Pound for pound, Alaska mosquitoes pack punch

Pound for pound, Alaska mosquitoes pack punch By Ned Rozell, In mid-June, while standing deep within the northern boreal forest, it’s possible to feel a sensation similar to one felt in mid-December at the same spot. It’s a sting to exposed skin, delivered in December by bitter air and in June by [...]

Raven roosts shrouded in mystery

Raven roosts shrouded in mystery March 30, 2023 / Ned Rozell Last week, while getting ready to climb into a bunk, I heard the yell of a raven outside. And then another, and a few more. I pulled on my boots. Outside, a steady stream of black bodies glided overhead, many of [...]

Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes

Journey into the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes By Ned Rozell One hundred years after the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is still a moonscape of ash and volcanic rock, without a tree or shrub in sight. The valley, located on the Alaska Peninsula where the Aleutians [...]

The Secret Life of an Alaska Whitefish

The Secret Life of an Alaska Whitefish In Alaska’s infinite waters swims a handsome, silvery fish. Until recently, we knew little about the Bering cisco, which exists only around Alaska and Siberia. Then a scientist combined his unique life experiences with modern tools to help color in the fish’s life history. Randy [...]

Black-capped Chickadees Survive By Shivering in Alaska

Black-capped Chickadees Survive By Shivering in Alaska December 24, 2020 / Ned Rozell During the darkest days of Alaska’s winter, black-capped chickadees stuff themselves with enough seeds and frozen insects to survive 18-hour nights. Where the chickadees spend those long nights was a mystery until a biologist tracked them. Susan Sharbaugh spent [...]

Alaska bears alert scientists to secret salmon streams

Alaska bears alert scientists to secret salmon streams Right now, on the brushy tundra of northern Alaska, grizzly bears are gathering at quiet streams and rivers, attracted by the largest calorie reward they can find — spawning salmon. Until recently, scientists did not know salmon swam up some of these waterways, nor [...]

Remarkable groove slides gold into Alaska

Remarkable groove slides gold into Alaska By Ned Rozell Nate Becker lives with his family on a quiet stretch of the Yukon River as it flows into Alaska. On a recent ski trip, I visited the Beckers’ home along with two geologist friends. Nate had a question for them. “Why are all [...]

What We Learned from Mt. Redoubt’s Eruption 30 Years Ago

What We Learned from Mt. Redoubt's Eruption 30 Years Ago By Ned Rozell On December 15, 1989, a pilot who had flown a 747 passenger jet all the way from Amsterdam was looking forward to landing in Anchorage. There, he would take a short break before continuing to Tokyo. Descending over Southcentral Alaska, he and [...]

Fish Tapeworms Found Near Fairbanks Alaska Pond – Ligula intestinalis

Fish Tapeworms Found Near Fairbanks Alaska Pond By Ned Rozell A few times each week, someone carries something dead or alive through the doors of the UA Museum of the North, hoping an expert can identify it. A couple weeks ago, a woman arrived with a small jar of what appeared to be white worms. [...]