nick Longobardi/FWS)
The west fork of the Moose River in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, March 23, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Precipice

On Oct. 31, 2021, I ran down to Headquarters Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge hoping to see some signs that the lake would… Continue reading

The west fork of the Moose River in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, March 23, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
A brown bear on the refuge captured on a trail camera, an example that den entrance and emergence varies and you can expect to see bears at any time of the year. (Image by Colin Canterbury/FWS)

Refuge Notebook: Sharing the landscape as bears wake up this spring

Snow and extreme cold were early this year. The conditions made for fantastic cross-country skiing, and the early deep snow turned icy with repeated warming… Continue reading

A brown bear on the refuge captured on a trail camera, an example that den entrance and emergence varies and you can expect to see bears at any time of the year. (Image by Colin Canterbury/FWS)
A snow bunting on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Spring equinox marks change from smallest to largest species on the Kenai

It is spring, and after my first year in Alaska, I have witnessed that spring moves to another level. As many of you know, everything… Continue reading

A snow bunting on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)
A hiker rests near the peak of Near Point Trail in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 20, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

The pitch for Anchorage

My first time on the Kenai Peninsula was a solo trip in the late fall of 2020. When I told people I was living in… Continue reading

A hiker rests near the peak of Near Point Trail in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 20, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)
Bing’s Landing boat launch is seen in this undated photo. (Photo via Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation/dnr.alaska.gov)

Bing’s Landing to close for most of April

State crews will make improvements to the boat launch

Bing’s Landing boat launch is seen in this undated photo. (Photo via Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation/dnr.alaska.gov)
Some heart shaped rocks appear as bands of quartz. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Finding heart rocks

Like love, heart rocks appear when you’re not looking for them.

Some heart shaped rocks appear as bands of quartz. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Kris Inman speaks to a young girl, age 7, who hopes to be a veterinarian at the #IfThenSheCan-The Exhibit showcasing the Smithsonian Institute Womenճ Future Month. (Photo by Kim Spectre)

Seeing STEM: Science career ambassador in a national spotlight

What do you want to be when you grow up … Do you remember the first time you heard that question? What was your answer… Continue reading

Kris Inman speaks to a young girl, age 7, who hopes to be a veterinarian at the #IfThenSheCan-The Exhibit showcasing the Smithsonian Institute Womenճ Future Month. (Photo by Kim Spectre)