KODIAK National Wildlife Refuge 2019 Spring

Message from the Manager Contents

Flying over the refuge a few weeks ago it looks like we may get an early spring as we start another field season. Manger’s Message 1-2 Mother Nature is always unpredictable, but we hope this weather holds so we can get an early jump on the Staff Updates 3-5 ambitious and busy summer we have planned. Biology Summary 5 We recently reopened the Little River Cabin on the Migratory Bird Calendar Contest 6 Spiridon Peninsula, which was a full replacement after a 2014 fire. The cabin is brand new and ready for folks Youth Highlights 7 to visit: you can reserve through www.recreation.gov. We will be working hard this summer to complete Little River Cabin Rebuilt 8-9 an interior remodel on a cabin on the west coast of Looking Ahead 10 Spiridon in Chief Cove. We hope to open the Chief Cove cabin to the public by the fall. Lastly we will be finishing Volunteer Training 11 needed repairs to the Deadman’s Cabin, which lost a portion of the roof in 2018. We replaced half of the roof Aleutian Tern Research 12 last fall, which reduced damage to the interior. This year Seabird and Landbird Monitoring 13 we will complete the roof project, remove and replace water damaged interior walls and insulation and put in Sense of Place Poetry 14 a new boardwalk for accessibility. The Visitor Center has a busy year ahead with also preparing for a public engagement process 31 cruise boats visiting Kodiak throughout the to discuss the potential of reopening the O’Malley summer, a new record for our town. Our Salmon area on Karluk Lake to bear viewing. Camp Director, Danielle Butts, has been hard at work developing a new curriculum for the Lastly, we have some new faces around the office popular science camp that will lead students in and anticipate more in the next year. Sara Straub an investigation of the work we do on the Refuge. has just started as our new Park Ranger for Many thanks to Dee Dee Knight, our seasonal permitting, taking the position previously held by Student Conservation Association intern, who Lecita Monzon. We will also be hiring a new Bear staffed the Center throughout the winter and Biologist, as Bill Leacock took a new position at led imaginative programs for families every Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this past winter. Wednesday. We’re planning to move ahead with filling the vacant positions of maintenance worker and We’re excited for the month of May, when we’ll Refuge Information Technician as soon as meet our new summer volunteers and staff and possible. greet returning seasonals. This will be a busy period of training and the Center will be closed We hope you take time to get out and enjoy what part time. We invite you to join us for summer Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge has to offer this programs and to meet our new staff when we re- summer, and stop by and visit with our staff at open at the end of May. the Visitor Center or Buskin River headquarters.

During our summer field season, refuge biologists will conduct annual bear and goat surveys, Michael Brady, Refuge Manager continue research on Arctic and Aleutian tern colonies, and survey seabird colonies down the east side of Kodiak Island from the R/V Ursa Major II. Citizen science opportunities will Nature will bear the closest include the mist net “MAPS” station at the Buskin inspection. She invites us to lay River to band local songbirds. our eye level with her smallest This winter we have had many requests about leaf, and take an insect view of bear viewing at Frazer Fish Pass, probably due its plain. to our appearance on the Animal Planet show - Thoreau “Into Alaska” last season. We will continue to staff the bear viewing area at Frazer, and we are Staff Updates

Sara Straub Park Ranger: Permits

Welcome to Sara, who just joined our staff as a wondered what must exist there that was so park ranger and permit technician, taking over special that it was saved for so many years from from Lecita Monzon who retired last year. the plow. One day, I made plans, packed a lunch and ventured to go there. What I found to me was Sara Straub first joined the Service through wondrous—mossy bottomed trees, little hills and a Directorate Fellowship at Alaska Maritime a rock ledge, a small bubbling spring, and a haven National Wildlife Refuge. Previously, she held for many cheerful birds. I stumbled upon the several different roles in the National Park remains of two coyotes there, side by side, and Service and has spent years in volunteer roles, collected a skull from one of them, which would including her most recent work with Bear Smart. sit on a shelf next to my collection of feathers, She holds a Masters degree in Natural Resources- rocks, and other bones—treasures. Restoration Ecology from Colorado State University. Sara recently moved to Kodiak from As I contemplate this place, the island of trees, southwest Colorado with her dog named Homer. now, as a conservationist, the parallel is not Her Husband, Mark and their two children lost on me. Someone cared enough to save this (Bode, age 9 and Scarlett, age 11), are excited to place from the plow for so many years; by the be joining her in Kodiak in May. size of the trees, it was generations of people. It was a refuge of sorts and its keepers had made Sara recently wrote a reflection about her a difference. I know that it takes so much more connection to conservation and agreed to share it than a small patch of forest, and connectivity is here. Thanks, Sara, and welcome! key, but it certainly was a hopeful endeavor. In serving with US Fish and Wildlife service, I plan “When I was a child growing up in Wisconsin, to do all of the things, big and seemingly small, there existed a little island of old trees in the to continue this good and important work of middle of a giant corn field, far from any road keeping the wonder alive for the next kids that or path. I contemplated this space often and come along.” Danny Hernandez Biology Technician

Danny has been working seasonally with the Kodiak Refuge since 2014, when he joined us as a summer volunteer for invasive plant management. He began his current position in June 2018 as a full time biological science technician and is responsible for leading field crews performing invasive species management and other biological monitoring activities. He also assists with wildlife surveys and spends a significant amount of his time working for the maintenance department repairing vehicles, facilities, and public use cabins.

Kodiak Refuge Staff Todd Hubert

Mike Brady - Manager Cabin Ranger Tevis Underwood - Deputy Manager We’re excited to introduce a new seasonal Cinda Childers - Refuge Clerk position this year: a cabin ranger who will Hans Klausner - Supv. Park Ranger coordinate the maintenance of our public Ava Kahn -Visitor Center Manager use cabins and will lead volunteer efforts at Shelly Lawson - Education Specialist 3 different cabins this summer: North Frazer Lisa Hupp - Outreach Specialist (mid June), Uganik Island (early July), and Sara Straub - Permits South Frazer (mid August). See page 11 for more Bill Pyle - Supv. Wildlife Biologist information about volunteering and how to apply Robin Corcoran - Wildlife Biologist for these opportunities. Kevin VanHatten - Pilot/Biologist Danny Hernandez - Biology Technician Todd Hubert worked with us last summer at Jeff Lewis - Vessel Operator the Visitor Center and is a 21 year Veteran of Darrell Fox - Maintenance the US Navy who retired in Kodiak and spent 2 years as a Kodiak Police Officer. He is originally Our 2019 seasonal staff include Danielle Butts, Kyla from Tillamook, Oregon and loves the outdoors, Villaroya, Kyle Coleman, Evan Robins, Ayisha Jaffer, Todd especially hunting, fishing and camping. He is Hubert, Jill Tengeres (graduate student), Paul Larson the father of four children and has completed his (ANSEP student). Our seasonal volunteers are: Morgan Masters degree in Military History. When not Barnes, Melissa Crews, Andrea Mendez-Bye, Isabel outside, Mr. Hubert can often be found in the Nazarian, Taryn Sutton, Theresa Wolff, Castilleja Kuzis, and ice cream section at Safeway, with Tillamook Ice Aiko Michot. Cream as his favorite choice! Bear Biologist Bill Leacock Moves on to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

If you tuned in to Animal Planet’s new show on that yielded important science results. These Alaska Refuges, Into Alaska, you may have seen results, conveyed in a series of technical papers, Bill Leacock this past December in your living have substantially improved our understanding room. As Kodiak Refuge’s bear biologist since of, and capacity to conserve, the iconic Kodiak 2006, Bill has gone above and beyond to share brown bear.” his love and respect for bears with the public and through research partnerships. Leacock has mentored several young biologists during his time at Kodiak, creating opportunities “I really enjoyed introducing the cameraman and and supporting their career advancement. His on-site producer to the refuge; to the wonders ongoing collaboration with Dr. Will Deacy has of the Kodiak landscape; especially the bears assisted Deacy from a volunteer position in and salmon that make this place such a world 2010 through graduate school to a post-doctoral treasure. It was genuinely beautiful seeing the program that continues to yield analysis of awe in their eyes…” Leacock said in an interview landscape-scale interactions between bears and about his experience with the Animal Planet salmon on Kodiak. show. Bill moved north this winter to accept a position Supervisory biologist Bill Pyle highlights as mammal biologist with the Arctic National Leacock’s scientific work: “Over the years, Bill Wildlife Refuge, based in Fairbanks. We will miss forged several important research partnerships him and we are grateful for his contributions!

2018 Biology Activity Report

We submit bi-annual reports to the Kodiak Aleutian Regional Advisory Council. Our spring 2019 report includes results from 2018 biology monitoring and research projects: sockeye salmon escapement monitoring on Akalura Creek, brown bear intensive aerial surveys in collaboration with Alaska Department of Fish and Game, brown bear research in cooperation with Oregon State University and the University of Idaho, berry monitoring, seabird colony surveys, Aleutian and Arctic tern research, and subsistence harvest.

To view a copy of the report, please check out our website. We received beautiful art from classes at Ouzinkie, Port Lions, and Old Harbor for the annual statewide competition. A local Alaska panel of 5 judges selected finalists to advance to the competition in Anchorage Migratory for a chance to be featured in the 2020 calendar. Bird Calendar This year’s theme was AK Bird Babies. Contest

Photos: Refuge Manager Mike Brady holds up his “prime pick” from the Kodiak finalists chosen by a panel of 5 judges. This February, we visited Ouzinkie school for a program about baby birds and brought a special guest - Joanne Bryant from Arctic Village shared her calendar outreach expertise and enjoyed visiting Kodiak and Ouzinkie. We also visited Port Lions in early April and presented participationcertificates and ribbons to finalists. This annual contest is open to rural schools adjacent to wildlife refuges across Alaska. Kodiak Youth Conservation Corps present at the Alaska Forum on The Environment in Anchorage

The high school crew from 2018 traveled to Anchorage in February, 2019 to present about their experiences working for the refuge last summer and meet with other youth who are active in conservation. They also led workshop participants in an exercise to write their own “sense of place” poetry - captured in a graphic poster recording.

LEADING & LEARNING Our youth volunteer Salmon Youth Highlights Camp Instructors reflected on “I feel like I will never be able to put how their summer of service. Read the story HERE. meaningful this summer has been into words. I know that my job here has been to teach, but I feel that I learned even more. I learned about the history of Kodiak, and the environment that the refuge protects. I learned more about other parts of the country through my coworkers and new friends. I learned about how to communicate and interact with different age groups. But mostly, I feel like I learned more about myself.”

-Ashleigh Lusher Little

River A brand new backcountry cabin at Little River Lake in Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge opened to the public this spring, just in time for the upcoming recreation Cabin season. Set amid scenic rolling hills and tundra of southwest Kodiak Island, about 45 miles from the city of Kodiak, the cabin site has long been a popular area for Rebuilt hunting and wildlife viewing. Anglers may also enjoy rainbow trout and Dolly Varden fishing, especially during the sockeye salmon spawning season. A “It has been absolutely wonderful. previous cabin at the lake accidentally burned to the I have had the rare treat to ground in the fall of 2014, and replacement plans experience Kodiak’s environment have been underway for several years. in its natural state. To watch a Solitude and Wildlife Kodiak bear amble along the Little River has a long tradition as recreational base beach in search of food. To hear camp. Legendary hunting guide Alf Madsen had a the wind and birds and water, and camp in the area in the mid 20th century, and the nothing else!” Refuge has operated a public use cabin at the lake for the past several decades. Visitor logbooks over the – Kristen M., Visitor Log 1993 years tell tales of quiet and solitude mixed with the adventure of wildlife encounters.

Visitors can reserve the cabin online for $45 per night and find more details atwww.recreation.gov. Access is via chartered float plane from the city of Kodiak. The cabin has 4 sleeping platforms, a table and kitchen area, and an oil-drip stove for heat. Visitors should be self-sufficient with personal gear for cooking and sleeping, and practice bear safety at all times. Built By Many Hands Preparation for the new cabin began in 2016, and construction took the collaboration and creativity of many people. A helicopter crew from the US Coast Guard Kodiak Base delivered 6,000 pounds of lumber and supplies to the remote location as part of a training mission. The US Forest Service loaned out a hotshot cabin construction crew from the Chugach National Forest, and volunteers donated hours of labor. Painting and interior work became part of a summer learning project for the Refuge’s Kodiak High School Youth Conservation Crew. Final touches came 2018: Chugach National Forest cabin crew framing in the new cabin. together this spring, and this remote retreat awaits its first visitors.

2016: Maintenance staff with US Coast Guard crew after delivering 2019: Finished interior of the cabin. lumber to the cabin site.

The 2018 YCC Crew after finishing two coats of paint on Little River Cabin. Looking Ahead...

Cama’i! Artist In Residence Lindsay Carron We are thrilled to host artist Lindsay Carron for her We loved visiting Akhiok and Port Lions this April for school fourth summer working on Alaska refuges. She has programs about birds and migration. Quyanaa for hosting us. previously created artwork for Arctic, Yukon Delta, Yukon Flats, and Togiak National Wildlife Refuges. Carron will Salmon Camp will visit all six villages again this summer: visit Kodiak in July. Her work seeks to build bridges 6/18-6/19: Larsen Bay and Akhiok between communities and cultures, and communicate 7/9-7/10: Karluk and Port Lions the importance of public lands. She combines time 7/30-7/31: Old Harbor and Ouzinkie spent within a refuge with time spent with elders and creates artwork that tells stories of intact ecosystems and the people who call these places home. May at the Visitor Center More about Lindsay’s work here. Our first cruise ship of the season will visit on May 7th! This year we will host an unusually large number of ships, with 9 different cruise boats scheduled just for May. The Visitor Center will be OPEN during cruise ship days, but will close for much of the rest of May so that we can train our new staff and volunteers.

International Migratory Bird Day Event - May 18th This year we will again partner with the Audubon Society to celebrate birds with a live bird presentation and bird feeder building, but the location will be at Kodiak College due to a conflict with the cruise schedule. Stay tuned for advertising.

Our summer weekly programs will begin in June. Details coming soon!

Photos courtesy of Lindsay Carron Bird Banding (MAPS)

VOLUNTEERS We mist net and band songbirds at the Buskin River State Recreation area six times each 2019 Training & summer (roughly once every 10 days), beginning in early June. We invite the public (all ages) to Opportunities come out and learn more about bird banding, and we will train volunteers 15+ who can commit to attending most sessions. To join Volunteers make it happen at Kodiak Refuge! We’re excited to email notification list for schedule and more see familiar faces and also welcome 8 new seasonal volunteers information, contact: who will assist with education and biology programs. [email protected]

Our training for seasonal volunteers and staff begins May 6th. Some training is open to local volunteers, including safety training that is required for participating in any field work. Cabin Steward Program

As a steward, you will assist our cabin ranger (see Want to volunteer in the refuge (transport by float plane)? page 4 to meet Todd) in maintaining the refuge’s remote public use cabins. Work may include: We have two courses required for all field staff and volunteers: landscaping, carpentry, and painting.

Bear Safety The refuge will provide round trip transportation May 7th 8:30 am - 12:30 pm via float plane from Kodiak and all necessary (recertify every 3 years) materials for identified cabins. 2019 cabin trips will be 3-4 days long within a weather window: Aviation Safety (Water Ditching) BOTH days: North Frazer (June 8-16), Uganik Island (July May 17th (afternoon classroom 3-7 PM) 6-14), and South Frazer (August 10-18). May 18th (morning in the pool begins at 10:30 AM) (recertify every 2 years through webinar or attending just the Eligible participants must complete two required classroom portion of course) field safety courses: Aviation Emergency Egress (“Water Ditching”) and Bear Safety. To Optional Courses apply, please email a brief description of your First Aid/CPR experience with maintenance and information May 8th full day. Start time TBD about your availability and interest to: lisa_ [email protected] by May 5th, 2019 Firearms Certification May 9th morning classroom time TBD afternoon qualifying at Salonie Range Friends of AK Refuges Motorboat Operation Certification May 20th- 23rd Join Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges Email:[email protected] for information or to sign up for a and help refuges statewide with invasive plant class. Our field opportunities vary each year and may include projects, science and culture camps, maintenance maintenance, invasive plant management, or biological projects, and more. research assistance. We welcome you to pursue appropriate training in advance of advertised opportunities. Check out: https://alaskarefugefriends.org Terning Submitted by Jill Tengeres Spring is in the air! For the avian biologists at Towards Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, this means it is time to gear up for another summer monitoring the breeding seabirds that flock to the extensive coastlines and islands of the Kodiak Archipelago. A survey crew will be cruising around the east Summer side of Kodiak Island, surveying seabirds as they go. Another crew will be focusing their efforts on studying the nesting success of two elegant seabirds – Arctic and Aleutian terns. These two species have experienced dramatic declines over Another exciting project happening this the past few decades, and researchers across upcoming summer is a tagging study of adult the state are trying to pinpoint the cause for this Aleutian terns. Tiny solar-powered tags are going trend. to be placed on terns, which will send researchers the location of the tern during the summer and during their migration to Indonesia. Aleutian terns have never been tagged in Kodiak, so this project is going to be insightful to where these terns go when they are not at the breeding colonies. leutian Tern. Robin Corcoran/USFWS A

This year, researchers will be focused on monitoring nest and colony success using remote cameras and acoustic recording devices. Both Aleutian Tern Egg. Kristy Lapenta/USFWS of these methods allow researches to minimize the number of times they need to visit a colony, which helps reduce human impacts on the HOW YOU CAN HELP nesting birds. In 2018, Aleutian terns were only documented successfully fledging chicks at one Terns nest along the Kodiak road system, most notably colony in the entire archipelago, which was less at Kalsin Beach. If you are recreating at Kalsin or than ideal. Arctic terns did slightly better, and other areas with nesting birds this summer, please be were observed successfully fledging chicks at five considerate of our feathered neighbors! Keep an eye colonies. Researchers are hoping that terns will out for nests and chicks. Please keep your distance from have more success raising chicks in 2019. colonies and keep dogs on leashes! For the Birds Submitted by Robin Corcoran

photo of Ursa Major II courtesy of Jeff Jones

Nearshore Marine Bird Surveys

In June and August biologists at Kodiak NWR plan to conduct Nearshore Marine Bird Surveys (NMBS) along the east side of Kodiak Island, from Chiniak Bay to Alitak and Olga Bays. One of the major components of the avian biology monitoring program at the refuge, this survey provides information about the population status

and distribution of over 50 species of seabirds, Wilson’s warbler with band. Lisa Hupp/USFWS shorebirds and waterfowl that spend the summer on or near the Kodiak archipelago’s nearly 5000 Songbird Mist Netting and Banding kilometers of shoreline. From June until August biologists and volunteers at will mist net and band songbirds at the Kodiak Refuge Headquarters building on the Buskin State Recreation Area. This will be the tenth year of the program on Kodiak; about 2000 birds have previously been banded and 130 banded individuals have been recaptured in following seasons. The banding effort is part of a North American-wide program called Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS). MAPS currently consists of nearly 500 monitoring station sampled annually and the program provides estimates of adult apparent survival and recruitment rates and indices of productivity for about 150 species of landbirds.

MAPS is a Citizen Science program: we welcome volunteers and observers.

Photos: Crew surveying from skiff & colony of tufted puffins. Robin Corcoran/USFWS April is Poetry Month! This past summer, our Youth Conservation Crew reflected on their personal connections to place through a poetry exercise, “Where I’m From.” They brought the experience to a crowd at the Alaska Forum on the Environment this February, asking participants to create their own poems. The audience was from all over Alaska and the ages ranged from high school to elders. People shared their poems and more than a few eyes teared up over the touching session. One former YCC leader was in the audience and wrote a response poem to the crew - we’ve shared it below. Sense of Place

Writing Prompt: Make Your Own Poem!

POETRY Take a sheet of paper and make some different category headings: ordinary everyday household I am from this place too. items from your youth, meals/food from home, family sayings, special buildings, plants/wildlife/ From salmonberries and rocky shores. natural places you value, family traditions, ancestors or important people in your life, I am from bumpy float plane flights memories, beliefs. Now brainstorm specific And I am from hardworking days and descriptive words or phrases under each That lead to laughter and friendship. category.

Next: create your poem! Here is a template you I remember swimming can use, drawing from your imagery above: In the cold, clear waters of Little River Lake And outhouse hole digging Where I’m From And dirty boots I am from ______And love. from______and______I am from______

I stand for my people of the island I am from______And all that sustains us that we hold dear. I remember______and______I am from Kodiak. and______A place with a thousand different shades of green That you don’t have a name for I stand for______and______So you just call it summer. I’m from______Summer on the island. I’m from______I am from this place too. ______

- Leila Pyle *We adapted this from a writing workshop with Alaskan author Ernestine Hayes, who adapted it from a poem by George Ella Lyon. You can find his poem “Where I’m From” and many different templates online.