Alaska is world-renowned in specific tourism sectors—namely those related to rail, ship, and cruise lines. However, there is a thrumming ecotourism industry that has been overlooked: birdwatching. Back in 2019, the US was home to 12.82 million birdwatchers. In 2020 this number … [Read more...] about How birdwatchers are incentivizing habitat conservation in Alaska
Alaska
Study: Low-income parents spend direct payments on essentials for children
We’ve written about how direct pandemic payments were overwhelmingly used to pay for essential goods and services and helped lower poverty rates. New research from Washington State University (WSU) expands upon these findings with a study that finds that when low and … [Read more...] about Study: Low-income parents spend direct payments on essentials for children
This program bridges the gap between Indigenous knowledge and Western science
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) has launched a new program aimed at bridging the gap between Indigenous knowledge and Western science. Part of the UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, the program offers fellowships to Indigenous graduate students with the goal … [Read more...] about This program bridges the gap between Indigenous knowledge and Western science
EPA moves to permanently protect Bristol Bay from mining operations
Alaska’s Bristol Bay is a rich fishing area home to 46 percent of the average global abundance of wild sockeye salmon. Following two decades of back and forth between the Pebble Limited Partnership, conservation groups, Tribes, and state and federal governments, the Environmental … [Read more...] about EPA moves to permanently protect Bristol Bay from mining operations
Humpback whales in Alaska still flourishing in the absence of cruise ships
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the world to slow down and stay put, which has certainly added stress to our lives, but for the natural world, has offered some respite from human activity. This is the case for humpback whales in Alaska, which, as we wrote about before, have … [Read more...] about Humpback whales in Alaska still flourishing in the absence of cruise ships