Seward - Sea Life Center: What Ted Did Right, Sort of

In the shadow of the Stevens indictments, many Alaskans are saying, "But Ted Stevens did so much for Alaska." The Sea Life Center in Seward has Uncle Ted's fingerprints all over it. We have a first class facility for research and education on Alaskan sea life. For a state with approximately 44,000 miles of coast line this is important. Seeing the creatures living in almost their natural environments can spark the imagination and passion that is necessary to inspire people to learn and perhaps even develop a career.


There's no way the average citizen can get this close to living flounders and rockfish, sea lions, and puffins. This is not the kind of thing that you can measure the value simply in numbers of visits per year.

The knowledge people gain here, the kids who are inspired in different ways to learn more and pursue careers related to the sea life is incalculable. This has been one of Ted's babies. [At first I was upset when I saw the big scratches on the glass of the giant tanks at the Sea Life Center today. Who would be so low that they would scar these beautiful tanks? But when I looked closer, I saw the scratches were NOT on the outside, but the inside. Maybe the sea lion wants out.]


And perhaps it is a symbol of the tragedy of Ted Stevens.

Poor judgment by the protagonist (hero/heroine) causes a fall from grace and social ranking. Poor judgment is a tragic flaw, or error, called hamatria. It leads to personal catastrophe and unintended harm to others. (Gallaudet)

In an era when government projects are scorned and every institution has to support its own bottom line, there is something to say for politicians who have the vision and the clout to help establish places like the Sea Life Center. Here's the hero part. (I also heard one of the guides today say that the state of Alaska paid for about 2/3 of the original cost.) But how did everyone think it was going to be maintained? Especially in an era when new taxes are opposed by most politicans? Was Senator Stevens planning to live and be Senator forever and thus maintain places like the Sea Life Center in perpetuity? Did he think that once it was built the State and others would step in to keep it going? How did he expect an expensive institution like this to be able to fund itself?

Murre

And then there are the sleazier side of the Sea Life Center where money was funneled through the Sea Life Center earmarked specifically to purchase property a Stevens aide who had speculated on land in downtown Seward. [Update April 2009: The ADN link isn't giving access to the article it seems. The specific citation is: Ben Stevens ' secret fish deal - State senator helped steer Adak pollock to a company he had financial stake in Anchorage Daily News (AK) - Sunday, September 18, 2005 Author: RICHARD MAUER Anchorage Daily News ; Staff]

Horned Puffin and Murre

King Eider

Steller Sea Lion Rear Flippers

I didn't check to see whether this is Woody the sea lion they used to have.

Tufted Puffins

Researchers took a baby red legged kittiwake from its nest (I think they said this is the first place in the world of only two that have successfully bred kittiwakes) to weigh it and measure it. The parents were less than pleased.




All these pictures were taken today in the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward.

Seward Kayaking

Doug and I went Kayaking today. Still waters, easy three hour kayak. John of Sun Cove Kayakers was a great guide for us and the three others. J was off walking and in the library.

American Dipper Video

I'm going out on a limb here and calling this an American Dipper. Let me know if I've messed up. It looks like the dipper in the book and it certainly dips regularly. This is a much better bird video than I normally put up because it isn't my video. Doug took it with his fancy Fuji digital camera with good optical zoom.



OK, I realized that I needed to look this bird up to be sure. The bird's eyes kept turning white, so we surmised it had white eyelids. So when I checked online, Wikipedia confirmed it was an American dipper:

The American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a Water Ouzel, is a stocky dark grey bird with a head sometimes tinged with brown, and white feathers on the eyelids cause the eyes to flash white as the bird blinks. It is 16.5 cm long and weighs on average 46 g. It has long legs, and bobs its whole body up and down during pauses as it feeds on the bottom of fast-moving, rocky streams. It inhabits the mountainous regions of Central America and western North America from Panama to Alaska.

This species, like other dippers, is equipped with an extra eyelid called a "nictitating membrane" that allows it to see underwater, and scales that close its nostrils when submerged. Dippers also produce more oil than most birds, which may help keep them warmer when seeking food underwater.

I also thought it strange that the English vernacular name is 'American' but the Latin name is 'mexicanus'. But given it's range, American is probably more accurate.

Resurrection Bay Cruise

Blogger seems to be having a problem with uploading photos. Glad I got yesterday's up this morning. Doug and I cruised Resurrection (there's resurrection and insurrection, but I've never heard of or can find through google just plain 'surrection') Bay out of Seward today while J walked and hung out in Seward (she doesn't do well on boats.) Clouds dominate Seward today, but only a short drizzle on the boat. Imagine stunning pictures of green water, green and brown mountains, and grey clouds.

[10pm: The photo uploading problem is over here are the pics.]

The view from the boat coming out of the Seward boat harbor.

Inside the boat

The lunch buffet

Getting close up to the rocks

This company - Major Marine Tours - has an agreement with the National Park Service so there were rangers on board giving information on the area. Here Doug is looking at a jar with plankton that had been scooped up from the water. Part of the tour goes through Kenai Fjords National Park.

I know, the puffin is barely visible, but I thought the water had a nice pattern to it.

This is a kittiwake rookery

On our way back. Although it was cloudy it only rained a few drops and the sea was very calm. We saw puffins (tufted and horned), sea lions, harbor seals, mountain goats, otters (one with an octopus, one with a crab, and one with a baby), bald eagles, and various other birds. We didn't see any whales or dolphins.

To Seward

Doug and I spent Saturday biking the loop from our house around Goose Lake to Kincaid and back, with a detour to the Saturday market downtown. Yesterday we (including J) hiked to Ptarmigan Lake and today we're getting ready to do a Ressurection Bay cruise. J doesn't do boats. Doug's staying a Ballaine's BB in Seward tonight and I'm using their wifi. So here are a couple of pictures of yesterday.

Doug on the trail.

Ptarmigan Lake

Can you spot the American dipper? Middle on the left.

The lake again.

View on the hike back.

Ptarmigan Creek.

Visiting European Education Students at UAA

Yesterday afternoon I had the chance to do a two hour workshop with a group of European education students (one is already a teacher) who are in Anchorage for a month studying education topics, and if I understand it right, with a focus on teaching about diversity. This is the third summer I've worked with one of these groups and they've always had a very interesting mix of students and this year's group is no exception.



There are students from Germany, Spain, France, and England this year.



The German groups have always sent students with diverse ethnicity. This year among the German group were people of Albanian, Greek, and Turkish descent.



The official title of this program which is administered by the American Russian Center at UAA is 2008 Summer Institute for Outstanding European Students in Education. (Actually, the paper I have has two similar titles. The other one is for "European student leaders.")

The participants all speak excellent English and have great senses of humor. They'll be getting classroom teaching and, if the program follows last year's, they'll be making various education related field trips - to ,schools in the Anchorage School District, McLaughlin Youth Center, etc. They are not a shy group and I asked their before posting the pictures.

Wat Alaska Yana Vararam - Log Cabin Buddhist Temple

Ben at Thai Kitchen has been asking me to go with him to meet the Abbot at the Thai Budhist Temple. So today we went. Note the blue sky. It was a very nice summery day. Finally.





Phramaja (a title for monks) Boonnet is one of a few monks who is here in Anchorage at this wat (temple).











Phramaja Lertsak is the monk I was there to meet. He got his PhD in India and speaks good English. We talked about a lot of things including the possibility of his lecturing on Buddhism at UAA or APU. He has followers in Thailand who want to build a wat for him, but he told me that he wanted to learn more about the world outside of Thailand first as well as work on his inner learning.







This is the room for meditation and and prayer.








In one part of the wat are large framed pictures that tell the story of the life of Buddha.







At 11 am everyday members of the wat bring food for the monks. Today was the Thai Kitchen's day to bring food as did another community member. Thai monks do not eat after noon, though they can drink water or fruit juice.













There is also a library with books in Thai and in English on Buddhism. They gave me a book on the wat.

The wat has been there since 1996, but is well hidden on D St right near C St. and Fireweed. The booklet says there's morning and evening chanting and meditation at 8am and 8pm that is open to the public.