Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Black Bear

I gave you a little teaser yesterday with the close up photo of a grizzly bear.  No, we didn't encounter the bear on a hike in the woods.   The bear was one of several at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

One the Seward Highway between Portage and Girdwood we found the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.    AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals and provides spacious enclosures and care. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center.  Others are released back into the wild.

We visited the center by walking around and watching the bears, bison, caribou, fox, and porcupine.   It was the first porcupine either of us had seen and I can't say that we saw much of him.   He was mostly sleeping and poked his head out once to look around.

We arrived just in time to catch the end of the bear feeding.   The center has built a high boardwalk above the bear habitat and the bears were out for dinner.   There were several grizzlies on one side and black bears on the other.  We didn't get to see bears close up in the wild so this was the next best thing.

Gotta Love That Face

Prior to the 20th century, Wood Bison inhabited Alaska and northwestern Canada for thousands of years. They disappeared from the state within the past 200 years, likely from a change in habitat distribution and effects of unregulated hunting. They were declared extinct in 1941 but a small herd was discovered in Canada in 1957.   The AWCC has maintained and grown a heard  since 2003.  In July of this year they released the latest of 130 Wood Bison back into the wilds of Alaska in and effort to restore the herds.  Most are wearing radio collars so they can be tracked and monitored.

Wood Bison

One of the more animated animals there was a Red Fox.   He was curious and seemed to want to know what we were up to. He was constantly moving around but would stop and look at us, giving me a great opportunity for a portrait shot.

Red Fox

Although we had seen several Moose on our first day in Denali, we enjoyed watching this big guy.    

Bull Moose

They also had a few birds of prey in one area.   Adonis arrived at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in 1995 after being shot.  His left wing required a full amputation as a result. Even though it is illegal to harm an eagle under the Bald Eagle Protection Act, an estimated 2,000 – 3,000 eagles are shot or injured in the United States each year. Since Adonis cannot fly, he has found a permanent home  at the AWCC.

Adonis

If you are traveling between Anchorage and Seward be sure to stop off for a couple hours and visit the center.   It's a great way to experience Alaska's wildlife up close.  They are a non-profit so you might want to consider a donation as well.

What are we up to tomorrow?   Here's a hint.  

Your Chariot Awaits

Caution - Photo of A Bear Behind In This Post

I wonder how many more visitors I'll get to my blog with that title?  Kind of grabs your attention, doesn't it?

This day June and I took one of the buses from our lodge down the Denali Park Road to the Eielson Visitor Center.   We had heard about a good hike in the hills above the visitor center and wanted to give it a try.   It was foggy and rainy most of the way and the windows on the bus were caked with mud and water.  Occasionally someone on the bus would yell out that they saw something and the bus driver will stop, windows are lowered and we see what we can see.   On one of our stops we could see a Grizzly Bear on the ridge maybe 1/2 a mile away.

Ridge Top Grizzly

I hadn't brought my longest lens and made due with a 70-200mm with a 1.4 teleconverter, giving me an effective focal length of 280mm.   At this point it was still raining and foggy so I wasn't sure what kind of photo I could make from that far under those conditions.   These photos are cropped down to make the bear a reasonable size in the frame.

A Bear Behind

After a while we could see what looked like retaining walls holding the road up on the side of the mountain.  Most of the road is on the side of the mountain so this didn't seem unusual.   As we got closer the driver announced that we were arriving at the Eielson Visitor Center.  

The visitor center was built from 2004 - 2008, replacing an older facility.  A main goal of the project was to design a low-profile building that blends into the landscape. The steep slope enabled the designers to partially bury the building, which visually screens the structure from the Park Road. The roof is literally "green," as tundra mats salvaged from the construction of the site were relocated to planters dispersed on the roof terrace. These camouflage the roof deck, helping it blend into the landscape. The green roof also assists in storm water run-off reduction and thermal energy conservation.

The planning and construction of Eielson included strategies such as maximizing natural daylighting, selecting energy-efficient heating / venting systems, the use of renewable energies to power the building and thoughtful selection of recycled and locally produced.

The park implemented various renewable energy strategies at the site, including a hybrid generator system with photo-voltaic panels and a battery bank, installing a solar hot-water heating system for the restrooms, and constructing a small hydroelectric system in a nearby stream.   The end result is a beautiful building that blends into the landscape and uses as much renewable resources as possible.

Looking For Lunch

There was this yearling Caribou wandering around below the visitor center.  He seemed to be having a hard time knowing where to go.   Unlike his male human counterparts, he did read the map and asked for directions.  Eventually he went off down the hill and was gone.

Which path do I take to lunch?

Can you help me?  I can't seem to find lunch

We did do the Alpine hike we came to do.  It's a strenuous one mile up to the top of the ridge, gaining about 1,000 feet from the visitor center to the top.   Hint - photography is a good excuse to stop and catch your breath.

View From The Top

In the photo above you can see the visitor center from the top of the ridge.  Be sure to click the picture for a larger view.   It wasn't raining when we got to the top and the clouds were still above us so things were pretty pleasant.

June had packed us lunch for the day and we sat down behind some rocks, ate and enjoyed the view.

The terrain up there is similar to what we had seen before.  Rounded mountain tops with nothing growing over a couple inches high.  Without trees and bushes the fall colors show up in the ground cover making the hills appear to be painted.  

A closer look reveals an abundance of plants covering the ground.  Walking on this is like walking on a soft bed.

Painted Hills

Colorful Tapestry

Even the rocks were colorful

Before we finished lunch it started to rain, the fog rolled in and the wind picked up.   Time to head down the trail for the visitor center.

Where's The Mountain?

There is this window in the visitor center where you can look out and see the mountains, including Denali.   No luck this day.  

Past Weather

People keep a record of the mountain visibility by coloring in a picture of what it looked like each day.   There were a few nice days.  Remember, on average you can see Mount Denali 25% of the time.

Beauty in Rain

Even in cold miserable rain there is beauty.  This was grass growing along the side of one of the footpaths at the center.   Just have to look for beauty where you are.

I'm heading to a photography workshop this weekend and will have to take a break from the daily bogging.  I know, I just got home.  I've only got 1,700 photos from Alaska left to go through so I better get out and take some more.   I'll be back with a new blog on Monday.