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GVN Home > usa > alaska > diaries

Caroline Found writes...

...about her experiences while volunteering in Alaska.

12 August 2005 - Caroline Found
I'm just completing my final preparations now before flying out to Alaska in a couple of weeks. I am really looking forward to it as it approaches. I am looking forward to my few days in Anchorage first I arrive on August 24 and then going down to Homer around 1st September.

28 August 2005 - Caroline Found
Well I arrived ok and have spent the last few days getting my bearings in Anchorage. Its a nice place - everyone is really friendly and my fears about coming on my own have been unfounded. The hostel I am staying in is great - really recommended: its friendly and a real home from home - there has even been fresh banana bread baked in the morning!

Today has been amazing - I went for a bike ride along the coastal trail - it has been crystal clear, clear blue cloudless skies and wall to wall mountains - including good views of Mt McKinley - something I wasn't expecting. I also had my first moose and eagle sightings from the trail - really "awesome".

Tomorrow I go up to Denali National Park for a couple of days - hopefully I'll see more animals and perhaps even more views of mountains ( although maybe not - depends on the weather.)

31 August 2005 - Denali National Park
I got back from Denali today - what a fabulous trip. The scenery is spectacular and if you get the chance to go then do! There was a special treat - the autumn colours of the Tundra - all the shrubs and trees were glorious colours - and the weather was bright enough to make it even better. I went on an 8 hour bus trip into the park - the scale of it is mind blowing - this really is a wilderness area. It really didn't seem like so long because it was really amazing. In addition we saw grizzly bears, caribou and a family of wolves.

Yesterday when I was in the park, it wasn't clear enough to see Mt McKinley itself although there were spectacular views of other mountains. But today on the bus journey back to Anchorage, it was a really bright and quite clear day so the views of the mountain were stunning - it really is an awesome sight. Apparently it is more common not to see it when you are actually in the park - I've been lucky enough to have spectacular views twice now - once from Anchorage on Saturday and again today.

Arrived in Homer yesterday - the sun was shining all day and the journey down was glorious. It is a lovely town - Halibut fishing capital of the world! Surrounded by Mountains and glaciers and the sea it is beautiful - no doubt I will see it in bad weather too before I leave!!

2 September 2005 - Homer At Last
Had an orientation day today - meeting some of the people I'll be working with and seeing the nature centre. I have a busy week next week as there are several school groups in from Wednesday - I have 1 day to prepare! This weekend is Labor day weekend so it will be quiet - and I guess lots of people will be fishing! I'm going halibut fishing tomorrow ... hope I catch some! It will really test whether I am a bad sailor or not ... I'll take Drammamine!

Off now - the art galleries are all open this evening as it's a "first Friday"!

7 September 2005 - Fish, Chips, Horses and Birds!
Well, it has been an action packed few days. I went halibut fishing and caught my 2 fish - one of them being the biggest caught on the boat that afternoon! When it was all filleted it was 19.4 pounds in weight - so that should keep me going awhile! Good job I have been given freezer space at the hostel!! And even better - I wasnt sea sick! It was ecellent!

Sunday was a quieter day - went to church and received a lovely welcome.. and got invited out for dinner!

Monday went horse riding - western style - now I am a bit scared of horses so needed a bit of persuading but it waas great - key lessons for me ( not just for riding!) - relax, go with the flow,dont try too hard and dont overcomplicate it! I must admit to being a bit sore! Saw a moose and calf while in the woods.

Had some time bird watching - lots of birds not seen in England!

Started work properly today - had a group of 22 3rd grade kids at the centre - it was great fun - I didnt lose any on the trail and managed to keep them occupied OK - we did a session looking at the interdependancy of plants and animals - on the trail we looked at medicinal plants - I have certainly learnt a lot already!

10 September 2005 - Work and Play
Well I've now had my first full week in Homer and at the Wynn Nature Centre. I've really enjoyed the work - I am working with a really brilliant interpretive naturalist who is an excellent comunicator - I've learnt a lot from hime already. The kids this week have all been 3rd grade - 8/9 year olds - really lively and interested in the trails - they have really enjoyed it. We havent seen any moose (or bears)on the trails yet... but thats not really surprising as 3rd graders make a lot of noise! There are signs of moose every day on the trails though.

We have been lucky with the weather too - it was very wet yesterday but there has been a fair amount of sun otherwise. Temperatures between about 54 - 63 - cooler than home but not bad!

Last night had a talk and introduction to Coast Walk an annual september initiative - the whole coastline of Kachemak Bay is zoned and people take responsibility for a zone - they walk it and clear litter, note wildlife etc. I'll be helping walk some zones while I'm here.

Today saturday has been lovely - I've taken a bike ( 1 half brake only!) and cycled out to the end of the spit, pottered on the beach and done a few sketches - I can well understand why this town has so many artists it is really stunning. shame I cant draw! It has been lovely and sunny too.

14 September 2005 - Potluck
Back to work up at the centre this week - sessions everday either out on the trails or in the schools.

Last night I cooked some halibut for the others in the hostel. It turned into a potluck - I cooked and others brought other stuff - we had a real feast and a good evening. Some of us watched hitchcocks "The Birds" - we have a lot of gulls, crows and ravens around here ....

Into a local school for the first time tomorrow to talk about animal coverings - I am talking about bears - the guy I am with will take his pet tarantula...

15 September 2005 - Mickey Moose and friends
Well, the school session went well - my limited knowledge of bears got me through ( plus some help from puppets - peter the polar bear, brian the brown bear and billy the black bear! The kids thought the tarantula was cool! oh ... he brought cockroaches too!

today has been 2 groups up at the nature centre - a bit cold nd wet today! This morning we had a real treat - a moose just off the trail but just below a viewing platform so we got a great view and were safe.

Back into school for a kindergarten class tomorrow ( no ... were not taking either the cockroaches or spider this time!)

22 September 2005 - Coastwalking
Well its been a few days since I made an entry - sorry guys!

The Kindergarten class went fine - we survived! This week we've had to prepare and deliver sessions for 6th grade at the centre. Its been good to have slightly older kids - more what I'm used to - but also more stretching - I realise I am going to have to do a major revision of basic biology and ecology!

Walking the trail every day is good though - its interesting to see what changes happen - fresh moose tracks - this morning we came across quite fresh bear scat ( probably black bear) which made an interesting visual aid to respond to! Fortunately the kids were so noisy so there was little danger!

The weather has been really good - some amazing sunny days and lovely sunsets. Its wet today but really overall its been excellent while I've been here. The colours are really changing and the "commute" up the hill 1200' each morning is a treat.

I have walked a coastwalk zone which was interesting - walking a predetermined section and noting wildlife signs, human activities, pollution, litter. The walks have to be timed with the tides - here has some of the largest tidal ranges in the world - up to 28' - and it comes in really fast. Thought I'd have time to do a section yesterday but only got half done before I saw the water moving in really fast!

Rest of the week is more sessions at the Wynn and at a school. Different things next week!

26 September 2005 - Estuaries and other stuff
The last few days have been pretty hectic - but I have a day off tomorrow!

We had quite a storm on Friday afternoon and evening - I went out to dinner with the people I have been working with dressed in overtrousers and extra tuffs ( those are alaskan wellies!) - it was a lovely evening - and I enjoyed relaxing, warming up and drying out in front of their woodstove! I got the warmest I've been while in Alaska!

Saturday was Estuaries Day ( you all knew that didnt you...) and I had a stand called beach detectives at a special event here, representing the Centre for Alaskan Coastal Studies. It felt strange - I have spent many hours at events representing colleges - this was similar but yet in a totaly different sphere - it felt really good that it was different!

Saturday night I went to the Homer cinema for a double feature - they are running a documentary film festival - perhaps not what you'd expect for a small town - and its for the locals rather than tourists (most tourists have gone now anyway)- I saw Murderball ( about Quad rugby) and March of the Penguins! Interesting mixture!

Sunday was beautiful and really calm - and we were able to go across the bay to do a coastwalk. We went in a Zodiak which I've not been in before - an open, inflatible skiff.It was great fun - a bit bumpy and wet on the way back but I wasnt seasick! The scenery over there is rather different - much more remote, different geology and its close to the Kachemak Bay State Park - much is wilderness, no roads access by boat only.

Today has been a fairly intense day with 3 different 2nd and 3rd grade groups to take on nature walks at the Wynn. Phew! It felt really nice to be referred to as a naturalist! Actually I have mixed feelings as its the last of the school programmes. Just one more trip to the Wynn to clear up and close up for Winter. I have enjoyed it so much it is a shame it has to stop!

29 September 2005 - Day of Science
Yesterday was an interesting day - we flew over the bay to an isolated community called Seldovia. The 15 minute flight was very smooth ( the day before was REALLY windy!) - it was a small lane carrying 5 people only and I got to sit next to the pilot, wear headphones and be able to talk to the pilot! As we approached the airstrip at Seldovia ( gravel not paved) he calmly and dryly said " This is the bit that always scares me"! It was a very smooth landing!

We were over there with 3 other Homer agencies to do a "Day of Science" - the sessions were on Beach debris, Oceanography and Cleaning up Oil spills. The science expertise in and around Homer is pretty amazing and it was great to be part of it. I was able to float round each session , see the different organisations present and see all 3 age groups (K-3rd grade, 4-8 grade and high school)which was brilliant for me.

On the flight back it was great to see fresh snow on the mountains - this is known as Termination Dust meaning the end of the season. It was afitting end and nice to see it as my time here comes to an end.

I went to another film at the film fest - Mad Hot Ballroom which was about a ballroom dancing competition for 5th graders on the East Coast - it was hilarious!

1 October 2005 - Winding up at Wynn
Well its hard to believe that I will be leaving Homer on Monday. The month has gone so quickly and I have really enjoyed the work. There is still so much around here that I havent been able to do that I am sure I'll be back!

The last few days have been winding things up. The Fall Programme has finished so the cabin at Wynn needs to be clsoed down for the winter and I've been helping with doing a bit of that.

The team I've been working with took me out for a lovely lunch - we ate at the restaurant right at the end of the Spit and as I ate there was a sea otter not 100 yards away!

I finally managed to get that last half of my coastwalk zone finished - I needed to time it with low tide so went out early yesterday - it was a beautiful day - cold to start with and with lots of threatening weather that just never came! I spent the afternoon walking along Bishops Beach in Homer which has become one of my favourite places!

Tomorrow I'll need to pack up for the journey to Anchorage - that will be a challenge!

4 October 2005 - Anchorage again!
Travelled the 230 miles to Anchorage this morning - it was stunning - clear, blue sky interspersed with fog so it was very beautiful.

Went for a walk along the coastal trail this afternoon - and came across a big bull moose with antlers in the middle of the trail! Then later it ( or another) was marching through gardens ( and my Dad thought rabbits were a problem!) and eating trees! Quite a sight.

The light this afternoon was all golden on the trees - all beautiful yellows here as there are fewer Spruce and more birch and aspen.

I fly on 6th so I have the next couple of days to be around Anchorage.