KTDontheGO: Giving Back to Alaska's Natural World

PERHAPS IT SHOULD be easy in Alaska. Surrounded by a natural world that is truly larger-than-life, and immersed in an atmosphere of incredible diversity, Alaska’s children live in an environmental melting pot. From exposure to Native traditions to careful respect of wildlife, the concept of stewardship should be a natural consequence of living in the 49th state.

Merriam Webster defines stewardship as “Careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” A big responsibility. The land, the water, the air; society is constantly searching for new ways to protect what has been left to us, especially here in Alaska, the largest state, and the one with the highest raw “star power” compared to anything Outside. We can join societies, coalitions, user groups, and clubs. We can also involve our children.

Stewardship of our kids is crucial to stewardship of our planet and its inhabitants. Kids are smart; just ask one what he or she thinks about the state of things in this universe and you might be surprised at the response. They want to help, they should help, and with the right resources, they can help. Stewardship, or “giving back,” doesn’t have to necessarily be framed as such for kids to be active participants in the state of their state (or world, for that matter), it simply needs three ingredients: relevant content, enthusiastic adults, and time.

Our son, seven, has been attending the Alaska Center For the Environment Trailside Discovery Camp this week. He's learned all sorts of interesting things about the world not two miles from his home. Snowflakes come in different sizes and shapes, you know, and bears do not necessarily have to hibernate. Listening to the sounds of a forest on a snowy day is not as quiet as one might imagine. Wait, this is not stewardship, you say. But it is. Creating children who are comfortable in the natural world as they are in their own living rooms will cultivate the concept of stewardship. Yes, it will. Find a place in your own community for natural world experiences. The Sitka Sound Science Center is a beautiful example of hands-on fun combined with research. Kids will relish the opportunities there with grownups who care about what they think. A cadre of kids were there last summer when I visited, and proudly showed me around the touch tanks, whale skeletons, and drawings of marine mammals.

Exploring at the Sitka Sound Science Center

Down in Ketchikan, Allen Marine recently developed a tour called “Wilderness Survival,” traveling through the Tongass Narrows to a remote, old-growth forest for an afternoon of plant identification, outdoor survival, and important research about the invasive Green Crab (kids get to pull crab pots and provide data to be used in real-life studies). It might rain, it might be muddy, but the entire family gets to dig and record and learn about life in southeast Alaska, unfettered and unplanned. And sometimes messy.

A visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage means a cultural lesson for any age. Whether visiting during the normal operating season of May through September, or attending a special event the rest of the year, the whole family will enjoy learning about the incredible diversity of Alaska’s First People. Did you know a dance can tell a story better than any textbook, or that children truly do learn by watching elders and trying out new skills, and failing, before mastering the task? There’s a lesson in every exhibit at ANHC, and the real value of a visit is not in the bricks and mortar displays, but lies within the scores of individuals who sit in the shadows of the room, waiting to tell kids why, and how, and where.

A dwelling at the Alaska Native Heritage Center

The Murie Science and Learning Center, located at the entrance to Denali National Park, provides visiting families day trips, field seminars, and opportunities for endless discovery in one of the wildest places accessible to humankind. Named for the Murie family, who were tireless advocates of both Alaska and Denali National Park, the Science and Learning Center is a testament to the value of education combined with recreation. Not a typical visitor center, this is where learning and cultural curiosity are nurtured.

“We have inherited the past. We can create the future.” Help your kids learn the value of caring for their present. That’s giving in its finest form.