Favorite pictures

  I have worked with many species of animals.  I Started with the basics: dogs, hamsters, fish, hermit crabs, birds and guinea pigs.  you know the one every parent ends up taking care of.  I like to think I was decent at taking care of my "pet".

Then in College I upgraded to volunteer work at the Houston Zoo. -Which by the way if you think you are ever interested in working with animals I recommend volunteering as early in age as possible and applying for internships all through college.

The Houston zoo taught me a lot about farm animals.  Goats, chicken, Llamas, pigs, ox, sheep, ducks were all a part of the children's zoo area.  You definitely learn how to rake really well as a volunteer in that area.

Alligators, Eagle, otters, snakes, rabbits, chinchilla, raccoon, white tail deer, fox, are also some more of the species in the children' zoo there.  This was the time that I decided "I don't know if I want to work in a zoo".  Don't get me wrong I think zoos are a very important factor in  conservation.  I was more interested in the training aspect of animals.  I didn't really want to go the vet route since I want to work more with healthy animals and raising them.  I also wanted to work more in natural settings.

After I graduated College I soon found myself saying "What do I do now?"

Luckily with a little bit of persistence and annoying phone calls; I got my first internship at TGR Exotics.

Again,  I took another step up in varying animal species.  Camels, lemurs, tiger, serval (that tall cat in pictures standing next to egyptians, you know the one), PORCUPINE, kangaroo, muntjac deer, sloth, and others I can't remember; were all new species for me to work with.

After hearing from my supervisor that there was this cool place in Alaska looking for an intern to train bears; I thought "It can't hurt to try."

Again, with lot's of luck (and I mean lots from above) I got the internship.  Well 3.5 years later I am still working at that same place.  The Alaska wildlife Conservation Center has taught me so much about myself.  Working with (and I can name them all) black bear, brown bear, coyote, porcupine, eagle, owls, red fox, sitka Black Tailed Deer, reindeer, elk, moose, bison, and Canadian Lynx has never been a boring day.  There is never a boring day here.  I have realized over the past year that my purpose in life to work in conservation.   All the days at work here have left me with a lot of cool pictures.  This blog is dedicated to my favorite pictures working at the AWCC.  ENJOY.

PHOTO COURTESY:DOUG LINDSTRAND

PHOTO COURTESY: DOUG LINDSTRAND

PHOTO COURTESY: DOUG LINDSTRAND

PHOTO COURTESY:DOUG LINDSTRAND

Goodnight lower 48,
E and Z

Many adventures in the past few weeks

Been a very busy month....

First off I would like to give credit to the amazing interns we have had this summer.  Sadly some of these interns have already returned back to their hometowns for College.
From left: Kayla Jackson -New York, Suzanne Steinert-Kentucky, Jeremy Brooks-Montana, Connor O'Brien-Georgia, Hanna Sundstrom-Minnesota, Erin (Me), bottom row from left Allison Dahl-Alaska,
Rachel Skrobot-Ohio, Katelyn Dotson-Kentucky.  Without these fabulous interns we wouldn't be able to do all the animal programs or have healthy baby animals.  Thank you interns for all your hard work this summer!

photo credit: Doug Lindstrand

We also added a new intern to our group..

Meet Amanda from New Jersey

 The baby animals are doing great!  Our 2 moose calves Richtor and Tectonic are growing so fast!

The Musk Oxen calves are also continuing to thrive at the AWCC.  Tsuni Must weigh near 100 pounds!

On a separate note; my mom visited Alaska about 3 weeks ago.  We went to Denali National Park where we then hopped on the bus and rode through the park.  Denali National Park is roughly 6 million acres in size!  The first thing we saw as we entered the park was something hiding in the bushes.  Any guesses?  I will tell you at the end of the blog. Hint:  Either a moose or a caribou.






             Me and my mom posing for a few pictures in the park. :)

This little guy was my favorite animal that we saw in the park.  Just after we left the rest stop called Eilson to return back; this red fox was spotted walking along the side of the road.

Reminded me of Jade at the center

A few days ago I was lucky enough to give a private tour to the one and only John Oates.

They were a group of 6 and all very nice to tour with.  They even shared their bananas with a tourist so they could feed the moose.

The latest adventure that I went on was back to Homer, Alaska.  This is the Halibut capital of the world.  We had a very kind lady named Cyndy ask a few of us to go on a halibut Charter in her place.  Cyndy always donates a bunch of bananas for the moose when she visits the center.  Thank you again Mrs. Cyndy!

The charter was based out of Ninilchik,AK.  We camped about an hour away in Homer,Ak.  As I was waking up this morning their was a Bald Eagle perched on a nearby satellite.  

FISH ON!!!!  I caught a 30 pound halibut!

Everyone in our group limited out with 2 halibut per person.

 This was the big one of the charter trip.  And I only got sea sick 1 time!!!!

lastly the AWCC was challenged in the ALS Icebucket challenge!  I think we passed the challenge.

Goodnight lower 48,
E and Z

answer: CARIBOU

CAN'T DECIDE

What is your favorite thing about your job?  No really?  I think about it. all. the. time.

FAMILY

 RESCUES

                                                                                                                                                                       BLUE SKIES

QUESTIONS

                                    JOKES

KISSES

MORE KISSES

                                                                                                               PUDDLES

GANGSTERS

PALS

 HAYRIDES

 ZZZZZZ'S

    SELFIES                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                     MEMORIES

CONSERVATION.

Goodnight lower 48,

E and Z

sorry Dave and Mrs. Connie

well well well..... it has been entirely too long and I am embarrassed how long I let this post go before posting.  Where do I begin?

babies so far that we have had this summer:

2 musk Oxen: see how big they have grown! Tsuni and Nami!
  But wait they were born on May 12th and May 26th which means now they are nearly 2 months old!  They are now getting 4 bottles a day starting at 8AM.  8am 12pm 4 pm and 8pm.  We give them a mixture of milk matrix and foal lac formula.  when they are about a year old we re-introduce them back to the herd.

Photo credit: Doug Lindstrand 

next up...Richtor and Tectonic.  Well Tectonic wasn't being very photogenic.  

Richtor came from Willow,Ak when he was caught by people, placed on a chain and put in the back yard!  Please, please, please, leave wildlife alone even if you think it is injured or orphaned.  Call your local fish and game and let them handle the situation.  90% of the time you see a baby animal; the mom is somewhere nearby.

Moose calf bottles are held daily at 9am 1pm and 5pm (subject to change once older)

photo credit: Doug Lindstrand

but wait there's more......3 elk calves, 12 mallard ducklings, 26 bison calves, and even 1 sitka black tailed deer named "solstice".  Solstice was born to "Solo" and "Leia"  on the longest day of the year in Alaska 6/21.  Leia has been a great mom and we are very excited to have our first Sitka Black Tailed Deer calf born in captivity.  He turned 1 month old yesterday.

 shows you just how good nature's camo can be...

When fawns are born they spend around 2 weeks just laying in the tall grasses in order to conserve energy and hide from predators.

Solstice really enjoys laying on the hill in his enclosure.

all 3 previous photos credit to Doug Lindstrand......where would my blog be with out him.....








just an update on the yearling musk ox calves from last summer.  Remember Chugach and Wrangle?  Well this is Wrangle 1 year 3 months later and about 250 pounds heavier.  Look at those horns!  also do I need to say....photo credit Doug Lindstrand

 Well I can't do a blog without updating you on my fur baby "Zelda".  She must have weighed in at 30lbs the last time I posted about her.  She is at least 55lbs now (the scale broke so I can't weigh her)  and a handful.  how do people raise human babies?  I mean seriously!  Credit to my parents I must have been a handful!

This picture was taken in front of Virgin Creek Water fall.









our next adventure together was hiking up Northface on Alyeska in Girdwood,Alaska.  We were a little tired in the end....

 Then I took my cousin, Lindsay, up to Portage pass hike in Whittier, Alaska.  We did some yoga poses at the top.  ok, ok, so we only did one yoga pose for this picture.  But we look like pros right?

Next adventure....hiking to Barber Cabin.  If you live in Alaska you have to reserve this cabin!  It is amazing!  It is only like a 3 mile hike in and you stay in a cabin on a lake that you can fish for trout in , have a campfire, and a stove fireplace in the cabin.

Our group was a little excited to say the least.

Talk about excited...Jade the red fox was a little excited for intern Hanna to be giving him a snack.  

Today I snapped a few photos of the elk browse feeding.  A daily chore that we do is to cut browse (branches from trees like cottonwoods, alder, and willow), and then feed them to the Elk, musk Oxen, Moose, sitka deer, moose calves, musk ox calves, reindeer,  and porcupine.

This photo was the before the elk noticed we added fresh branches.

still the "before"....but the ducks new something was going on....
















                                                         "after"!!!!!

We also gave our local celebrity his share of the browse...

Well that was a mouthful of a blog and I apologize to Dave at Bird Treatment and learning Center and to Mrs. Connie in Wisconsin for not posting a blog in so long.  I have let yall down and will get better at it now that I have a new house that I am  living in and the baby animals are doing much better.

Goodnight Lower 48,
Erin and Zelda