America's Wildest Places - Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Misty fjords, deep glacial valleys, and lofty mountains distinguish the 1.9 million-acre Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Kodiak is the Island of the Great Bear, the Kodiak brown bear that inhabits this wild, rugged Archipelago in the Gulf of Alaska, 252 miles south-west of Anchorage.
Today, the refuge has a global conservation role - to instil regard for bears, salmon, and other wildlife within the largest intact, pristine island ecosystem. Kodiak's diverse habitats encompass 117 salmon-bearing streams, 16 lakes, riparian wetlands, grasslands, shrub lands, spruce forest, tundra, and alpine meadows. Collectively these habitats sustain 3,000 bears, account for up to 30 million salmon caught by the Kodiak-based fishing fleet, support more than 400 breeding pairs of bald eagles, and provide essential migration and breeding habitat for another 250 species of fish, birds and mammals. Such natural abundance and spectacular scenery attracts thousands of visitors to the refuge annually.
WILDLIFE & HABITAT
Refuge terrain is mostly mountainous dissected by fiords and deep river valleys carved by ancient glaciers. Diverse refuge wildlands, ranging from Sitka spruce forest on Afognak Island to rolling tundra on the Aliulik Peninsula, help sustain brown bears, bald eagles, Sitka-black tailed deer, red fox, river otter, ermine, tundra vole, and little brown bats along with other wildlife.
Kodiak brown bears are a distinct subspecies from mainland brown bears; they have been isolated on the archipelago since the last ice age, about 12,000 years ago. A rich variety of vegetation, salmon, and berries provide ideal habitat for bears, and their population flourishes - estimated at about 3,000 bears within the boundaries of the Kodiak Refuge.
TRAVEL & TOURISM
Kodiak Refuge offers superb recreational opportunities—an ideal destination for wildlife viewing, hunting, hiking, kayaking, fishing, camping, and other types of outdoor adventures.
If you enjoy getting outdoors and looking for wildlife, Kodiak provides incredible opportunities for viewers and photographers! From birding to bear watching, visitors come from all over the world to enjoy observing species in their wild habitat.
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge offers a number of environmental education programs for a variety of audiences. Is your school, youth, environmental or other group interested in learning more about the wildlife, plants, habitats and ecology of Kodiak? Contact or visit the refuge Visitor Center to check on program availability and reservation policies.
Popular fishing destinations such as the Karluk, Uganik, and Ayakulik Rivers offer world-class fishing opportunities for salmon, steelhead, and rainbow trout. Hunting is a popular activity on the refuge. As practiced on refuges, hunting, trapping and fishing do not pose a threat to wildlife populations, and in some instances are necessary for sound wildlife management.
The Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center is located at 402 Center Ave, Kodiak.
Getting there:
Visiting Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge can be the experience of a lifetime! Getting to the refuge is not as simple as jumping into a car or strapping on a pair of hiking boots. The refuge covers 1.9 million acres on Kodiak, Uganik, Ban, and Afognak islands, areas only accessible by floatplane or boat.
Before departing for a trip into the Refuge, visitors typically reach the island of Kodiak by air from Anchorage. Listings for lodging, tours, air charters and outfitters are available through the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce at (907) 486-7605.
For questions about recreation, please contact the Refuge Visitor Center at 907-487-2626
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Walking in Kodiak, Alaska - What to do on Your Day in Port
We take a walk around Kodiak, Alaska. We walk all the way to Fort Abercrombie State Park.
The ship provided transportation from the port to the visitor's center (about 1 mile away).
On Viking that bus ride was their 'included shore excursion'.
Kodiak is beautiful and less commercialized than some other ports like Juneau or Ketchikan.
The walk down to Fort Abercrombie was nice. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Visitor's Center.
America's Wildest Places - Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is the most remote and far flung unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. A place of great distances and greater dramas, the Refuge includes the spectacular volcanic islands of the Aleutian chain, the seabird cliffs of the remote Pribilofs, and icebound lands washed by the Chukchi Sea. Established in 3.4 million acres, the Refuge is home to mammals such as the polar bear, northern fur seal, Steller sea lions, otters and walruses; 40 million seabirds of more than 30 species such as puffins, auklets, cormorants and other migratory birds, and the marine resources upon which they rely.
Because it is spread out along most of the 47,300 miles of Alaska's coastline, the sheer span of this refuge is difficult to grasp. Its more than 2,500 islands, islets, spires, rocks, reefs, waters and headlands extend from Forrester Island, to the north of Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands deep in the southeast tongue of the state, to the westernmost tip of the Aleutians (and of America!), and north to Cape Lisburne on the Arctic Ocean. Traveling between its farthest-flung points would be the equivalent of taking a trip from Georgia to California.
So many facets of Alaska's history happened on the lands and waters of the Alaska Maritime Refuge that the Refuge seems like a time-capsule story of the state and the conservation of island wildlife.
Pre 1800s -- The first people come to the islands, the Russian voyages of discovery, the beginnings of the fur trade, first rats and fox introduced to islands, Steller sea cow goes extinct.
1800s -- Whaling, America buys Alaska, growth of the fox fur industry, beginnings of the refuge.
1900 to 1945 -- Wildlife Refuge System is born and more land put in the refuge, wildlife protection increases through treaties and legislation, World War II rolls over the refuge, rats and foxes spread to more islands.
1945 to the present -- Cold War bases built on refuge, nuclear bombs on Amchitka, refuge expands and protections increase, Aleutian goose brought back from near extinction, marine mammals in trouble.
Getting There
The refuge is headquartered in the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center located in Homer, which is at the end of the Sterling Highway, approximately 225 miles south of Anchorage. Regularly scheduled flights are available from Anchorage. The Alaska State Ferry System also serves Homer. Since most of the refuge is very remote, access is difficult and expensive. Tourists and visitors should contact the refuge for specific information about particular sites.
Yaroooh! for Kids | Nature
Volunteering at Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
Discover exciting volunteer opportunities with Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge!
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2009 - FWS 0209 - America's Wildest Places - Volume 4. From the Appalachian highlands of West Virginia... to the teeming shores of San Francisco ... to the wild backcountry of Alaska... America's Wildest Places/Volume 4 takes you from coast to coast... with a special appearance by President Theodore Roosevelt as your guide!
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of seven communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline. The population was 6,130 as of the 2010 census.
Originally inhabited by Alutiiq natives for over 7000 years, the city was settled in the 18th century by the subjects of the Russian crown and became the capital of Russian Alaska. Harvesting of the area's sea otter pelts led to the near extinction of the animal in the following century and led to wars with and enslavement of the natives for over 150 years. As part of the Alaska Purchase by the United States in 1867, Kodiak became a commercial fishing center which continues to this day. A lesser economic influence includes tourism, mainly by those seeking outdoor adventure trips. Salmon, halibut, the unique Kodiak bear, elk, Sitka deer, and mountain goats invite hunting tourists as well as fishermen to the Kodiak Archipelago. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintains an office in the city and a website to help hunters and fishermen obtain the proper permits and learn about the laws specific to the Kodiak area. The city has four public elementary schools, a middle and high school, as well as a branch of the University of Alaska. An antenna farm at the summit of Pillar Mountain above the city historically provided communication with the outside world before fiber optic cable was run. Transportation to and from the island is provided by ferry service on the Alaska Marine Highway as well as local commercial airlines.
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America's Wildest Places - Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois
The 43,890-acre Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois is one of the largest refuges in the Great Lakes/Big Rivers Region. The Refuge includes hardwood and pine forests, grasslands, wetlands, rolling hills, and rugged terrain.
WILDLIFE AND HABITAT
Forests cover about 56 percent of the Refuge. One Refuge goal has been to manage for productive oak-hickory forest dominated by native species. Examples of wildlife that use Refuge forests are deer, squirrels, raccoons, hawks, owls, and a variety of migratory and resident forest birds
The bobcat, though elusive, is seen somewhat regularly at Crab Orchard. This territorial and largely solitary cat needs a range of about 5 square miles, which means there could be as many as a dozen or more adult bobcats on the Refuge.
Crab Orchard is no exception and is home to six nesting pairs of resident bald eagles and their offspring. A few nesting sites are visible from public roads throughout the Refuge and eagles are spotted daily. The colder and snowier the weather, the better your chance for spotting eagles. Resident eagles will be strengthening their pair bond while working on their nests. Many migrating eagles spend their winters at Crab Orchard, following the flocks of ducks south.
Crab Orchard is also home to a thriving population of wild turkeys. Spring is a great time to see wild turkeys at the refuge.
Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy songbirds on the refuge. Bluebirds are abundant and nest in the boxes provided. If the weather is good, they may raise two of three clutches of chicks over the summer.
TRAVEL & TOURISM
The Refuge offers hiking trails, hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and interpretation, boating, swimming, camping, and picnicking.
Getting There:
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is located in the southern portion of Illinois, with lands in Williamson, Jackson, and Union counties. The Refuge visitor center is located five miles west of Marion, Illinois, and five miles south of Herrin, Illinois, on State Route 148.
To get to the Refuge Visitor Center from I-57, take exit 54 B onto IL-13W toward Carbondale for 3.6 miles until you reach the IL-148 intersection. At this intersection, turn left onto IL-148 and travel South 1.6 miles until you reach the Refuge Visitor Center. To get to the Refuge Visitor Center from I-24, merge onto I-57 N via exit 44B for 1.3 miles until you reach exit 45, IL-148. Take IL-148 North for 7.7 miles until you reach the Refuge.
Address:
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
8588 Route 148
Marion, IL 62959
Yaroooh! for Kids | News - Magazine
Kodiak Alaska Beaches: Why a Rental Car is the Best Way to See Kodiak Island
This is part 2 of a two part video on exploring Kodiak Alaska by Car. Here is the link to the first video if you missed it
For the third year in a row we visit the Kodiak Alaska beaches that have captured our hearts. The beaches of Kodiak are extremely easy to access and are plentiful. Rent a car in Kodiak at the airport and you are on your way to a multitude of beaches from white sand to black sand. There are beach parks, secluded beaches, and beaches only accessible by hike or by boat. In this video we explore Fort Abercrombie and the beaches near the community of Chiniak on Kodiak Island.
Alaskan Airline: RAVN Airlines
Rental Car: Avis or Budget
Air BnB: Suite by the Sea
Our Filming Gear List:
Camera: Panasonic GH5
Microphone: Rode Video Mic Pro +
Memory cards:Polaroid 64gb SDXC, Sandisk 64gb, and Sandisk 32gb SDHC
Drone: DJI Spark
Check out our Alaska Tiny Camper Life Video:
Alaska is a big state with many options. Don't forget to let us know in the comment section where you would like to see us go next! And don't miss out on our newest episodes. A new episode will comes out every other Tuesday.
#KodiakIsland #AlaskaByCar #KodiakByCar
Blue Fox Bay Cabin
Welcome to Blue Fox Bay Cabin. One of two cabins that is ADA accessible on Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Only accessible by a 45-minute floatplane flight from the town of Kodiak, the cabin is located on the northwest corner of Afognak Island.
There are four sleeping platforms in this cabin.
For drinking water, a freshwater stream is located approximately 50 yards from the cabin in the direction of the cache. Please remember to always use a water filter or boil drinking water.
There are several recreational opportunities available at this cabin including wildlife viewing and photography, tide pooling, shoreline exploration, and hunting. July and August are the best months for fishing Pink Salmon, while August and September are good for fishing Silver Salmon. The cabin also makes a good base for bear, elk, and deer hunting.
Cabin rental cost is $45 per night. To reserve Blue Fox Bay Cabin, please visit recreation.gov
For more information, please call Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center (907)-487-2626 or 1-888-592-6942 or visit kodiak.fws.gov
Tiny sea otter pup brought to Seward after Kodiak rescue by Alaska SeaLife Center
Just in time for World Oceans Day, a sweet video of Kaladi as she's cared for by Tim Lebling!
A couple taking a beach stroll on Kodiak Island played a key role in saving a small treasure they discovered on the shores of Mayflower Cove this week. A very young sea otter pup had lost its mother and was on the beach alone.
The couple contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, who notified the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward. A local veterinarian assisted in evaluating and stabilizing the female pup by giving her fluids while transportation was arranged.
We appreciate the help provided by Tonya Lee of the USFWS and Dr. Angie Johnson of the Kodiak Veterinary Clinic, says Brett Long, husbandry director at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Fortunately, the pup was found and taken care of by the right people.
Era Aviation donated a flight to Anchorage, where a veterinary team from the ASLC performed a basic exam and found the pup was in good condition. They administered additional fluids and encouraged her to nurse from a bottle during the drive to Seward. Staff members named her Kaladi in keeping with this year's theme of caffeine-related products.
Kaladi weighed less than three pounds when admitted, so she was probably under two days old, says Tim Lebling, the Alaska SeaLife Center's stranding coordinator. Her mother may have abandoned her soon after giving birth, though we rarely know how an animal gets orphaned.
Although she is still very fragile and needs plenty of sleep, Kaladi is in stable condition and has become adept at suckling sea otter formula from a baby bottle. She will remain at the Center until a permanent home is identified and she is stable enough for transport. Although Kaladi will stay in the quarantined nursery, live camera feeds will allow many ASLC visitors to see her on a video display in the exhibit area.
The Alaska SeaLife Center operates the only permanent facility in the state that is licensed to hold stranded marine mammals and seabirds for rehabilitation. Because sea otter pups demand 24-hour-a-day, hands-on care by staff members at the Center who become their surrogate mothers, they cannot be released to the wild after rehabilitation.
The SeaLife Center operates a 24-hour hotline for the public to report stranded marine mammals or birds, and encourages people who think they may have found a stranded or sick marine animal to call first at 1-888-774-SEAL and avoid touching or approaching the animal.
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The Alaska SeaLife Center is a non-profit marine science facility that generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska's marine ecosystems.. The Center's research facilities and naturalistic exhibits immerse visitors in the dynamic marine ecosystems of Alaska. Learn more at alaskasealife.org. .
America's Wildest Places - National Wildlife Refuge System Overview
A hundred years in the making, the National Wildlife Refuge system is a network of habitats in the United States of America that benefits wildlife, provides unparalleled outdoor experiences for all Americans, and protects a healthy environment.
National wildlife refuges provide habitat for more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 reptile and amphibian species and more than 1,000 species of fish. More than 380 threatened or endangered plants or animals are protected on wildlife refuges. Each year, millions of migrating birds use refuges as stepping stones while they fly thousands of miles between their summer and winter homes.
Clean water. Clean air. Unusual and abundant wildlife. World-class recreation. The Refuge System provides and protects it all on 150 million acres of land and water from the Caribbean to the Pacific, Maine to Alaska. There is at least one national wildlife refuge in every state.
TRAVEL & TOURISM
Today, there is at least one wildlife refuge within an hour's drive of most major metropolitan area. Refuges welcome more than 45 million visitors each year, who participate in a wide variety of recreational activities:
- Hunting
- Fishing
- Wildlife observation, including birding
- Photography
- Interpretation in refuge visitor centers and along hiking trails
- Environmental education
Specific events and activities are listed on the Special Events calendar and on individual refuge Web sites.
The Refuge System is a division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within the Department of the Interior.
Yaroooh! for Kids | News - Magazine
Discover Kodiak Destination Video
A place that lives only in the imagination, until you arrive. Discover the real Alaska. Discover Kodiak- Alaska Untamed.
Discover Kodiak is the destination marketing organization for Kodiak Island. For more information please contact 907-486-4782 or visit kodiak.org.
Tustumena Lake in Alaska
Ken and Lorraine cruising around Tustumena Lake, First time out in the scanoe. 7/31/17
Tustumena Lake is a lake on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska, within Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and near the town of Kasilof. At 73,437 acres Tustumena Lake is Alaska's eighth largest lake and the largest lake on the Kenai Peninsula. With a maximum depth of 950 feet, ...
Average depth: 80 feet (24 m) Max. width: 6 miles (9.7 km)
Max. length: 25 miles (40 km) Max. depth: 950 feet (290 m)
General Cabin Info
Public use cabins are a great way to experience the wildlife and remote landscapes of Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. There are nine cabins located throughout the Refuge on both Kodiak and Afognak Islands. Cabins are accessible by floatplane and flight times vary from 25 minutes to an hour from the town of Kodiak.
In all cabins, electricity, plumbing, and cook stoves are not available. Visitors should bring all necessary personal gear for cooking, sleeping, and recreation.
Each cabin has an outhouse style pit toilet, a separate cache for gear or meat storage, a stove for heat, and between two to eight wooden bed platforms. Plan to bring your own sleeping bag and pad.
Drinking location and recreational opportunities vary by cabin site. Watch our video series to learn more about each cabin.
Remember that you are in bear country. Always stay bear aware and keep a clean camp. Please pack all food and personal supplies back to town when you leave.
For more information about Kodiak bears and bear safety, stop by the Refuge Visitor Center in downtown Kodiak or call 907-487-2626.
All cabin rentals cost $45 per night. To reserve one of the cabins, please visit recreation.gov
For general questions, please call the Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center 907-487-2626 or 1-888-592-6942 or visit the visit kodiak.fws.gov
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge - Valley of Great Migrations.mov
USFW Visitor Center program for Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. Produced by Talking Circle Media in 2011.
Close Encounter with a Brown Bear by Drew Hamilton
A brown bear at McNeil River in Alaska sits next to a group of bear viewers as he checks out the river below. McNeil River is home to the largest season congregation of brown bears on earth. When observing large groups of bears proximity comes with the territory. For 40 years people have been visiting this same spot, behaving in a consistent, predictable, manner. As a result the bears can go about the business of being bears without having to worry about human interference.
Access to the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary is by permit only.
The Kodiak Gray Whale Project
This is a short podcast that highlights the Kodiak Gray Whale Project and tells the story of how a 36 foot whale skeleton came to the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.
The Best Places to Visit in Alaska,USA
The Best Places to Visit in Alaska,USA
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of locations and activities in Alaska. So if you need help whittling down your bucket list, consider these 10 Alaska experiences you shouldn't miss and will never forget and tell me what Alaskan experience has moved you?
1.Sitka
2.Anchorage
3.Unalaska
4.Petersburg
5.Kodiak
6.Wrangell
7.Fairbanks
8.Ketchikan
9.Cordova
10.Valdez
Alaska Vacation Vlog | Trip to Alaska | Things to do in Alaska | Anchorage-Seward-Denali Trip
This Alaska Vacation Vlog contains details of our 8 day trip to Alaska and will show you the things to do in Alaska!!! Alaska is a beautiful place and we primarily visited Anchorage, Seward, Glacier Tour to Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Whittier, Girdwood, Exit Glacier, Talkeetna and Denali National Park!! Enjoy this Alaska vacation itinerary video that can be of help to you when you plan your next Alaska vacation!
#alaska #anchorage #glacier #denali #seward
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Becharof National Wildlife Refuge
Becharof National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2009 - FWS 0209 - America's Wildest Places - Volume 4. From the Appalachian highlands of West Virginia... to the teeming shores of San Francisco ... to the wild backcountry of Alaska... America's Wildest Places/Volume 4 takes you from coast to coast... with a special appearance by President Theodore Roosevelt as your guide!