The 2015 summer expeditions have come to an end, so it’s time to look back on all the awesome fun we had! Chugach Children’s Forest students don’t just experience the places they explore, they give back and act as stewards of the land!
This June, an expedition took teens from rural and urban communities across Alaska – many of whom had never camped or kayaked – out to Eshamy Bay in Prince William Sound to remove invasive European Black Slugs. These slugs, introduced to Prince William Sound by boats, are starting to appear in more areas across the Sound, but the Forest Service is taking a proactive approach and working to eradicate the species before it gets a stronghold in the region. The teens worked hard to eliminate the slugs in Eshamy Bay, first setting up rope transects for organized removal, then gathering the slugs in plastic bags, and finally burning them on the beach. The teens successfully collected and burned hundreds of slugs!
This July, eleven Alaskan students explored Hobo Bay and Knight Island in Prince William Sound with Alaska Geographic and the Forest Service. The students volunteered everyday while out in the Sound: they cleared litter from beaches and hauled out debris to the shoreline for pick-up and removal. Check out the video above to see some of the impressive work these students accomplished! In the first half, the students remove a heavy boom trapped under an even heavier log. In the second half of the video, our awesome students dismantle and clear out the debris left over from a century-old gold mine. A huge thank you to the Forest Service and to Wilderness Ranger Tim Lydon!