Connecting with communities: creating a sense of place in Alaska
The 24 kids from around the world look shyly at each other from inside the tent.
"Hola!" says a boy from Iraq. He speaks English and Arabic, too, but he wants the three girls from Mexico to feel welcome.
The girls giggle into their hands. "Hola," they say together.
As they imprint alder leaves and aster flowers on their nature journals, someone asks the question on everyone's mind.
"Are we going to see a bear?"
The kids, ranging in grade level from kindergarten to high school, are refugees who have found a new home in Alaska. They have come to the BLM Campbell Tract, 730 acres of forested public land in Anchorage and home of the BLM Campbell Creek Science Center, for the three-day learning- and adventure-based Eco-Explorers program.
The Eco-Explorers program is a partnership of the BLM Campbell Creek Science Center, Catholic Social Services and the Environmental Resources Management Foundation. It aims to deepen a sense of place, belonging and ownership for the refugee community through experiences on public land.
Kids in the program run the gamut of experience with Western culture, said Elizabeth Krauszer, Catholic Social Services refugee assistance and immigration services interim director. Some come to America with no formal schooling and little exposure to the language. Others have parents with master's degrees and are fluent in English.
One thing most have in common is a different perspective on the outdoors.
"The idea of outdoor education is a little bit foreign," Krauszer said. "Recreation is a privilege when you're not getting your basic needs met."
Catholic Social Services, the only refugee resettlement agency in Alaska, typically welcomes about 130 people per year who are fleeing their homelands due to war or persecution. Most of the refugees have left countries in Africa—Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—but they also come from Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma) and the former Soviet Union.
The Environmental Resources Management Foundation provided the grant, which sponsored the development of the Eco-Explorer program and provided bus transportation for all participants. Emmy Zartman, a volunteer with the ERM Foundation, says the organization strives to educate the community about environmental issues and empower people, especially women and girls, to be confident in the outdoors.
"It was really great to see that a program can overcome language and cultural barriers and provide meaningful lessons on our environment," said Kassi Murray, also with the ERM Foundation.
Eco-Explorers blends environmental education with traditional camp activities. On the first day, as a group of younger children inspected seeds under microscopes, the older kids prepared to go geocaching, an outdoor treasure hunt using GPS devices.
Hand-held GPS units lead the group under a canopy of birch and spruce, across uneven, mossy hummocks and fallen logs and through thickets of highbush cranberry and prickly rose.
Soon, the distance meter on the GPS fell under 10 feet.
"It's here! I found it!"
The kids pulled a large plastic acorn from a tree branch. They gently inspected the contents—pencils, stickers, a small toy car—tickled by the thought of treasure in the woods.
Later, the older group learned how to start a fire with flint and steel, which everyone accomplished after some time and words of encouragement in Somali, Swahili, Dinka, Arabic and Spanish.
At the end of the day, the kids came together for an All-American camp tradition: kickball. The older kids helped the little ones roll pitches. A tall girl, one hand gripping her long skirt, the other holding tight to her headcovering, smashed the ball and rounded the bases, ducking under an attempt to throw her out. The kids kept score with enthusiasm, but most had the same question.
"Can we play soccer now?"
Among these global citizens, soccer is a common language.
During the next two days, the kids followed a map to evidence of Alaska animals—squirrel nests, moose browse, beaver chew. They ran curious fingers over whale baleen, lynx fur and porcupine quills. They didn't see a bear, and that suited everyone just fine. They waded into the creek to look for spawning salmon and insects under the rocks.
And yes, they played soccer, a raucous game between kids and instructors and volunteers, a bridge from their old lives to the land of their new home.
Story by Molly Larmie, Science Instructor. Photos by Maureen Clark, Public Affairs Specialist.
Story by Amanda Friendshuh, BLM Intern. Photos by Amanda Friendshuh, BLM Intern; Kaylee Rodriguez, BLM Intern; The Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment.
In order to get youth involved in nature, BLM-Alaska attended the annual Youth Environmental Summit (YES), hosted by the Native Village of Gakona, where kids can learn about the area's natural resources.
The very first YES event in 2007 was a success and has continued to grow and improve each year. Now, ten years later, YES is still attracting a variety of unique students in grades Kindergarten through eight who are ready to learn about the amazing area they live in. This year's event was held in Kenny Lake, Alaska focused on career opportunities within natural resources and land management. Instructors from the BLM-Alaska Glennallen Field Office and Campbell Creek Science Center partnered with other local agencies to teach students about the possible careers opportunities that could bring some of the "Alaska loving youth" back to the Copper River Basin.
During the three-day event students took part in a variety of different outdoor based lessons. Educators from the BLM-Alaska Campbell Creek Science Center helped students study macroinvertebrates in Willow Creek. Students donned their waders and used D-nets and microscopes to find and examine insects and determine that the creek was healthy based on the multiple kinds of macroinvertebrates they found!
A representative from the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge showed students how biologists use animal collaring technology to track wildlife such as the Alaskan Lynx. Students were able to use the tracking device to locate an active collar that instructors had hidden in the woods earlier that day. Younger students also explored the animal kingdom through an Alaskan version of tag called "Lynx and Hares".
Instructors from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium demonstrated the detrimental effects pollution can have on communities and what students can do to prevent the accumulation of litter. In this session, students created their own 'village' within a sand box and then were able to see what happens when trash was spread throughout their community and into the water systems.
The Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment (WISE) used a stream table provided by the BLM Glennallen Field Office to teach students how water shapes a landscape. Using the stream table and plastic sand beads, students explored geological terms such as 'erosion' and 'delta.' WISE also took students on a nature hike on the Kenny lake School Bluff trail and taught students about different plants and animals they encountered along the way including a mother grouse and her chicks!
Other local partners such as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Native Village of Gakona, and Recycling our Area's Resources all provided significant support in ensuring this year's program. This tenth anniversary theme of Careers in Natural Resources and Land Management provided an amazing opportunities for public servants and community members to invest in the Copper River Basin's future. The Youth Environmental Summit has become a staple of many student's summer and we it will continue to inspire them for many years to come!
Story by Bijan Welch, Writing Intern. Photos by Maureen Clark, Public Affairs Specialist and Bonnie Million, Anchorage Field Manager.
For Mel Langdon, volunteering at the BLM Campbell Tract on National Trails Day is about paying it forward.
"I raised some kids and they came out here for camps," said Langdon. "I appreciate all the facilities that are here. So this is payback for that and for the next kids coming up."
Langdon was one of about 30 people who came to help build and repair fences, plant trees, improve access to Campbell Creek, and weed and replant the gardens at the BLM Campbell Tract on National Trails Day on June 3. While taking a break from building fences, Langdon mentioned that she has participated in Trails Day projects at the Campbell Tract for more than 10 years. She was not the only returning volunteer.
Lamby Brusuelas, a veteran Trails Day volunteer, brought her children to help them develop a sense to community and stewardship of their public lands.
"You are more respectful to the vegetation and to the trails when you have a stake in it," she said as she and her children pulled weeds in the native plant gardens. "You have ownership in the work that goes into it."
Fostering that sense of stewardship is exactly what National Trails Day is all about, said BLM Anchorage Assistant Field Manager Doug Ballou.
"Part of helping manage public land is to get young people and anyone involved as stewards of the land and have them give back to the land. Hopefully, this builds appreciation for using land and people will use it more gently."
When the projects were completed and the tools put away, the volunteers gathered for a pizza lunch provided by the Friends of the Campbell Creek Science Center. REI provided T-shirts and door prizes. The day wrapped up with a demonstration of the effective use of bear spray by the Campbell Creek Science Center's School Programs Coordinator, Eric Stuart.
Volunteers help BLM Celebrate National Trails Day - The BLM Daily
Discover the wonder of your own backyard with the BLM Campbell Creek Science Center.
Follow the Campbell Creek Science Center on Twitter.
Learn about the Friends of the Campbell Creek Science Center
Happy Birthday to the National Petroleum Reserves in Alaska!
On this day in 1976, the administration of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) by authority of President Gerald Ford.The NPR-A, a vast 22.8 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope, was initially identified for emergency oil supply for the U.S. Navy by President Harding in 1923 and named the Naval Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. It is nearly the size of Indiana and is the largest single block of federally managed land in the United States.
Under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976, the BLM is required to balance the exploration and development of oil & gas resources with the protection of wildlife, habitat, and the subsistence values of rural residents and Alaska Natives.
BLM Alaska manages 72 million acres of public lands, including the NPR-A, and its oil and gas programs generated $475.7 million in Fiscal Year 2015, contributing to a total output of $528.7 million for BLM across the state.
Its #NationalWalkingDay! Find a Trail with BLM’s Georeferenced Maps
Get #outside and get your steps in on the trail for National Walking Day using PDF maps on your GPS-enabled mobile device. When viewed in an installed mobile map application, each map is designed so that your location can be displayed on screen in real time. Georeferenced map applications allow you to navigate using your mobile device’s GPS even without cellular reception.
There are a variety of georeferenced PDF apps available for Apple and Android devices. Consult the mobile apps instructions for complete information on how to use.The BLM has currently uploaded several georeferenced maps to the AVENZA application store. These maps can also be printed or viewed without using a mobile application.
Pictured here is the Gulkana Wild and Scenic River in Alaska, which is a great place to get outdoors, take a walk, go fishing, and more! You can find the digital public information map here.
Take a break in White Mountains National Recreation Area!
The longer days of February and March signal that it’s prime time for winter recreation in interior Alaska.
Located just an hour's drive north of Fairbanks, the vast one-million-acre White Mountains National Recreation Area is a major winter destination for area residents.
Winter is a magical time to visit the White’s. Reaching the heart of the area and its namesake white limestone peaks becomes much easier this time of year, once creeks, rivers, and bogs freeze. The mosquitoes are gone, too, replaced by the glow of northern lights and pristine snow.
The BLM grooms more than 220 miles of trails that provide access to a system of reserveable cozy public recreation cabins, making possible multi-day trips where you spend each night in a different cabin. Dog mushers, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers and fat tire bike riders all share the trail system.
BLM Alaska Participates in Global Reindeer Youth Summit
For more than half a century, the BLM has proudly worked with the many thousands of American ranchers who graze their livestock on 155 million acres of our nation’s public rangelands.
While the BLM manages millions of acres of rangeland for cattle, sheep, and other livestock ranchers in the West, in Alaska it is Alaska Native reindeer herders who are served by the grazing program. And as Alaska's reindeer herders look to build a sustainable future, they look to other reindeer herding cultures in the Arctic to exchange information, share their knowledge, and encourage young people to learn about reindeer husbandry.
In June of 2016 the BLM participated in the first Global Youth Reindeer Summit, a four-day event held at the Midnite Sun Reindeer Ranch near Nome. The event sought to expose young people to local and global expertise in reindeer herding and local food culture. A grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and donations from dozens of businesses and individuals made the summit possible, and youth from villages throughout Arctic Alaska participated.
Members of the Alaska Reindeer Council, university professors from Alaska and Finland, and reindeer herders from Alaska and Norway were invited to present on a variety of topics, including herding techniques, ungulate diseases, lassoing, and the importance of taking a landscape approach to rangeland management. BLM Natural Resources Specialist Laurie Thorpe was invited to share what she learned at a recent conference in Norway on Arctic ungulates and economic development.
"The summit provided a great opportunity to develop a shared understanding of the challenges facing reindeer herders and land managers throughout the Arctic." Thorpe said.
The BLM manages about 4 million of the approximately 12.5 million acres of land used for reindeer grazing on the Seward Peninsula of northwest Alaska. There are currently about 8,000 reindeer on the Seward Peninsula – about half the number currently authorized there. Industry experts say the industry has the potential to grow to well over 50,000 animals.
"You have the very best reindeer pastures in the world," Anders Oskal, a Saami reindeer herder from Norway and Executive Director of the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry, told the gathering. Oskal is also co-lead of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples Culinary Institute and indigenous foods played a big role at the summit. Participants attended sessions on butchering, meal preparation, and use of local plants and animals. There were also presentations on the use of non-edible parts of the reindeer for making jewelry, clothing, tools, and art.
Click here to learn more about BLM’s rangeland management program.
In addition to cattle grazing, the BLM currently holds 15 grazing permits for reindeer. Reindeer grazing is especially important in Alaska, where it has been a way of life for many and is just one of the many multiple uses across the 3.8 million acres of BLM-managed public lands on the Seward Peninsula.
Photo by BLM Alaska.
Click here to learn more about Reindeer Grazing in Alaska.
