SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Katmai National Park

My quest to understand the impacts of acid rain took me to one of the most remote places in the United States: Katmai National Park.

They say you can cross the creeks in this 4 million acres of Alaskan wilderness by walking across the backs of salmon. The rivers in this region feed Bristol Bay, the greatest sockeye salmon fishery in the world.

I flew in on an amphibious aircraft. The windows went underwater upon landing and remained partially submerged until we rolled up onto the beach. Some days were spent collecting and measuring water samples, sometimes requiring me to precariously lean over the front end of a floatplane in the middle of icy-cold lakes.

The chemical signature of human activity, undetectable to the eye, showed up even in this wild and pristine landscape. I returned with a commitment to preserve and restore the wild parts of places closer to home.

My “office” with a fence to annoy interested grizzly bears

Enjoying a break from heavy rains while sampling the chemistry of Brooks Lake

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Katmai Regional Park

My quest to understand the impacts of acid rain took me to one of the most remote places in the United States: Katmai National Park.

They say you can cross the creeks in this 4 million acres of Alaskan wilderness by walking across the backs of salmon. The rivers in this region feed Bristol Bay, the greatest sockeye salmon fishery in the world.

I flew in on an amphibious aircraft. The windows went underwater upon landing and remained partially submerged until we rolled up onto the beach. Some days were spent collecting and measuring water samples, sometimes requiring me to precariously lean over the front end of a floatplane in the middle of icy-cold lakes.

The chemical signature of human activity, undetectable to the eye, showed up even in this wild and pristine landscape. I returned with a commitment to preserve and restore the wild parts of places closer to home.

Enjoying a break from heavy rains while sampling the chemistry of Brooks Lake

My “office” with a fence to annoy interested grizzly bears