the BREAKWATER 
A newsletter from the Prince William Sound Science Center
June 30, 2020
Register now for Virtual Copper River Nouveau
Copper River Nouvea
Our virtual event is just around the corner!

REGISTER NOW so that when the auction starts, you are ready to bid! 

The online auction launches  Sunday, July 12, at 12 p.m. AKDT (1 p.m. PDT)  and closes on Saturday, July 18 at 6 p.m. AKDT (7 p.m. PDT).

A virtual auction and call-for-support will occur during our live-stream event on YouTube Live,  Saturday, July 18, 5:00-6:00 pm AKDT (6-7 PDT).

You must be registered to participate in both auctions.
Nouveau Need-To-Know
Our online event will happen in two parts. Here's what you need to know:

From July 12-18, we will have an online auction with an array of items from Cordova, Alaska, and beyond! Some items are available to view now and we continue to add additional art, jewelry, and more daily.

Saturday, July 18, 5-6 p.m. AKDT (6-7 pm PDT), we will host a live-stream event on YouTube Live  with our MC and auctioneer, April Powers of Magic 98.9fm. 

Along with special guest speaker, Thomas Friedman of The New York Times, we welcome Senator Lisa Murkowski and Former Secretary of the Navy, Dr. Richard Danzig. There will also be a musical performance by China Forbes from Pink Martini ... you won't want to miss out!

During the live-stream, there will be additional auction items up for bid and folks will have an opportunity to fund our special appeal. B idding and donations will take place on our auction website; registration is required.

Two devices will make the evening experience easier: one for bidding and one for viewing the live-stream. A separate link to our YouTube channel will be available to view the show.
Copper River Stewardship Program

Normally a 10-day adventure of the Copper River Watershed bringing youth from throughout the region together, this year's Copper River Stewardship Program looks quite different. 

Unable to travel between communities, the stewards will meet virtually for an introduction to the program and each other then head into the field with program educators for two day-trips in their respective communities: Cordova and Glennallen. 

The theme this year is Trout. Cordova stewards, along with PWSSC and Copper River Watershed Project educators, will set minnow traps and learn about coastal cutthroat trout, as Cordova sits at the northernmost extent of their range. Upriver stewards, with Wrangell Institute for Science & Environment, NPS, and BLM educators, will be learning about rainbow trout. After the field days, stewards will reconvene to share what they learned and discuss similarities and differences of their regions and underwater inhabitants. 
PWSSC Welcomes New Board Member: Dan Hull
Dan Hull has spent many seasons gillnetting salmon and longlining halibut in the Copper River and Prince William Sound region since 1986. 

His fascination with the region and positions with Cordova District Fisherman United, Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation, and the EVOS Trustee Council's Public Advisory Group eventually led to years of work in marine resource conservation and management on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and the North Pacific Research Board. 

Now that those positions have ended, he's excited to join the Science Center Board and return to his roots and interests in Prince William Sound again.  
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful - Cover Girl
Photo by Zachary Snowden-Smith for The Cordova Times
PWSSC Research Assistant Caitlin McKinstry was front page news when she had the answer to many Cordova residents' question, "What are these tiny things all over the harbor?" 

McKinstry studies zooplankton for PWSSC so it was no mystery to her;  free-swimming pelagic snails called pteropods or "sea butterflies" were in high abundance in Cordova's harbor. Pteropods are an important food item for salmon smolt and a normal part of the food web in Prince William Sound. 

Check out the full article published in The Cordova Times to read more about these animals, their significance, and McKinstry's research. 
Jammin' SalmONLINE 2020
Nothing can stop the spirit of Salmon Jam, Cordova's summer celebration of everything that sustains us - Salmon & Art! 

So while there won't be a large in-person event, the Salmon Jam line-up has expanded to fill an entire week full of music, art, educational activities, AK Salmon Runs, and more!  The PWSSC education team is coordinating outdoor family "funtivities" for the week and they are excited about the salmon-themed scavenger hunts, a Storybook Forest, an "At-Home-How-To" fish printing video, and craft guides. 

Jammin' SalmONLINE will be July 13-18, the perfect complement to Copper River Nouveau. Get more information and register here for this exciting community event. 
The Science Center is committed to understanding how one place on earth can maintain a reliable economy and natural environment for the long term. 
 
The postponement of our annual gala puts us in a tight spot and we need your help now more than ever. If you believe in our mission and care about what we do, please consider making a donation today. Every dollar helps us stay stable during these uncertain times.

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