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Drew Slegers, a fourth grader at Soldotna Elementary, snowshoes on Headquarters Lake just outside of Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

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Solstice snowshoe

Celebrating 80 years of refuge

Sun coming through snow-covered branches with cross-country ski tracks on trail. (Photo by Ashley Lutto/USFWS)

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Refuge Notebook: It’s more fun than walking

I’m not sure which one of us was more excited about the fresh snow, my ski partner or…

The reward of cold weather are the displays of the aurora borealis, like this one taken this fall on the Kenai. (Photo by K. Inman/FWS)

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Refuge Notebook: Thankful for winter’s natural wonders — A beautiful disorientation?

There’s a good chance I may be in the minority on this one, but I love winter. Most…

Fall colors, a dog and game in hand make for great outdoor experiences on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)

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Refuge Notebook: On point this fall

His eyes were fixated on the white spruce before us. We knew what we sought was in there…

Ice sits ready to skate at Bottenintnin Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska on Nov. 1, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

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Tangled Up in Blue: Skipping skating

I was looking forward to ice skating this winter. I had bought a pair of Nordic blades a…

Jeff Helminiak / Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai River curls to Skilak Lake, as seen from the Hideout Trail on July 5, 2020.

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Out of the Office: Clearing the trail

One of the benefits of growing old is waking up and, despite having done nothing particularly noteworthy the…

A pleasant snow day in Seward, Alaska, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)

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Tangled Up in Blue: Snow day

A wet, sopping blanket of snow covered Seward this morning. Before sunrise, I could see the wisps of…

Student Conservation Association trail crews work on adding trail to Burneyճ Trail in the Skilak Lake Recreation Area. (Photo by Lee Dudak/SCA)

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Refuge Notebook: Getting a boost from SCA trail crews

This past summer, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge saw the benefit from four additional trail crews provided by…

Fall leaves frame a shot of Kenai Lake on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

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Out of the Office: To everything, there is a season

We don’t really have “seasons” where I’m from. It stays an amicable 75 degrees and sunny pretty much…

A bull caribou grazes in the Alaskan Arctic Refuge. The GNWT is seeking public input into its soon-to-be-released Bathurst Caribou Management Plan.
Photo credit Malkolm Boothroyd/malkolmboothroyd.com

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Refuge Notebook: Mating systems of moose and caribou

Driving home the other day, my friend and I came across a big bull caribou chasing several cows…

Photo by Kat Sorensen 
The pedicure in question has seen many miles of hiking and walking since it was first painted on five months ago.

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Tangled Up in Blue: A perfect pedicure

There is just the smallest sliver of light pink nail polish left on my two big toes. Each…

Anthony Botello fishes for halibut off the coast of Homer, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2021. (Camille Botello)

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Out of the Office: Fish on!

I was pretty spoiled as a kid.

Photo by Angelica Smith/FWS 
Frannie Nelson collecting ground validation data for her undergraduate thesis in the Caribou Hills.

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Refuge Notebook: Spreading my wings and flying into a new field

In 2019, I became a biology intern at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge for the first time! Here…