Science for Alaska lecture: Beavers and rapid change
A beaver dam in the Alaska Range.
The UAF Geophysical Institute presents the 31st annual Science for Alaska lecture series.
The Geophysical Institute will host free public talks at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays about tracking space debris, fostering education using the outdoors, new techniques for understanding aurora, the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, and climate change and its effects on Alaska’s wildlife. The talks will be held live at the Schaible Auditorium, 323 Tanana Loop at UAF. To join virtually, register to watch on Zoom or join live from the UAF or Geophysical Institute Facebook pages.
On Tuesday, March 7, Ken Tape and Seth Kantner will present “Gnawing and Thawing: Beavers and Rapid Change in Northwest Alaska.”
The interests of acclaimed Alaska author Seth Kantner and UAF scientist Ken Tape have converged over the years. Both have observed the climate and landscape changes occurring in Alaska, but Kantner’s understanding comes from a life inextricable from the land and its inhabitants, whereas Tape’s comes from a life in the office poring over data, often satellite images, and the occasional wilderness foray.
In this joint presentation, they will showcase their different perspectives on a half-century of changes in northern Alaska, particularly as related to beaver engineering, and explore how those complementary viewpoints enrich our understanding of the region’s past, present and future.
For more information visit www.gi.alaska.edu/events/science-for-alaska or the @UAF.GI Facebook event page, or call 907-474-7787.
Talks are free and for the public. All ages are encouraged to attend.