Alaska SeaLife Center Joins Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA)

We were advised last Friday by the Accreditation Committee and the Alliance Board of Directors of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) that Alaska SeaLife Center has been awarded full accreditation.   AMMPA was founded in 1987. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and is an international association representing more than 50 marine research and education facilities and professional associations. The Alliance is dedicated to the highest standards of care for marine mammals (see http://www.ammpa.org/).

Following evaluation of our history, governance and programs and an on-site review of our facilities by independent AMMPA accreditation inspectors in November, the ASLC received word that the evaluation report was exceptional and that we have been formally accepted.  The ASLC is the only permanent marine mammal rehabilitation facility and the only public aquarium in Alaska housing marine mammals. This accreditation demonstrates the significance of the work being done by our husbandry and education staff, and reflects the high standards of animal care and research practice at the Alaska SeaLife Center.

Accreditation by AMMPA is also a major step on our path to better integrate and share knowledge with our global peers. It is one of our key action steps under our 2020 strategic plan, and represents the culmination of more than a year of effort by many staff, particularly our Director of Husbandry Brett Long, Mammal Coordinator Lisa Hartman, Senior Veterinarian, Carrie Goertz, Education Director Nikki Nelson and our expanded husbandry, life support and education teams. 
We are looking forward to working closely with our peers in AMMPA accredited institutions to promote sharing of specialized husbandry knowledge and promote joint education programs.

Holiday Bliss: Reading for Relaxation

I have decided to allow myself he luxury of a week off to do nothing but read and take walks/ski with my wife (and dog) between Christmas and New Year. Those who know me will appreciate that such relaxation is a rare allocation of time. From my perspective, it’ll be great to be at home in Alaska enjoying winter, but also enjoying being away from the constant distraction and demands of emails, meetings and telephone calls. In some ways this break is a regression to my early student days when I would finish an exam, rush to the airport to fly somewhere and en route buy a book to enrich my journey. Of course I did lots of reading (maybe not enough) for my courses, and still do in my professional life, but there is something very different about recreational reading.

There are, in my mind, few things as satisfying or stimulating as reading. The ideas and images that great (and even not so great) writers convey, the illusions that they conjure up and the sheer immersiveness of being in a new places with a bunch of new characters and events to discover creates an amazing sense of adventure.

After many years of reading vociferously I have become more and more selective about what I choose to become immersed in. As Karla will attest, watching me skim the usual airport book selection for an hour only to select nothing is thus increasingly common. I justify that selectivity by not wanting to be disappointed. I mean, how frustrating is to begin a promising “new” novel and then discover you have read that plot (or one just like it) 3x previously? There is increasingly little fiction written these days that does not disappoint me because of that lack of originality. Hence my first scan now is usually of the nonfiction book selection – I have increasingly begun to appreciate the truth of Mark Twain’s comment that “truth stranger than fiction, because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't”.

So what am I going to read in that week? I have 2.5 books picked out (this is not a Santa wishlist):

First on my list is Nancy’ Lord’s new book Early Warming – see http://www.nancylord.alaskawriters.com/. Nancy has just concluded her term as Alaska State Laureate and is an author whose work I seek out because of her  great Alaskan experiences and ability to describe nature with the unique insight of someone who has both been a keen observer of ecosystems (as a commercial fisher) and someone who understands the craft of nature writing.

Second is perhaps a surprise pick – I was recently doing some research on the famous Dutch naturalist Rumphius (whose amazing beach walks in Indonesia in the 1600s helped frame modern taxonomy – long story!) and rediscovered his classic “Ambonese Curiosity Cabinet”. I also found out that Yale Press are bringing out some of his other works in March 2011 and so wanted to reconnect with the writer – colonial Dutch nature writing is unusual genre, but offers some amazing insights into modern science!

Finally, the half choice. I’m mulling over reading on a topic that I have not read much about to date but which would help me to better understand Alaskan native culture and traditional use of resources in South Central Alaska.
Any recommendations?

Alaska Marine Gala 2011 - Register Early and Often!

http://www.alaskasealife.org/alaskamarinegala/

Thought I should open with a screen shot of the Alaska Marine gala website as its a true one stop shop - you can find out about the program, register and pay for your tickets, learn about our incredible guest speaker, track and support our generous sponsors, nominate candidates for Alaska Ocean Leadership awards, anticipate the amazing array of auction items and even arrange your dance card!  ...well maybe the latter is a bit of stretch, but you get the idea!

After months of great lead up work by a very dedicated team led by Nikki Nelson, our Director of Education, we are now in the final stages of preparations for the 2011 Alaska Marine Gala.  The event will again be held at the Dena'ina Center  in downtown Anchorage on the 16th of January which is the Sunday night immediately before the 2011 Alaska Marine Science Symposium.  We were a little nervous about whether a Sunday night event works in the middle of winter in Alaska, but our very positive experience with the 2010 gala (see http://sealifeceo.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html) indicated that time works well.  It seems that there was a pent up demand for such an event among the Alaskan marine community - we continue to be asked about future events and we have been overwhelmed by the support of our donors, members and friends to this event!

Initial response to opening the 2011 gala site for registrations has already been phenomenol - we have sold some 200 seats within the first 2 weeks and so once again expect a sold out event!  hence my suggestion to register early...

Our special guest for 2011 is one of the world's leading photographers, Joel Sartore (read his bio on the gala website).  I have been a fan of his photography for many years (mostly via his National Geographic assignments), and first met Joel in person at a similar event in Vancouver a few years ago. I was struck by the thoughtful approach he brings to his work - his planning for assignments is meticulous.  I was also struck by his great humility - after accomplishing so much, he is still keen to learn more about the natural world and to do more to engender in others the same sense of awe about that world.  I am truly delighted that  he accepted our invitation to come up to Alaska for this event and can't wait to see what he has in his presentation!

This year we have re-arranged the ballroom and auction spaces and have added another big screen to ensure everyone has a better view of Joel's images.  We have also added a few very very cool exhibits from the Center to amuse everyone before dinner... and did I mention the auction items??  I could go on and on about what a fantastic night we have planned for our guests but that would spoil the surprise(s) that Nikki and team have in store for you. 

So I encourage you to look at the website, organize your table, polish those dance shoes and register soon - we really hated having to turn folks away last year...