Community Corner

Community Corner: Watch parties expand reach of annual science event

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A responder stands behind the railing on the deck of a small boat holding a long thin pole. A whale is about 10 feet from the side of the boat. The responder is reaching into the water with the pole towards the whale to help remove the debris tangled around the whale.
A responder works to rescue a tangled humpback whale in Port Valdez in 2024. During Science Night, John Moran from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center told the story of the rescue and explained how their team is trained to do this work safely. This rescue was permitted under NOAA #24359. Photo courtesy of Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

Each year in early December, the Council hosts our annual Science Night. We invite experts to share about their scientific work and programs that are relevant to the Exxon Valdez oil spill region.

In 2024, the Council partnered with several local organizations to host community watch parties for the first time. We are grateful to our host partners: the Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova, Kenai Peninsula College in Homer, and Prince William Sound College in Valdez. Each organization invited community members to gather in their facilities to watch the broadcast from Anchorage.

Science Night 2024: Staying alert and proactive in the Exxon Valdez oil spill region

This event highlighted four programs.

  • John Moran, a Research Fisheries Biologist from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center shared about how he and his team of trained responders freed an entangled humpback whale in Valdez in 2024.
  • Kristina Arsenault, a Marine Transportation System Specialist (Cyber) from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit in Valdez spoke on marine cybersecurity.
  • Andy Schroeder and Scott Farling, Co-Founders of Ocean Plastics Recovery Project, shared about their marine debris cleanup and recycling efforts focused on the Southcentral Alaska coast.
  • Finally, Barbara Callahan, Senior Director of Response and Preparedness Services at the International Bird Rescue presented about innovations in oiled wildlife response since the Exxon Valdez spill.

Dr. Sarah Allan, chair of the Council’s Scientific Advisory Committee, attended the watch party in Homer. She had attended broadcasts in previous years as an individual attendee, and shared that it was “more engaging to watch with a group and we had some good side conversations about the presentations.”

Watch Science Night 2024 online

All four presentations are available to view on the Council’s website: Science Night 2024

Join us for Science Night 2025

For Science Night 2025, we hope to build on these successful watch parties by enhancing the opportunities for communities to gather and experience the event together based on feedback we received. We also hope to expand to other communities within the Council’s region. If you have interest in hosting a watch party for your community, please contact me at maia.draper-reich@pwsrcac.org.

Community Corner: Prince William Sound College students tour Bligh Reef

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A group of attendees gather on a deck on the front of the boat looking toward Bligh Reef.On May 1, Council volunteers and staff joined local high school and college students, educators, and other partners on a cruise to Bligh Reef, where the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground in 1989.

On board Stan Stephens’ Valdez Spirit, the students were immersed in learning about the marine environment and the effects of oil spills. Passengers were treated to the typical delights of Prince William Sound including glimpses of whales, views of sea lions, and the beautiful scenery.

The tour was put on by the Copper River Watershed Project, or CRWP, in collaboration with the Prince William Sound College, or PWSC. CRWP Program Director Kate Morse and PWSC Professor Amanda Glazier coordinated the event. Morse is also a member of the Council’s Information and Education Committee. Council members led activities and contributed their expertise on board.

Groups of students and adults rotated through learning stations over the course of the five-hour tour including conducting plankton “tows” to collect samples from the water, exploring plankton samples under microscopes, collecting water chemistry data, discussing marine navigation, and learning about marine oil spill response.

Two students from Prince William Sound College use microscopes to examine water samples taken during the trip. Participants also had the opportunity to engage in an activity titled “Voices from the Spill,” which involved reading personal stories of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its aftermath, and then respond through creative writing or art.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company generously provided a meal during the trip. Mixed groups of high school students, college students, and adults ate together and talked through a list of questions that prompted sharing about education and career pathways. In between learning activities, narration was provided about environmental, historical, and marine industry items of interest. Narrators included experts on board, such as trip leaders, the vessel captain, Council volunteers and staff, and staff from Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System.

In addition to viewing the Valdez Marine Terminal and oil spill response equipment from the water, there was exciting tanker activity. The group observed two tankers at the terminal, an empty inbound tanker with its tug escort, and a laden outbound tanker with its two escort tugs including one tethered to the stern.

The Council helped fund this tour as part of its Youth Involvement Program, which strives to help build the next generation of environmental stewards for our region. The Bligh Reef Expedition was successful at getting local youth out into the environment of Prince William Sound to learn about ecology, oceanography, history, oil industry operations, and marine safety, all while connecting with local community members who work in associated fields.

Funds of up to $5,000 are available for educational projects related to our mission. Please contact Maia Draper-Reich if you would like to be notified when the next proposal period opens.

Community Corner: Alaskans still learning from the Exxon Valdez spill

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Maia Draper-Reich

By Maia Draper-Reich, Outreach Coordinator

In February, the Council participated in the Alaska Forum on the Environment, a week-long conference that draws attendance by professionals, researchers, students, and others working in environmental fields related to Alaska. Community members and Alaska Native elders are also invited to speak on environmental issues and concerns. It was clear from sharing and connecting with the Forum’s attendees that the Exxon Valdez oil spill remains important for many Alaskans.

The Council hosts an exhibitor booth where we connect with participants about our mission and work. This year, the Council shared a booth with Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council, or CIRCAC, which allowed us to engage with attendees about the two sister organizations, our shared history, and our specific regions of oversight.

As the Outreach Coordinator, I am a member of the Forum’s planning committee and help organize the oil spill track of sessions each year. This year, I presented on behalf of the Council on a session titled “35 Years Since the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Community Projects and Engagement.” The other presenters for the session were Shiway Wang, executive director of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, and Shaylon Cochran, director of communications and public outreach at CIRCAC.

Wang spoke about impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Trustee Council’s restoration projects and science. Then, Cochran and I presented jointly sharing about our respective regions and origins, including the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the associated responsibilities. Cochran and I each took a turn highlighting each Council’s past and current work. It was an excellent venue to emphasize the lessons learned from the spill about the importance of local community engagement. This was exemplified by the accomplishments by all three organizations. The session was well attended with approximately 70 people in the room and 60 online participants. Questions from the audience centered on continued impacts from the spill on wildlife and prevention gaps.

I was encouraged by my conversations at the booth and after our session about the importance of citizen oversight and the value of the work we continue to accomplish in the region.

Community Corner: Music, Salmon, and Oil Spill Prevention

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By Maia Draper-Reich, Outreach Coordinator

In early August, the Council hosted a booth at Salmonfest in Ninilchik, Alaska. The annual music and arts festival welcomes nonprofits to host information booths and share with attendees about their work in the ‘Salmon Causeway’. Salmonfest is a festival rooted in advocacy, working with organizations on the front lines to protect Bristol Bay and its wild salmon fishery. They also support other causes throughout the year. The variety of booths at the 2023 Causeway included salmon-focused and environmental groups, as well as advocacy and education of other issues like Alaska Native interests, women’s health, and more.

Board President Robert Archibald, Port Operations and Vessel traffic System Committee member Max Mitchell, and I staffed the Council’s booth across the three-day festival. The Council’s booth tied into the festival’s theme of healthy salmon through sharing about citizen engagement in marine oil spill prevention and response, and marine invasive species.

We spoke to individuals from the Exxon Valdez oil spill region and beyond about the spill, its aftermath, and the ongoing work the Council does to promote the safe transport of crude oil through Prince William Sound. We handed out Council publications and logoed giveaway items. Ear plugs were popular as they are highly useful at a music festival event and exemplary of how prevention is key. Because of the festival’s environmental advocacy origin, the approximately 350 attendees who stopped by the booth were engaged and receptive with many eager to stay connected and learn more through our newsletter and receiving a copy of The Spill book.

Sharing about invasive species took the form of a carnival game-style activity. Booths were encouraged to have an activity that attendees could complete or engage with to get a stamp on their Causeway bingo card. The Council’s carnival game was the Green Crab Attack explainer activity where the participants get to step into the shoes of a marine scientist monitoring for invasive crab species such as European Green Crab. Youth and adults of all ages tried out removing foam sea creatures from the crab trap and sorting them into categories keeping an eye out for any green crabs.

Salmonfest was a great opportunity to connect with community members from lower Cook Inlet and the Kenai Peninsula, as well as those from elsewhere in Alaska and visitors, on citizen engagement in oil spill prevention and response in Prince William Sound and the downstream communities. On Sunday, people carrying large salmon puppets paraded by the nonprofit Causeway as a local act played on the nearby Inlet Stage, illustrating how the festival allows art, local environmental issues, and people to converge.

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