© Milo Burcham

The Chukchi Sea, off the coast of northwest Alaska, is critical habitat for a multitude of wildlife, including ice seals, walrus, polar bears, whales, and millions of seabirds. Despite being one of the most productive ocean ecosystems in the world, the Chukchi is under intense pressure from oil and gas development, especially as summer sea ice recedes to historic lows. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, has extended the public comment period on a proposed oil and gas leasing plan for the Chukchi Sea and wants to hear from you.

READ MORE about the Chukchi Sea.
TAKE ACTION to protect the Chukchi Sea.
DONATE NOW to help protect America’s Arctic Ocean.

Pat Pourchot. Photo © Gretchen Hazen.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has chosen Pat Pourchot to serve as his Special Assistant to the Secretary for Alaska. Pat will leave his current job as the Senior Policy Representative for Audubon Alaska after Memorial Day to begin his new position.

CLICK HERE for a statement from Stan Senner, Executive Director of Audubon Alaska.
READ the Anchorage Daily News article.

	© Gretchen Hazen

This spring we have extra motivation to go birding—as if we needed it! A Birdathon is like a walkathon or a telethon, but our goal is to count birds—as many species as possible in a 24-hour period—to raise money for Audubon Alaska’s conservation work.

SPONSOR the Audubon Alaska Birdathon.
Or call us at 907-276-7034 for more information.

Saook Bay © John Schoen

The Tongass Science Conference, jointly sponsored by Audubon Alaska and The Nature Conservancy, brought together local and nationally recognized scientists to discuss opportunities to integrate fundamental concepts of conservation biology into management strategies for conserving the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the Tongass National Forest.

READ the paper abstracts
LEARN MORE about the Tongass National Forest.
VIEW A SLIDESHOW of Tongass photographs.
READ OUR CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT for the Tongass.

	© USFWS

As the climate warms, birds across North America are shifting their ranges northward. In Alaska, some northern and ice-loving birds are running out of places to go. A new study by the National Audubon Society shows that over the last 40 years, a majority of the bird species that winter in North America have shifted their ranges north—in some cases by hundreds of miles.

READ the Anchorage Daily News article.
LISTEN to an interview with Audubon’s Matt Kirchhoff.
READ our release about birds and climate change in Alaska.
DOWNLOAD the national report.

Watch video. Name birds. Win prize. Good stuff.

Take the Teshekpuk Lake cyber birding challenge! Watch our video of the birds and wildlife of Teshekpuk Lake, and jot down the list of the bird species you see and hear in the video. Email us (twalter [at] audubon.org) the list and win a prize, while supplies last (details here). Binoculars are optional, but field guide is recommended.

TAKE THE TESHEKPUK VIDEO CHALLENGE.
READ MORE about Teshekpuk Lake and our recent victory there.
TRAVEL TO TESHEKPUK in June 2009 with Audubon and Alaska Discovery.
DONATE NOW to help protect Teshekpuk Lake and wildlands across Alaska.

	Stan Senner
	John Schoen

Stan Senner, Executive Director of Audubon Alaska, and John Schoen, Audubon Alaska’s Senior Scientist, were jointly presented with the prestigious Conservation Leadership Award from the Wilburforce Foundation of Seattle, Washington.

The Conservation Leadership Award is given annually by the Foundation to recognize outstanding dedication, extraordinary effort, and exceptional leadership in the conservation movement. The award winners are selected from the many thousands of people working for the environment within the Foundation’s funding region, which extends from New Mexico through Canada to Alaska. This is the first year that Alaskans have received the award.

READ MORE about the award.
Read STAN’S BIO and JOHN’S BIO.
CHECK OUT the Wilburforce Foundation announcement.
READ the Anchorage Daily News article.

	© Kathy Frost

On October 17, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced its decision to list the Cook Inlet beluga whale population as "endangered" under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Cook Inlet beluga population currently hovers at the dangerously low number of ~375 animals, down from an estimated 1,300 whales in the early 1990s. Audubon Alaska, marine mammal experts, and other conservation groups applaud the NMFS decision.

READ the press release.
LISTEN to an interview with Audubon's John Schoen.
DONATE NOW to help Audubon continue its critical conservation work.
READ the Anchorage Daily News article by John Schoen.

Is it any surprise that Alaska has more globally significant bird habitats than any other state in the union? Over the last seven years, Audubon has combed Alaska to find Important Bird Areas (IBAs) across the state.

To showcase these habitats, we are offering beautiful, poster-sized maps for your wall or classroom. The map is more than a geography lesson or promotional swag; it features full-color, original artwork by David Allen Sibley.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF of Alaska’s IBA map (384 KB, PDF file).
EMAIL US to request a copy.
READ MORE about Alaska’s IBA program.
DONATE NOW to support Audubon’s conservation work in Alaska.

Audubon Alaska
441 West Fifth Avenue, Suite 300
Anchorage, AK 99501
phone: 907.276.7034 | fax: 907.276.5069
Email us!