Sitka Nature
On a Lifelong Journey to Learn my Place
Episodes
Sitka Nature Show #361 – Starling Birch (encore)
Download Radio Show The February 22nd show featured a conversation with Starling Birch, videographer and mountain adventurer. Originally recorded and aired in August 2023, we talked about the pleasure and pain of adventuring into the mountains. We also considered the motivations that drive us to put ourselves in often unpleasant and potentially regretful circumstances when ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #360 – State of the Sound
Download Radio Show The February 8th show featured a conversation with Lauren /Bell, Lauren Wild, and Ellen Chenoweth, organizers of the first (annual?) State of the Sound community event scheduled for later this month. We talked about the intentions for the event, what is planned, and how folks can participate. If you have questions or ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #359 – Connor Goff
Download Radio Show The January 25th show featured a conversation with Connor Goff. we talked about his experiences diving, boating excursions and some lessons learned, and birds. If you have questions or observations you want to share, please feel free to leave a comment here or on the page I’ve set up for that purpose.
Sitka Nature Show #358 – Richard Nelson and Kitty LaBounty (encore)
Download Radio Show The January 11th show featured a conversation with Richard Nelson and Kitty LaBounty. This conversation was broadcast as a live show in early 2016 (almost 10 years to the day before this show aired). Richard and Kitty were my most frequent guests over the first decade my show. Richard passed away in ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #357 – Paul Norwood and Brooke Schafer
Download Radio Show The December 28th show featured a conversation with Paul Norwood and Brooke Schafer. In what has become an annual tradition for the show closest to new years, Paul and Brooke shared highlights of their explorations and adventures over the past year, and talked about some of the things they have in mind ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #356 – Jen Cedarleaf and Victoria Vosburg
Download Radio Show The December 14th show featured a conversation with Jen Cedarleaf and Victoria Vosburg. We spoke about the upcoming Christmas Bird Count and some birding highlights from the past year. If you have questions or observations you want to share, please feel free to leave a comment here or on the page I’ve ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #355 – Zak Pohlen
Download Radio Show The November 30th show featured a conversation with Zak Pohlen. Zak is an avian biologist and avid birder. We talked about birding and how it supports conservation work, especially using eBird as a tool for monitoring bird populations, and the impact of human activities on bird behavior. If you have questions or ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #354 – Kari Sagel and Brooke Schafer
Download Radio Show The November 16th show featured a conversation with Kari Sagel and Brooke Schafer. In our (mostly) annual Sitka Nature and Library Show cross-over, Kari and Brooke shared reflections on encounters with nature through reading and direct experience. If you have questions or observations you want to share, please feel free to leave ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #350 – Brie Drummond
Download Radio Show The September 21st show featured a conversation with Brie Drummond, biologist with the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Her responsibilities include overseeing monitoring work on St. Lazaria island. We talked about the overall scope of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and more specifically the nesting seabirds of St. Lazaria. If you ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #349 – Kitty LaBounty
Download Radio Show The September 7th show featured a conversation with Kitty LaBounty. Kitty shared about the soon-to-be released field guide Mushrooms of Alaska, which Kitty had received an advanced copy of. (Released in October 2025, it should be available through your favorite book seller). We talked about mushroom ecology, identification, and our personal experiences ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #348 – Gavin McNichol (encore)
Download Radio Show The August 24th show featured a conversation with Gavin McNichol, assistant professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. This conversation was originally aired October 2024 when Gavin was in town as a Scientist in Residency Fellow at the Sitka Sound Science Center. We discussed his work studying wetland soil biochemistry. He is currently ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #347 – Greg Jensen (encore)
Download Radio Show The August 10th show featured a conversation with marine biologist Greg Jensen. This conversation was originally aired in May 2024 when he was in Sitka as part of the Scientists in the Schools program through the Sitka Sound Science Center. Among the activities he participated in, was sea week at the elementary school (which ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #346 – Jason Briner
Download Radio Show The July 27th show featured a conversation with Jason Briner. Jason has been working in Southeast Alaska for a decade, collaborating with many others to conduct field work to better understand the timing of glacial retreat and the post-glacial environment of the region. He has been part of an interdisciplinary team conducting ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #345 – Elizabeth Thomas
Download Radio Show The July 13th show featured a conversation with Elizabeth Thomas, a paleoclimatologist based out of the University at Buffalo. Elizabeth shared about the water cycle and how understanding it and its effects can give insight into past climates. She is part of a team working to reconstruct the timing of glacial retreat ... Read more
Weather Delay and Wet Beginnings
Overcast with periods of rain – heavy rain later in the day. Today I was due to fly South for a field trip to a location in the uplands of Byron Bay. Original plans were for a morning flight, but weather conditions below the flight minimums caused a delay. The Coast Guard helicopter could easily ... Read more
Offshore Outing and Green Lake Road
Partly cloudy with plenty of sun (and clouds hanging mostly over the mountains). Light winds, temperatures into the 60s. I was up on the early-ish side to go out on boat with Connor. I already had plans for the afternoon, but he had unexpectedly ended up with the day off and the weather was decent. ... Read more
Erratic Hunting on Beaver Lake Uplands
Low clouds with rain for much of the day. Light winds, temperatures in the 50s. I spent the afternoon out with Jason (visiting geologist) and KK (local outdoor enthusiast and professional hydrologist). We started at Sawmill Creek Campground and headed up Beaver Lake trail with Jason’s family. They continued around on the trail, while the ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #344 – Ron Heintz
Download Radio Show The June 29th show featured a conversation with Ron Heintz. We spoke about some of the work on herring and salmon Ron was involved in over many years as a fisheries biologist, and more recently landslide risks as part of the Sitka Sound Science center helping to coordinate research. If you have ... Read more
Sea Lion Cove with Snowy Plover Bonus
Mostly cloudy to overcast. Some rain during the middle part of the day. Breezy through much of the day, but becoming calm this evening. Temperatures to around 60F. Connor had the day off and had decided we could make a run to Kalinin Bay and hike over to Sea Lion Cove. The last time I ... Read more
Thunder Shower
Mostly cloudy with some sunshine, especially later in the day. A band of rain with thunder moved through around midday. Temperatures to 60F, but cooler after the rain came through. I worked on collections this morning. One of the ones from my trip up Herring Cove seems to be Jungermannia schusteriana. This is a species ... Read more
Price Street Vegetation
Sunny early, then cloudy with a little rain through midday, with clouds breaking up in the afternoon. Temperatures into the 60s. Moderate sea breeze. Yesterday’s high of 65F was the first day this year that was over 60F. It’s the fourth latest date for a temperature over 60F (at the airport, with records going back ... Read more
Sitka Nature Show #343 – Rick Taylor
Download Radio Show The June 15th show featured a conversation with Rick Taylor. Rick is an avid birder and geocacher, as well as a retired meteorologist with the US Air Force. We talked about the history of geocaching, and Rick shared experiences of birding and geocaching around North America, as well as from his time ... Read more
Beaver Lake Uplands
Sunny and warm. Temperatures into the lower 60s. A sea breeze developed in the afternoon. A Hairy Woodpecker visited the suet feeder this morning while I was watching. Moments after it left, a junco cleaned up crumbs below the suet feeder. I’m not sure if the junco is feeding young, but it might be. I ... Read more
Low Island and Inner Point
Partly cloudy for most of the day light winds and temperatures in the upper 50s. Clear early, then partly cloudy over town during the day, but clearing up again in the evening. I needed to be home for calls this morning, but was able to get out on the boat with Connor late this afternoon. ... Read more
Evening Cloud Break
Overcast with rain off and on for much of the day. Light winds, temperatures in the 50s. I didn’t get out too much today. With the forecast calling for sunny weather in the coming days, it seemed like a good time to do things indoors. This morning I heard birds making noise outside and checked. ... Read more