This is the OLD SEAWEAD website. Information here will slowly become outdated starting January 1, 2006. We will keep the old site up for a while yet in case you are looking for something specific that you can not find on the new site. Please go here for the new site.

Southeast Alaska Wilderness Exploration, Analysis and Discovery (SEAWEAD) is comprised of a small group of naturalists, scientists and educators. Our mission is to provide timely, detailed information about Southeast Alaska’s wildlife and habitats in support of public education and land use planning.

brown bears

During the summer of 2005 we worked in cooperation with the Sitka Ranger District (USFS) on brown bear habitat assessments at several sites on Chichagof and Baranof Islands. The purpose of the field work was to collect high resolution habitat and signs of use data for a variety of wildlife and human use management questions. The areas surveyed ranged from pristine to highly modified watersheds and provided an excellent overview of existing brown bear habitat conditions on the northern Tongass National Forest. GIS analysis and report writing for this project is underway. We expect to have materials available for the public this winter. click here to view our image gallery for this project.

During the winter of 05 we completed a Landscape-scale assessment of brown bear habitat with an emphasis on providing management guidance for recreation planning. This work was conducted at the Pack Creek Zoological Area on Admiralty island and is being used by Forest Service managers for long-term planning. click here to view a .pdf version of the report for this project. click here to view a .pdf version of poster presented at the 2005 ESRI conference. click here to view the map gallery for this project.

For information on past brown bear habitat assessments conducted in places such as Mud Bay, Lake Eva and Berners Bay please visit our projects page. click here to view bear study photo collections. Share your insights on brown bear habitat use by joining the discussion forum.

landscape ecology

Since SEAWEAD’s inception in 1999 we have cooperated with a broad spectrum of our community in the study of several species and habitats. Based on this experience we have begun a project that is intended to weave what we have learned about the nature of Southeast into a holistic approach to landscape ecology.

Last season we embarked on our first field excursions in this effort. During June and July we employed our rapid survey techniques in about a dozen watersheds ranging in location from Chichagof to Prince of Wales islands. We collected information on a variety of species and habitats in each system and are taking a serious – ground-truthed - look at the challenge of restoring and maintaining healthy ecosystems while providing opportunities for sustainable development.

We have many partners and supporters in this effort and our goal is to create an information pool for each audience to draw from. If you are interested in this effort please visit our online discussion forum and let us know what kinds of information you would hope for. At present some of the key concepts we are looking at are: ecosystem function, habitat connectivity, high-grading/proportionality, habitat restoration, habitat enhancements and habitat buffers.

click here to view a slide show of a timber sale field survey. click here to view a larger map of this season’s survey route. This project is just getting started so stay tuned for more news as things develop.

western toads

In 2004 we conducted the pilot work necessary to identify monitoring site locations throughout the region and apply the survey protocols laid out by the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). The pilot efforts were conducted in Glacier Bay and Klondike Goldrush National Parks and were supported through the efforts of Blain Anderson and the National Park Foundation, Meg Hahr at the National Park Service, and the generous volunteering of the collaborative research team. In 2005 Sanjay Pyare used the pilot work to embark on a regional effort and we look forward to learning more from him soon.

In 2002-2003 our partners on the Discovery Southeast research team collected anecdotal amphibian observations from the public. We helped them organize 313 records into a GIS database for easy reference. This data will be used to help this years collaboration to identify locations for the 2004+ regional inventory effort. If you would like to add to the atlas please contact us. We would like GPS coordinates and species ID for your observations but we will gladly accept approximate locations for any amphibian. Contact us via e-mail at with observation details and contact information or call 586-1272. Your observations are important to the regional study.

click here to check out the poster we made for the Glacier Bay science symposium. click here to read Richard's Journal entries from the Taku river, Glacier Bay and the Dyea river. click here to read the draft study proposal. click here to check out some important work done in Canada.

In 2004 and 2005 we participated in many smaller conservation and land use planning efforts. The following is a list of examples:

Sitka Conservation Society technical support - During the winter of 2004-05 we provided extensive GIS support for SCS. Their long-time GIS technician left the organization for change of environments so SCS hired us to help reorganize their GIS, create functional maps for ongoing projects and train staff in basic GIS and web site operations. This project is ongoing.

Discovery Southeast technical support - We have been providing GIS, web site and general IT support for DSE since 2000. This support is ongoing.

ESRI/SCGIS Conference - ESRI creates the GIS software that is so important to our work. Over the years we have received an incredible amount of support from ESRI and their conservation technology program. We recently received support from ESRI and the Society for Conservation GIS to send Bob down to California to attend the ESRI annual user conference and the SCGIS annual conference. Bob was one of 3 domestic scholars chosen to join 37 international scholars at this year's conference. It was an incredibly rewarding experience for bob. You can learn more in the forum.

USFWS POW 2nd growth thinning study - During the 2005 field season we provided field support for a USFWS project that is comparing song bird diversity and abundance in a variety of forest stand types, including post harvest thinning.

Audubon/TNC Model for Conservation Priorities - During the winter of 2004-05 we served on a scientific advisory committee for an Audubon society/TNC modeling project that is looking at prioritizing areas for conservation efforts.

Point Adolphus Humpback Whale data analysis - We provide GIS and analytical support for the ongoing Point Adolphus Humpback Whale Project - now being led by a University of Alaska master's student.

Dude Creek vegetation and wildlife - In the winter and spring of 2004 we provided GIS support for the mapping of the Dude Creek Critical Habitat Area and its surrounding habitats.

The Gustavus Land Legacy - In the winter and spring of 2004 we created maps for The Nature Conservancy in their successful efforts to purchase several large tracks of high value wildlife and recreation habitat in Gustavus. We are now providing GIS support in their efforts to manage these lands for the benefit of wildlife and Gustavians alike.