Alaska Outdoors

A raven lands near a hawk owl, harassing and calling loudly. (Photo by Jos Bakker)

Why do birds mob other birds?

The northern hawk owl that has often been seen this winter, out at the edges of the wetlands, is a solitary hunter. It usually preys… Continue reading

A raven lands near a hawk owl, harassing and calling loudly. (Photo by Jos Bakker)
The carcass of a young brown bear that was shot by a hunter. (Photo By Bjorn Dihle)

A carcass in a salmon stream

The first bear I remember was lying in a salmon stream on Admiralty Island, reduced to bones and tendrils of flesh. At the time —… Continue reading

The carcass of a young brown bear that was shot by a hunter. (Photo By Bjorn Dihle)

Did plants cause one of Earth’s great extinctions?

Several times in the distant past, our home planet has been cleansed of its residents, with the exception of a few plucky survivors. Perhaps the… Continue reading

Dr. Bidlack

Sustainable Alaska: Linking land and sea

On a recent winter day in Juneau, two of my colleagues headed out to Montana Creek to collect some stream water samples. The cold weather… Continue reading

Dr. Bidlack

How a halibut gobbles

A friend and I were looking at pictures of traditional Native halibut hooks and discussing how they work. That led to thinking about how halibut,… Continue reading

Golden-crowned kinglets typically hunt for small bugs among conifer branches. (Photo by Mark Schwann)

Three little stories

Here are three small stories, two from the field and one from home — two that were simply fun and one that leaves some questions.… Continue reading

Golden-crowned kinglets typically hunt for small bugs among conifer branches. (Photo by Mark Schwann)
The right side of the “Amphitheater”. Sunlight beams in from the left. (Photo by Gabe Donohoe)

Photo blog: Skagway ice climbing

On Saturday, Feb. 10, students of the University Alaska Southeast Intro to Ice Climbing traveled to Skagway to spend the weekend using their new-found technical… Continue reading

The right side of the “Amphitheater”. Sunlight beams in from the left. (Photo by Gabe Donohoe)
An agave roasting pit used by an indigenous people that once lived in the DNWR. (Photo Bjorn Dihle)

From Alaska to Vegas: A strange and terrible story of dreams, desert and UFOs

Years ago, I was talking with an old Elfin Cove bachelor about places we wanted to visit before we died. It was May and a… Continue reading

An agave roasting pit used by an indigenous people that once lived in the DNWR. (Photo Bjorn Dihle)
Junior Alejandro Soto is currently pursuing a degree in environmental studies and society with a social science concentration and minor in political science, as well as serving as a representative for Arctic issues in Alaska Geographic’s Arctic Youth Ambassadors program. (Photo courtesy Alejandro Soto)

How two UAA students are raising awareness at home, abroad on Arctic issues

In 2015, the Arctic Youth Ambassadors Program was established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of State in partnership with… Continue reading

Junior Alejandro Soto is currently pursuing a degree in environmental studies and society with a social science concentration and minor in political science, as well as serving as a representative for Arctic issues in Alaska Geographic’s Arctic Youth Ambassadors program. (Photo courtesy Alejandro Soto)

Backyard bird count starts today

The 21st annual Great Backyard Bird Count starts today and goes through Feb. 19. Help the Juneau Audubon Society catalog and track local bird populations… Continue reading

Aurora is space weather made visible. Photo by Ned Rozell.

Space weather: Havoc caused by the sun

Space weather affects snowplow drivers carving through Thompson Pass in a whiteout, Iowa farmers dropping seeds of corn, and wedding planners who release white doves… Continue reading

Aurora is space weather made visible. Photo by Ned Rozell.

What can an owl’s face tell you about its habits?

There was much excitement this winter, among birders and photographers, over the sightings of a northern hawk owl on the wetlands. What captured my fancy… Continue reading

Ed Shanley and Dennis Hall ski along the northern side of the Taku Range on the Juneau icefield. (Photo by Bjorn Dihle)

Chose your own adventure on the Juneau Icefield

Juneau has some serious perks. The best, in my opinion, is that we have a 1,500 square mile icefield on one side of town and… Continue reading

Ed Shanley and Dennis Hall ski along the northern side of the Taku Range on the Juneau icefield. (Photo by Bjorn Dihle)

The story behind these elegant spider webs

One fine, cold day in late January, I took a stroll on crunchy snow. In a couple of places, I ventured off-trail a little way,… Continue reading

Photo blog: Skinning Mount Troy

Photo blog: Skinning Mount Troy

On a recent Wednesday, University of Alaska Southeast’s spring semester Outdoor Studies Leadership group went up Mount Troy. Everyone in the group, including me, will… Continue reading

Photo blog: Skinning Mount Troy
Forest Wagner

Climate change and place identity

I am a winter person. Growing up in Fairbanks, much of my calendar year was dictated by snow, cold, and any number of mundane and… Continue reading

Forest Wagner
The location of the largest earthquake of 2018, a magnitude 7.9 about 180 miles from Kodiak early on January 23. By Vicki Daniels, Geophysical Institute for the Alaska Earthquake Center.

Largest earthquake on the planet, until proven otherwise

What’s this? Another aftershock? That’s hundreds now, each more faint than the last. Sorry, I guess I’ve moved on. I should pay more attention, given… Continue reading

The location of the largest earthquake of 2018, a magnitude 7.9 about 180 miles from Kodiak early on January 23. By Vicki Daniels, Geophysical Institute for the Alaska Earthquake Center.

Fireside Lecture: for spruce trees, little bugs are a big deal

The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center’s Feb. 2 Fireside Lecture will uncover the mystery behind what’s affecting Juneau’s spruce trees and forests. Elizabeth Graham, an entomologist… Continue reading

Deer hunt reports due to ADF&G

With the end of January comes the closing of all Sitka black-tailed deer hunting in Southeast. Now, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is… Continue reading

Learn to fly tying, casting and more with Raincountry Flyfishers

Raincountry Flyfishers, Juneau’s collective of fly fishing enthusiasts, meets twice a month to tie flys and work on technique. The group meets on the second… Continue reading