Rain falls, as it always has
It has been a rainy week in middle Alaska. Blah. But perhaps I judge liquid precipitation a bit harshly. Rain is, after all, the free distribution of a substance…
World traveler visits South Fairbanks
SOUTH FAIRBANKS — Just after 3 a.m., over this city built near the confluence of two rivers, the sun rose with the color of an orange Creamsicle. I watched…
When permafrost kills? A moose story
High summer is here in middle Alaska. North of Fairbanks, in bright sunshine, alder flycatchers are perched in spruce tops, just arriving from Bolivia and Peru. A few steps…
Dinosaurs Striding Across the Land Bridge
The recent discovery of the most complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in Japan suggests the duck-billed creatures once stomped across the Bering Land Bridge. The dinosaur found in Japan…
We Have been Grounded; Birds have Not
It was the first weekend in May, and Alaskans were getting out. Emboldened by words from the governor to get outside, or more likely their desires to escape the…
Beaver invasion on the Baldwin Peninsula
Scientists have documented a recent population explosion of beavers on the Baldwin Peninsula near Kotzebue. Using satellite images, the researchers counted an increase from two to 98 beaver dams…
One Building Remains Busy During Quiet Time
On these wet, mushy April days, as returning ducks set their wings for landing at Creamer’s Field in Fairbanks, spring breakup is proceeding as it always has. This year…
Life of Riley Reaches its End
Riley the wolf has died. She lived in the wild until almost the age of 11, which biologists call a remarkable feat. Wolves are lucky to live to 6. The…
Howard Pass an Extreme, Inviting Place
Howard Pass, a rock-stubbled tundra plateau in the western Brooks Range, is one of the lowest points in the mountains that arc across northern Alaska. It is a broad…
