by G. Javier Beltran
“When you travel in Alaska you are humbled by its size and wildness, awed by its beauty, inspired by its original peoples whose culture is still deeply rooted.” – David Roberts
Although I can now see where Roberts’ words come from, I am of the opinion that there are no words or pictures that can capture the majesty of Alaska. Up until my leadership experience with Adventure Borealis, I hardly ever thought about the tundra that covers so much of Alaska. The experience with AB not only gave me insights into the natural beauty of Alaska, but also insight into the importance of preserving that slice of intact ecosystem.
For ten days, I and two fellow students dove deeply into Alaskan history and ecology on a leadership retreat. We met with nonprofits, wildlife managers, and homesteaders to learn as much as we could before heading out on the first backpacking trip of our lives, up into the Eastern Alaska Range to visit the birthing grounds of the Macomb Caribou Herd.
I am a suburban college student at the College of San Mateo, and as such I have little insight into the true nature of the wilderness. I go on the occasional hike, but before AB I had little idea of just how vast and unique truly wild land is. In San Jose, the climax of all my hikes were being able to see my town from the top of a hill. In Alaska, once we got to the top of the hill we were rewarded with tundra on all sides, knowledge that we were surrounded by nothing but nature. There was no town. It was a humbling, small feeling being out there, similar to looking out into the night sky. Looking out onto the waves of conifer trees I couldn’t help but wonder what it took to keep the beauty of this state preserved.
Photo by Ryan Marsh
The retreat wasn’t all hikes and nature. Our guide, Ryan, was adamant and excited to educate us not just on the local bird species, but also on Alaska’s history and environmental action. Through podcasts on the road and guided lectures, we acquired a foundation of knowledge of the conservation of the tundra and boreal forest, and how human interaction was affecting it. We had the opportunity to talk with staff from the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, Large Animal Research Station, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game. We learned what actions take place to preserve private land, how large animals are cared for and studied, how wildlife is managed to maintain balance between wildlife preservation and yield, and asked them questions about what’s changed over the years –– and that was all before dinner. All the information gave me something to mull over as we prepared for the most physically demanding part of the excursion, the hike to Macomb Plateau.
Macomb Plateau was the penultimate chapter in the retreat. The hike to the plateau was demanding, but the views were breathtaking. What followed were several days of nature appreciation, guided lectures in the great outdoors and plant studies in the lush tundra. I lack the words to describe the appreciation of the magnificence of the birds and the bugs and plants that litter the landscape. There is a difference between classroom learning about nature and why people are working to protect it, and being out there on the land and organically wanting to protect it.
LAMP with Adventure Borealis was more than a trip, it was a deep insight into the world of environmental conservation and why it’s important to preserve the unique ecosystems in our country.