The Murie Science and Learning Center offers several opportunities to learn more about the nature of Denali National Park.
Learn about Denali's wolves
Learn about Denali National Park's wolves through the eyes of a wildlife researcher.
This Denali Institute is offering excursions, scheduled daily during the summer, that head 35 miles into the park to the Igloo Forest. There, visitors will learn about the role of wolves in the subarctic ecosystem and discuss management issues facing the National Park Service.
Along the Teklanika River, the institute says, radio telemetry will be used to search for unseen wolves. The researchers will explore wildlife corridors for animal tracks and signs -- clues left on the landscape by passing predators and their prey.
Time and cost
The excursion runs 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It runs from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The cost is $75 per person. It includes transporation to and from local hotels, the visitors center and the railroad depot; park entrance fees; beverage and snack; and the use of binoculars.
Sign up
Call 907-868-8639 or 866-688-1269 (toll-free) to enroll. Group size is limited to 12.
The nonprofit center was created by the Alaska Natural History Association, the Denali Institute, the Denali Foundation and the National Park Service.
The Denali Institute offers several weekend courses about the park's natural history. In addition, it offers daily educational walks that focus on Alaska's wolves.
The institute will welcome visitors to the new Murie Science and Learning Center, near the park entrance on the site of the old McKinley hotel. The center, expected to open in August 2004, will celebrate "the vast ecosystems
and vibrant cultures of Alaska's eight
northernmost national parks," the institute says.
Education programs
will be based out of a new field camp, an experimental site assisting the National Park Service in key decisions regarding wildlife protection and public safety. The camp is about 35 up the park road.
The following course descriptions are provided by the Denali Institute.
HIGH COUNTRY WILDFLOWERS
June 18-20 | Fee: $290
Surround yourself in the vibrant color and bloom of Denali's tundra and taiga forests. With wildflower expert and author Verna Pratt, we'll move from the boreal forest to alpine meadows, learning about wildflower adaptations to extreme latitude and high elevation. We'll spend these long daylight hours near summer solstice learning to identify wildflowers with a hand lens, a dichotomous key, and field guides. Verna Pratt is the author of "Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers" and "Wildflowers of Denali National Park." Designed for all levels of plant enthusiasts.
MIGRATORY BIRDS OF DENALI
June 25-27 | Fee: $290
Summer brings more than 160 species of migratory birds to Denali. Coming from as far as Africa, Asia, and even Antarctica, the vast majority will be in colorful breeding plumage. Led by Denali National Park ornithologist Carol McIntyre and the Alaska Bird Observatory's Andrea Swingley, we'll learn to identify Denali's birds by songs and calls, behavior, habitat and field marks. Carol McIntyre is the author of "Birds of Denali." Designed for beginning and intermediate birders.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE: A WILDLIFE WEEKEND FOR FAMILIES
July 9-11 | Family Rates: $395 for two, $425 for three, $455 for four
Leave your habitat behind for the weekend and step into Denali's legendary habitat! Come share the wonder of discovery with your children or grandchildren as we explore the stories of the wild. As keen observers, we'll investigate the trail for signs of animal tracks, rubs, browse, scat, nests and dens. Our instructor, Ella Bredthauer, spent three years guiding families in Denali and now leads children's programs at the Imaginarium. Designed for families with children 8-14 years old.
NATURAL DESIGNS
July 16-18 | Fee: $150
Join renowned Alaskan artist Ree Nancarrow for a creative closer look into Denali's natural world. An endless source of inspiration, Denali has been the backdrop for thousands of artists in dozens of different media. Looking again at shapes, lines, colors, and textures, we'll gather these elements to illustrate our own personal view of Denali. Using the simple tools of pencils, pens and oil pastels, we'll interpret Denali's landscape and ecosystems, large and small.
*Note: This seminar starts each day at the park entrance. Continental breakfast and bag lunch are provided each day. Accommodations are not included. For a list of local accommodations, please call our office.
PREDATORS & POLITICS IN DENALI NATIONAL PARK
July 30 to August 1 | Fee: $290
In the past century, wolves and bears have become potent symbols of wilderness in our society. Their images evoke a range of human emotions, from fear to veneration. We'll examine the work of Adolph Murie and other key figures as we explore Denali's sweeping physical and political landscape. Join historian and author Tim Rawson for an engaging examination of the history of Denali and the politics of its predators. Tim Rawson is the author of "Changing Tracks: Predators and Politics in Mt. McKinley National Park."
NATURAL CYCLES: PREDATORS, PREY, AND HABITAT
August 6-8 | Fee: $290
Predators, prey, and habitat are interwoven in subtle and surprising ways. Each plays a complex role in shaping the others' population, behavior and even physiology. Join wildlife biologist Vic Van Ballenberghe as we examine the dynamic relationship between Denali's bears, wolves, moose, caribou, and sheep and the strong influences of their habitat. Join us for this in-depth exploration into the fascinating world of Denali's predators and their prey.
WILDERNESS WRITING
September 3-5 | Fee: $290
For many, Alaska's wilderness embodies a primal human need, a place in the heart as well as a point on the map. Join Alaska author and teacher Nick Jans on this journey of the senses. Against Denali's autumn tundra of russets and reds, we'll hone our creative writing skills individually and through group discussion. In the evenings, we'll share the writings of nature authors for enjoyment and inspiration. Nick Jans is the author of "The Last Light Breaking" and "Tracks of the Unseen."
All Denali Institute programs are developed in partnership with the National Park Service, and offered through the new Murie Science and Learning Center.
To register for a weekend course, go to www.denaliinstitute.org.
