Vancouver Audubon Monthly Program: A Naturalist’s View of the Katmai Peninsula
Thomas Bancroft’s earliest memories are of nature. After falling in love with birds, he earned a Ph.D. in Ornithology and has spent his career studying, protecting, and watching birds. After having spent years studying birds in the Florida Everglades, Washington D.C., and serving as Chief Scientist for National Audubon, Thomas is coming to Vancouver to share his perspective on the Katmai Peninsula in Alaska.
The Katmai lies west of Anchorage, across Cook Inlet. It is a rugged country with massive mountains, endless tundra plains, and numerous lakes, creeks, and rivers. The area is wild and still supports all the animals present when Europeans came to North America. The vastness, the bears, the salmon, and the glaciers will leave you in awe. Travel with him to this country and explore a few places in two national parks.
We will look for bears, follow sockeye on their migration, and explore the geology of the mountains. Thomas will share stories from his book, Beyond the Wonder: An Ecologist’s View of Wild Alaska. Although remote, this wild country faces many threats, and maintaining populations of birds, mammals, and fish isn’t guaranteed. You will leave this talk with a better sense of the country, its treasures, and a new sense of wonder for the planet we call home.
