Bon Voyage and Thank You

At the end of October I passed the baton of leadership of the Alaska SeaLife Center to Dr Tara Riemer Jones, the Chief Operating Officer of the Center for the past 18 months.  Tara was formally appointed interim President and CEO by the ASLC Board after I announced my retirement in September.  I could not be more pleased to see Tara take on this new role as she is of the most outstanding professionals I have had the pleasure to work with - I know that she will do a tremendous job.

As I noted in my speech at the annual staff awards dinner, we have come along way as an organization in the past three years.  We made major gains improving our relationship with such key partners as the State of Alaska, the City of Seward and urban and rural coastal communities throughout Alaska.  We established one of the premier fundraising events on the Anchorage social calendar in the Alaska Marine Gala.  We significantly diversified our funding base and created many new opportunities for more effective partnership with industry.  Our Board diversity and network grew dramatically, and our Board is now more engaged than ever in linking our programs to the many stakeholders in Alaska's oceans. We have a roadmap for organizational development through 2020 (Deep Blue) with much sharper mission focus and tighter integration between science, education and stewardship.  We achieved the gold standard in professional accreditation under the AZA umbrella.  We have also installed some of Alaska's most energy efficient renewable energy systems and made major gains in upgraded building infrastructure such as the newly pigged saltwater intake system.  We have installed world class exhibitry and have firm plans for systematic upgrades to our visitor experience each year.  Membership doubled and our Facebook following went from 0 to more than 5,000!!  All those achievements are more fully described in the 136 blogs preceding this last post...

But all those achievements pale when one considers the amazing staff and volunteer capacity that we developed, maintained and mentored in both Seward and Anchorage during the toughest economic conditions since the great depression.  As most who know me appreciate, I'm a big fan of Peter Drucker whose definition of management is "the art of getting things done with and through people".  Ultimately any non-profit organization depends on people who are committed to the mission.  I could not be more proud of the people who make the SeaLife Center tick each and every day - their depth of character and resilience shine through as they overcome the diverse challenges imposed by our rural Alaskan location.

I am moving on to a new role with the Rasmuson Foundation based in Anchorage.  Going forward, I shall continue to serve on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Center and the Annual Gala Committee.  Please join me in continuing to support North America's northern most aquarium, Alaska's premier non-profit marine research and education organization and the Arctic Coastal Ecosystem and Learning Center... tickets for the 2012 Gala are already on sale at http://www.alaskasealife.org/.

Thanks again to everyone who helped us during these past three years. 

Please note that this blog will now be "on hold" until the new ASLC website is launched in 2012.

Alaska SeaLife Center Awards 2011: Recognizing our Exceptional Staff, Partners and Volunteers

Rocky Coast Gallery looking elegantly casual thanks to some amazing decorating by

our talented volunteer team who put together another fantastic event!

(photo = Monica Cooper)

Last Thursday we held our annual staff and community awards event. Each year we bring together our Board members, members of our Scientific Advisory Committee, staff, volunteers and community partners to celebrate their outstanding service and provide the all too rare opportunity for volunteers and staff to chat informally over dinner.

This year was another wonderful event, with more than 70 attendees. The program provided an opportunity for ASLC Board Chair, Stephen Grabacki, to farewell outgoing CEO, Ian Dutton and for Ian to provide an overview of the current status and trajectory of Center operations.
But most of all, the evening was all about our remarkable staff, volunters and partners.

Awards were presented to:
5 Year Anniversary:

Ann Riddle
Brett Long
10 Year Anniversary:

Chip Arnold

JoAnn Mellish

Tim Lebling

15 Year Anniversary:

Darryl Schaefermeyer

ASLC “Planet Blue” Award(s) for Exceptional Staff Contribution to science, education or stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems:

Dr Lori Polasek

ASLC “Planet Blue” Award for Outstanding Partner Contribution(s):

Dr Dirk Derksen USGS

ASLC “Volunteer of the Year” Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service

Kendra Bauer

ASLC “Unsung Hero” Award for making a consistently important contribution to our day-to-day operational effectiveness

Dustin Phillips

Ned Smith Award for Outstanding Team Work – successfully completed a task that is a mission critical priority for the Alaska SeaLife Center

Life Support and Facilities Team

President’s Award for Outstanding Individual Staff Contribution to the Mission of the ASLC

Lisa Hartman

Laurie Morrow

Congratulations to all our awardees and thank you again to everyone who contributed to a most enjoyable and memorable evening!

Alaska SeaLife Center Makes the Global Top 10 Virtual Field Trips List!!

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Holocaust Museum

OK... so what does the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio and the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington DC have to do with the Alaska SeaLife Center??

We were all just listed on the Core BTS, top 10 virtual must see list! (see http://www.itnewsonline.com/news/--------Top-10-Virtual-Field-Trips-for-the-2011-School-Year/25035/8/3 for full details of this listing).  Core BTS is a leading administrator for Cisco TelePresence equipment.

"A virtual field trip is an innovative way for educators to broaden horizons and introduce students to completely new experiences," says Andrea Moreland, an education focused Account Manager with Core BTS.  "Perhaps the biggest advantage is not only seeing these incredible places, but it may be the interaction with the experts."  Moreland adds that high quality virtual experiences are not meant to completely replace outside learning opportunities, but rather supplement that curriculum. With more and more engaging content available, students can dramatically expand their knowledge and experiences without leaving the classroom, which provides a huge monetary and logistical incentive to teachers and administrations.

The Core BTS 2011 virtual field trip "must see" list includes:
-- Ellis Island Immigration Museum (New Jersey)

-- Museum of Television and Radio (New York, New York)

-- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, D.C.)

-- Globe Theatre (London, England)

-- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum (New York, New York)

-- NASA Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, Ohio)

-- Alaska SeaLife Center (Seward, Alaska)

-- Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, Ohio)

-- Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland, Ohio)

-- Great Barrier Reef HQ Aquarium ( Townsville- Queensland, Australia)

Interestingly, my first experience working with aquaria was to serve as project manager for the design of the Great Barrier Reef HQ Aquarium - to see two of my professional passions listed in this top 10 is very satisfying....but even more satisfying is the recognition that this listing confers our amazing Distance Education learning team led by Laurie Morrow Stuart, our Education Manager.  You may note that we are relative minnows in this growing pond and yet our distance learning programs rank at the highest level with these national/international whales!!! 

Way to go team....

Thank you to everyone who contributes "Behind the Scenes"

As we prepare for our annual Scientific Advisory Committee and Board meetings later this week, I have been working with our COO Dr Tara Riemer Jones, Board Treasurer, Tom Tougas and Board Chair, Stephen Grabacki on an analysis of what we are doing well and where we need to increase focus.  One conclusion that will not surprise anyone is the incredible amount of work done by staff and volunteers "behind the scenes".  
From staff who help prepare for visitor and staff events to volunteers who help make sure that fundraising events like our Annual Marine Gala (next is set for February 18th, 2012) run smoothly, there is a constant need to set up and support events, activities and projects in ways that the public rarely sees and yet which are critical to the successful delivery of those programs.  Our analysis suggests that we could significantly expand volunteer efforts if we can make it easier for volunteers to join us from Anchorage and other communities outside Seward -- one of our legislative priorities this year will be to seek support to build dedicated volunteer accommodation.

In honor of all who contribute to our work behind the scenes, now and in the future, I have copied a poem from my favorite antipodean poet, A.B. "Banjo" Paterson.  Banjo is best known for another of his poems that was set to music... I hope you agree with me that his words below still resonate today.

"Behind the Scenes"

The actor struts his little hour,

Between the limelight and the band;

The public feel the actor’s power,

Yet nothing do they understand

Of all the touches here and there

That make or mar the actor’s part,

They never see, beneath the glare,

The artist striving after art.

To them it seems a labour slight

Where nought of study intervenes;

You see it in another light

When once you’ve been behind the scenes.

For though the actor at his best

Is, like a poet, born not made,

He still must study with a zest

And practise hard to learn his trade.

So, whether on the actor’s form

The stately robes of Hamlet sit,

Or as Macbeth he rave and storm,

Or plays burlesque to please the pit,

‘Tis each and all a work of art,

That constant care and practice means–

The actor who creates a part

Has done his work behind the scenes.

Somewhat remarkably, this poem first appeared in The Bulletin on April 8, 1893

Turnagain Turns on Another Spectacular Sunrise!

There is an old saying about weather in coastal Alaska -- if you don't like the weather, just wait 20 minutes... That same philosophy could be applied to a morning drive south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm.  With later and slower dawns at this time of the year, fall season visitors have the chance to truly appreciate one of the greatest drives in North America in a very different light.

I have found that the most spectacular vistas are often associated with changing seasonal light and changing weather fronts.  Both can cause the view around each bend to change in the 20 minutes time frame referenced above... perhaps even faster...yesterday morning was a great example... halfway to Girdwood, almost none of the Arm was visible.  Within the next 20 minutes light began to flood the upper Arm, causing the most amazing interplay of light and cloud.



I hope that one day a photographer with equipment a little more capable than my "digital box brownie" will capture the many moods of Turnagain Arm throughout the year, highlighting the incredible vistas that are normally reserved for year round travelers... such a book might convince more folks to make the trip south along the Seward Highway in all seasons and not try to pack their sightseeing into the 100 days a year when everyone else is on the road!

Witnesses to History - Documenting the Amazing Stories of Beluga and Human Interactions in Cook Inlet over the Last 100 Years

A beluga whale swimming in the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta

Last month during a visit to the Georgia aquarium I joined hundreds of visitors pressed up against the acrylic windows to watch belugas play with their food.  They would take their fish morsels and play with them much the same way a cat plays with a mouse - constantly in control but delighting in being able to place the food in novel situations so it could be regurgitated and regathered.  It was a captivating spectacle, particularly as the GA aquarium provides such an amazing viewpoint - only rarely do humans get to see what happens underwater - much of our inferences about marine animal behavior are made from vantage points above the waterline...

Last week we met with some folks who have lived with belugas all of their lives in the Cook Inlet region of Alaska.  Some had memories of belugas dating back 50 years; other were more recent.  As we described in a  subsequent interview with the Peninsula Clarion (see http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2011-10-01/beluga-dialogue), every person we met with demonstrated the same remarkable level of curiosity about belugas as the visitors to the Georgia aquarium - they really are compelling creatures!

Cook Inlet Beluga Whales in Kenai Waters Oral History Project Team

(l-r. Ian Dutton, Janet Klein, Karen Cain, Ricky Deel, Casey Schulke, Hillary Lebail, Joseph Hunt, Rebekka Federer)

Over the past 4 months, our team has been gathering stories about human interactions with, and observations of, belugas in the Waters of Cook Inlet contained wthin the Kenai Peninsula Borough.  The Borough is the sponsor of the project and covers the majority of Cook Inlet waters.

Map showing Kenai Peninsula Borough boundaries

Our project seeks to address a critical gap in knowledge about the historical distribution and use of habitat by Cook Inlet Beluga Whales (CIBW) in waters of the Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB).  The project involves obtaining the best available historical information on CIBW range and habitat use from “eye witnesses.”  Very little is known about historical patterns of habitat use by CIBW since settlement of the Inlet, particularly in waters of the Kenai Peninsula Borough prior to 1994 when systematic scientific surveys began.  Because there are few alternate ways to obtain such historical data, oral history projects provide important insights. 

The rapid decline in Cook Inlet Beluga Population over the past 20 years

(Source: National Marine Fisheries Service)

As the graph above indicates, the rapid decline in beluga populations and their lack of recovery since protection measures have been put in place may result in the loss of this charismatic species from Cook Inlet within our lifetime.  Our project will provide both information that may be otherwise unavailable to those involved in planning for CIBW recovery that may help identify factors involved in population decline, as well as insights into habitat use and human interactions that may help with conservation and education efforts.  Results will be shared online (via a report) and through an exhibit at the SeaLife Center by early 2012.

To date we have interviewed more than 100 residents and visitors who have observations of CIBW from before 1994.  If you know anyone who might have information or stories to share, please ask them  to contact Casey Schulke at the Alaska SeaLife Center on (907) 224-7903 or by email caseys@alaskasealife.org. 

If you would prefer to provide information via an online survey, please log onto http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BelugaSightingsinKenaiWaters

Winter driving demands extra care... but is well worth the effort!

First snowfall of winter on the Seward Hwy near Canyon Creek this week

The late fall is one of Alaska's best kept secrets.  Beautiful weather, long daylight and uncrowded roads and restaurants make for some local magic.  This week in Seward has been particularly beautiful, with warm sunny days and bright white capped mountains appearing each morning with a few more inches of "termination dust" somehow deposited invisbly overnight.

The slow, almost languid, shift from summer to winter tends to lull one into a false sense of comfort.  As the frenetic pace of the summer tourism season eases off, its easy to lose sight of the need for ongoing vigilance on, off and near the road. While there are nowhere near as many RVs and cars to contend with at this time of the year, the nature of road use changes dramatically with the seasons. Many late season photographers seem to think nothing of pulling up without warning to get that once in a lifetime shot of a sleeping trumpeter swan or wandering across the road laden down with a massive SLR and tripod that somehow makes them oblivious to traffic...
Equally importantly, the nature of the road itself is changing.  Rain is now ice and slush, snow is beginning to creep down to the road verge and mornings are darker... soon we'll be in full winter driving mode.
In preparation for that transition, the center requires all staff to undertake a winter driving course and test.  Over the past two years that has had the very positive effect of promoting safer winter driving of ASLC and personal vehicles.  For any staff members who have not yet undertaken the test, please check in with Jon Gage.  For our volunteers and visitors, the Alaska Department of Public safety (see http://www.dps.alaska.gov/PIO/TrooperTimes/ArchiveStories/12.06.07%20Winter%20Driving.pdf) and the Municipality of Anchorage offers some great guidance (see http://www.muni.org/Departments/police/traffic/Pages/WinterSafeDriving.aspx).

Snowmobile skiing on Summit Lake - Winter 2011

Few people I talk with in Anchorage seem to appreciate just how beautiful the drive down to Seward in winter can be or even the amazing recreation opportunities available along the way.  I strongly encourage visitors to make the trip down and experience a journey that is so very different to the summer drive.... but I also urge all winter travelers to take the time to prepare for the trip and drive carefully as the above websites recommend.  Safe travels!