Terry Chapin

Ecologist

Non Forest Service

Photo of Dr. Terry Chapin sitting on a bench and playing the violin.

My favorite science experience has been talking with Alaskan Native hunters. Alaskan Native people depend on hunting and fishing for food and for their cultural connections to the land and sea. These men and women know how climate change is affecting Alaskan ecology more directly than does any scientist. I’ve learned from them that the ice is thinner and more dangerous for winter travel. I’ve learned that new birds and fish are appearing, and the ones on which they have depended in the past are changing in behavior and health. These changes affect all aspects of their lives. These Alaskan Natives, however, have good ideas about how they and the ecosystems on which they depend can adapt to change.

 

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