My name is Iris Fletcher. I was born and raised in Homer, attended University of Alaska Fairbanks to attain my bachelor’s degree in Fisheries, Biology, and Marine Sciences, and briefly lived in Anchorage before moving (technically) back to Homer. I say technically because I currently have remote seasonal jobs ...

Lessons on the Copper River Delta: A Salmon System Words and photos by Kate Morse        Where the mountains meet the sea—and where humpbacks swim nearby….that’s what drew me fresh from college (and the East Coast) up to Cordova, AK. I might have applied ...

Winter in Alaska is marked by especially cold temperatures and short days. Here in Southcentral Alaska, along the Gulf Coast we also see an increased potential of heavy snowfall. This dense, coastal snow is both beautiful and beneficial to the surrounding ecosystem. Temperate maritime air from the Gulf of Alaska ...

Every fall in coastal Alaska summer abundance begins to wane as the seasons shift. Nowhere will this change become more evident than in the coastal forests where the streams are full of salmon and the forest floor is covered in mushrooms; hedgehogs, porcinis and winter chanterelles. These wild treats are ...

The Journey Spring has sprung, earlier this year than nearly ever before. Baby salmon are awake and moving. They are growing eagerly under the sunlight that’s increasing by minutes each day. By now they’ve used up the last of the energy stores left to them by their mothers. ...

You’ve probably heard of “Omega-3s” and their role in a healthy diet. Maybe you’ve heard that these fatty acids can be found in abundance in some seafood, or that they are heart-healthy. But have you ever wondered what makes this super-lipid SO important in our bodies? In ...

It is December on Alaska’s Copper River. Temperatures dip into negatives. The sun arcs low on the horizon. Small streams freeze to the bottom; rivers and lakes freeze on top. Energy in any form is scarce. And yet, wild Copper River salmon are growing. They began in late summer ...

Connecting the dots between beginning and end, students in the Copper River region get a special experience each winter with the addition of a specialized salmon tank in the classroom. The tank currently houses coho salmon eggs, though that will quickly change as the eggs morph into alevin and then ...