Students witness remaining Exxon Valdez oil
By JENNY RANKIN, Cordova High School Student
This summer, ten students embarked on a journey around Prince William Sound. Coming from different backgrounds and communities, none of us really knew what to expect on this trip.
Personally, I got the opportunity to grow up in Prince William Sound and enjoy everything it has to offer. However, some people miss out on all the cool things there are to enjoy around the Sound or just in their own environment. I want to share what I learned on this trip, and also encourage people to enjoy, protect, and not take for granted what nature has to offer.
One of the things we learned about on this trip was river otters. We learned about the habitat they live in and how they communicate through excretion. Since river otters excrete on land, they unknowingly fertilize the plants and trees. The fertilization that they provide for the trees increases their photosynthesis rate, which removes a higher amount of carbon from the atmosphere. This reduces the effects of global warming.
Other parts of the Sound are magnificent and contribute not only environmentally, but also make the Sound such a beautiful place. Glaciers and mountains are some of the largest components of the environment of Prince William Sound. The mountains contain vast amounts of wildlife and plant life. Glaciers are rivers of ice that are formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains. These landmarks provide both habitats and enrapturing scenery.
We visited the AFK salmon hatchery and learned about the hatching process. Salmon eggs are collected and raised in a controlled environment through the fry stage and then released back into the wild. In this procedure, even the smallest alteration can ruin a whole batch. Learning this allowed me to understand how fragile and important the whole salmon life cycle is. The hatchery employees work hard to develop these fish for the commercial fishing industry. They make sure the fish are fit for nature, and nature is fit for them.
Historic sites show how important the Sound has always been to humans. Old canneries reveal that the area has been used to make money and provide food for many years. Preserving these sites reminds us of the history and importance of the Sound.
We journeyed to the old town site on Latouche Island. We learned about the history of the town, and attempts at building lodges after the town no longer existed. All that remains are tons of rubble with one original building left standing. The Latouche town site was forgotten after the copper mine closed in the 1930’s and the Good Friday earthquake of 1964 occurred. Anything left had been bulldozed over.
After visiting the old town site, we traveled down to a point off Sleepy Bay and began looking for oil that remained from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Sure enough, from just below the surface rocks to deep down below, oil still contaminates this environment. I had always heard about the oil that remained and I just accepted that. However, when it’s you in the field collecting the oil that remains twenty years later, it really gives you a different perspective. Once I got that thick, black, reeking substance on my hands, it showed me how real this whole catastrophe was. This thick, black poison still unquestionably infects the beautiful, fragile environment of Prince William Sound.
This trip taught me a lot and showed reasons for protecting my environment. No doubt, I respect nature much more, and want to do whatever I can to keep it beautiful and preserved. Prince William Sound is a wonderful place, but disasters like the Exxon Valdez oil spill, disrespect, and neglecting the Sound will only make it weaker. People need to learn to be considerate of where they live, and take responsibility for their actions.
Jenny and 10 other Alaska students spent a week exploring Prince William Sound as part of the first annual Chugach Children's Forest Expedition Series. This is Jenny's story of her experience. To learn more about the program, and other students' stories, visit www.alaskageographic.org or contact amayokiely@alaskageographic.org. Support for the program is provided by the Chugach National Forest, Alaska Geographic, REI, National Geographic, and Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council. For more information on the council’s student grant program, contact the council’s outreach coordinator, Linda Robinson: robinson@pwsrcac.org