Alaska Geographic has announced a series of new multi-day field courses that will inspire visitors to celebrate 100 years of our National Parks. Five new centennial-themed courses will provide in-depth learning experiences and complement the national ‘Find Your Park’ campaign. Each course takes place in Denali National Park and Preserve and explores a topic with a subject matter expert.
The Centennial Series courses are:
- Denali’s Large Mammals: Past, Present, and Future (June 10 – 12) ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT!
- 100 Years of Geology in Denali (July 6 – 8) FULL
- Predators, Prey and Politics (July 22 – 24)
- Find Your Park: Family Adventure Camp (August 4 – 7)
- Living Legacies: Hiking in the Footsteps of Denali’s Conservation Icons (August 24 – 26)
The Living Legacies course takes place on the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. Participants will join park historian Erik Johnson in retracing the steps of some of Denali’s most influential conservationists. The group will also follow the notes of Charles Sheldon, and locate the mountain ridges where he first encountered Dall sheep, the animal that catalyzed a conservation movement leading to the establishment of the park. Then they’ll retrace parts of biologist Joseph Dixon’s journey through Denali as he conducted the first biological inventory of the park and explore how current climate change research is using his work. While adventuring and seeking inspiration on mountain tops and in river valleys, the group will discuss the challenges Denali may face in the next 100 years and discuss how to be a 21st century wilderness champion. This may be the only “history course” in Alaska that requires participants to lace up hiking boots and climb mountains!
At the Family Adventure Camp, families will enjoy one day of Centennial-themed guided activities as well as a day where they can set out on their own adventures with the aid of Alaska Geographic’s “behind-the-scenes” tips and recommendations. Throughout the weekend, Alaska Geographic educators will offer families ideas on how to connect with nature through games, activities, stories, and more, as well as build their outdoor skills. The course is designed for families with children 5 years old and older.
For additional information about Living Legacies: Hiking in the Footsteps of Denali’s Conservation Icons, Family Adventure Camp and the other courses, please visit the Alaska Geographic Field Course webpage at https://www.akgeo.org/field-courses/. Courses are limited to 10 participants and advance registration is required. For questions, email courses@murieslc.org or call 907-683-6432.
The summer field courses are a partnership program between the National Park Service and Alaska Geographic through the Murie Science and Learning Center. Alaska Geographic is a proud supporter of the center’s mission to promote science and stewardship on behalf of national parks in northern Alaska. For more information, visit the Murie Science and Learning Center website at http://www.nps.gov/rlc/murie/index.htm.