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Virtual Copper River Nouveau
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Our first ever virtual fundraiser was a success! Thank you to everyone who sponsored, donated, bid on auction items, and tuned into our live broadcast.
While we missed seeing everyone in Cordova, dining on a gourmet salmon dinner, we were incredibly thrilled to have folks participating all across the country. We even had one supporter tuning in from Colombia, South America!
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2020 Copper River Stewardship Program a Success!
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Stewards using their fish ID skills. Photo by Nicole Webster
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Unable to travel between communities, the stewards met virtually for an introduction to the program and each other then headed into the field with program educators for two day-trips in their respective communities: Cordova and Glennallen.
The theme this year was
Trout. The Cordova stewards, along with PWSSC and
Copper River Watershed Project educators, set 11 minnow traps to (hopefully)
catch some juveniles and learn about coastal cutthroat trout. Diligently checking each trap the following day, stewards identified: Coho salmon, Dolly Varden, stickleback, and two species of sculpin. It wasn't until the very last trap that we could all shout, "TROUT!" Two juvenile coastal cutthroat trout were waiting to be counted, measured, and released.
Stewards also looked at stream characteristics, discussed habitat needs, compared fish species, and pondered the question, "What makes a good culvert?" Upriver and Cordova stewards met virtually after their field days and shared creative projects highlighting their connections to the watershed and brainstormed how to be better stewards for our region.
This program would not be possible without our fabulous education team from many organizations: the Copper River Watershed Project,
Wrangell Institute for Science & Environment
, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and the Bureau of Land Management.
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Delta Sound Connections
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Extra! Extra! Read all about ... the exciting research and education happening in the region!
The 2020-2021 edition of
Delta Sound Connections, PWSSC's annual natural history and science news publication, is now available
online. Printed copies can be found at select locations around Prince William Sound communities and the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Copies are also available upon request.
The publication is dedicated to the ecosystems of Prince William Sound, the Copper River watershed, and northern Gulf of Alaska. It highlights various research and education programs from PWSSC, collaborators, partners, and more.
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Tufted Puffins
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Tufted Puffins on Middleton Island. Photo by Anne Schaefer |
PWSSC's Research Ecologist, Dr. Kristen Gorman, and Avian Research Technician, Anne Schaefer, took another trip to
Middleton Island this summer to retrieve geolocator tags from Tufted Puffins.
The Resolving the Annual Pelagic Distribution of Tufted Puffins project began in 2018 when Gorman and Schaefer tagged 30 breeding puffins with geolocators.
These geolocators equipped with an internal clock and light sensor, provide information that can be used to determine the bird's latitude and longitude. The catch? The geolocators must be retrieved from the birds to download the data. Good thing Tufted Puffins are site-faithful to their burrows!
In 2019, 30 more puffins were tagged and 16 previously deployed geolocators were retrieved. This summer's trip was also successful; the team was able to retrieve 21 of the geolocators from 2019 and three geolocators that had been deployed in 2018.
The data downloaded from these geolocator tags will help us to better understand the migratory routes and wintering areas of Tufted Puffins, currently understudied aspects in the life history of these charismatic birds.
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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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