LETTER FROM SEAWEAD
Southeast Alaska Wilderness Exploration, Analysis and Discovery
by Brady Scott
Dear Friends of Glacier Bay,
Southeast Alaska Wilderness Exploration, Analysis and Discovery (SEAWEAD) welcomes this chance to update you on who we are, what we have done and where we are going. First, I would like to share SEAWEAD's new logo inspired by the connectedness we are privileged to encounter in our field research projects.
Connected living with local ecology and natural history is the context for our mission, which is to facilitate research-based cooperative stewardship of wild lands in Southeast Alaska. SEAWEAD's purposes our threefold: to strengthen the connection between people and nature through wilderness study, to encourage a balance of environmental sustainability and human use, and to inspire and inform ecological analysis and cooperative planning. Our strategy is to collect site-specific scientific data and natural history information in the field, and process and present that information in a broadly accessible format to interested parties.
SEAWEAD began in 1999 when Bob Christensen and Nikki Koehler began naturalist studies and human use monitoring at Point Adolphus and Mud Bay. Pilot studies included: Whale and Vessel Interaction and Patterns of Near-shore Habitat Use by Terrestrial Mammals. After the first field season, Bob and Nikki continued their work with educational outreach efforts via slide shows and community discussions.
In 2000, SEAWEAD obtained its federal 501(c-3) non profit status and continued its research in Icy strait, including amore rigorous study of Humpback Whale and Vessel Interactions at Point Adolphus and a new pilot study of Brown Bear and Human Interactions in nearby Idaho Inlet and Mud Bay. Also in 2000, SEAWEAD organized its first annual advisory committee meeting. A synopsis written by advisor Nate Borson can be viewed on our website within the MISSION link.
In Summer 2001, the Point Adolphus Humpback Whale Project was funded to gather data necessary for reliable statistical power to analyze the behavioral response of humpback whales to vessel presence and proximity. We are currently analyzing the 2001 data and developing a report of combined findings from 2000 and 2001.
Also in 2001, we continued the bear study despite being less then 1/3 funded. The main focus was to explore new research methodology involving the use of a tree stand for detailed bear and human observations. Data from the 2001 field season is currently under-going analysis and will soon be made available on the web and in community presentations. In general, however, we noticed a great reduction in human and brown bear interactions in Mud Bay this year. This was likely due primarily to the slump in human economy and the boom in bear economy. For more information on this, please visit the website and check out the Tidings from the field for the bear project.
We recently attended the Sitka Whalefest. We had the opportunity to discuss our mission and exchange ideas with local residents at our information booth. We also presented a slideshow about humpback whales and the study at Point Adolphus to sixth graders at Blatchley Middle School. The students participated in a demonstration of sampling equipment and research methods.
In late November, SEAWEAD became successful recipients of a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This funding is for additional community outreach and education related to the Point Adolphus Humpback Whale Project.
What does 2002 have in store for SEAWEAD in Icy Strait? After three years of in-depth study and research at Point Adolphus and Mud Bay, we are focusing our efforts on outreach and we are in want of funding and support to begin a cooperative stewardship planning effort for Point Adolphus. Further research and studies in Icy strait are dependent on continued interest and funding and constrained by our limited time and resources.
SEAWEAD is also proposing to utilize methods developed and background information collected in the Mud Bay Bear Study to begin an environmental analysis and cooperative planning process at Lake Eva on Northern Baranof Island.
We are currently scheduled to present our latest findings and perspectives at two locations: the Working Together conference (USFS sponsored conference on tourism to be held in Juneau, January 29-30, 2002) and a Fireside chat at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center (Friday, March 22 at 7:30 PM). We are also planning a Gustavus community presentation and discussion for this winter and working on further outreach efforts for other communities and classrooms in northern Southeast.
SEAWEAD's efforts are based on our desire and passion to encourage stewardship of the wild lands of Southeast Alaska. Much of our work is accomplished through volunteer time and has been funded out-of-pocket. The funding we have received has predominately been focused on our research projects and summer fieldwork, with just a small portion left for outreach and education. SEAWEAD is filling a new, but important niche, as an independent research-based organization, which can work with the diverse constituency that appreciate and rely upon the wild lands of Southeast Alaska. It has been difficult to develop and fund SEAWEAD's overall administrative capacity in a sustainable manner. It continues to be necessary to work on the side, taking away our ability to focus wholly on the missions and tasks of SEAWEAD. Currently, it is only possible to focus on the organization part-time, while otherwise employed. In hopes to partially remedy this situation, SEAWEAD is starting a membership program. We will keep you posted as this program develops, but until that time if you would like to donate to SEAWEAD or if you have other funding suggestions please contact us.
We would also like to hear any questions you may have regarding SEAWEAD's organization, projects or studies. Your interest, curiosity and involvement regarding the stewardship of Icy Strait can help guide our studies, outreach and organization and provide the care needed for all of us, and the wild lands we live in.
For more information please visit our website at www.seawead.org; write an e-mail to info@seawead.org; call us at 907-586-3393; or write to SEAWEAD at 418 Harris Avenue #210, Juneau, Alaska 99801; or just chat with Bob Christensen, Brady Scott or anyone else associated with SEAWEAD.
