Sea Creatures in the Intertidal

I loved walking outside the visitor center to the intertidal zone. The water was filled with purple crabs, sea urchins, sea stars, limpids, and sea cucumbers.

Sea Cucumber

 Holding a sea star

Sea Star

Sea Urchin

Lifting rocks.

One of my favorite things to do in Sitka is walking down to the harbor on a sunny evening. I love climbing around on the rocks, watch the salmon jumping, and seeing bald eagles flying around me. 

Pretending to lift the rocks

BANANA SLUGS

Banana slugs are super cool. But, you don't want to touch one--- they are super sticky! They move about 6 inches per hour. 

Farmers Market

The farmers market is very different than North Carolina. They have lots of arts, crafts, jams, sea asparagus (seaweed that you can eat), and fresh fish. Not many fruits and vegetables. The farmers market has a beautiful setting by the docks. I aslo ate a reindeer dog, delicious!

Reindeer Hotdogs

 Farmers Market

 Docks

Reindeer dog

Bird Watching Cruise

I had a wonderful opportunity to go on a bird watching cruise. Saint Lazaria Wilderness is a nesting bird colony located twenty miles west of Sitka, Alaska and is a part of the Gulf of Alaska unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. More than 500,000 seabirds nest on this 65-acre island, one of the most productive seabird colonies in the state. Albatrosses and shearwaters that nest in the western Pacific also feed in nutrient-rich waters off St. Lazaria. Local charter boats and tours bring visitors to view the amazing sea bird colonies and wildlife. My favorite bird I go to see a tufted puffin.

 The boat

Bird watching

More pictures to come of the birds with my BIG camera!

Mode of transportation

The way I get around town... to work, grocery store, sightseeing and other things is by BIKE. I love it. Somedays its raining and somedays its sunny. I basically never leave my house without a RAIN COAT. Balancing groceries on a bike can be interesting.

Sunny day in Sitka

Carrying groceries on the back to the house on the bike.

Raining on the way to work... but still smiling.

What do I do on a typical day?

This is the Old School National Park office building. This actually used to be a library downstairs and a 3rd and 4th grade classroom upstairs. I work upstairs which I think is so funny, since I teach 3rd grade. Its a beautiful office that over looks the harbor and is surrounded by mountains. When I'm working on my project, I work in here. I also get to go to the visitors center to work and time to explore the trails.

This is an illustration that was drawn on the white board in the visitor center. Look at the bottom... Its Ranger Miss Barnhardt or Ranger LB! 

Exploring the trails of Sitka National Historical Park. This is a picture on the rocky beach. 

The best part of my job is getting to "rove" the trails. I get to walk around and talk to guests. I can answer questions. My favorite reaction and looks is when I say "How are y'all doing?"