AWA’s VP John Morton recently gave two presentations at the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia’s 2025 Annual Forum in New Westminster, BC, Canada.

Within sight of almost half of all Alaskans lies a little known tidal estuary.  Perched along Turnagain Arm on the northwestern Kenai Peninsula, the 27,000-acre Chickaloon Flats is the only part of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge that touches marine waters.  It represents 7% of the total estuarine area in Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound, the two water bodies that form the peninsula. As such, it’s a small but important part of the Pacific Flyway for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl. 

The article highlights research on controversial resource management interventions, such as the use of herbicide on invasive aquatic plants, and how resource managers require information on public value trade-offs and perceived risk, beyond that which public meetings can provide.

The article highlights research on the phenological patterns of soundscapes of ecosystems, and weather the seasonality of the soundscapes coincided with weather variables that are used to monitor climate.

The article examines an isotopic approach to estimate probable breeding, staging and/or non-breeding origins of six shorebird species, some of high conservation concern, using Chickaloon during spring and fall migration of 2009 and 2010

From the abstract: Alaska, with its unique geographical and ecological characteristics, is experiencing the detrimental effects of climate change at an alarming rate. The Alaska Native (AN) population, deeply connected to the land and its resources, faces disproportionate vulnerability to these impacts. We call attention to climate change impacts on AN food sovereignty, mental and behavioral health, cultural and spiritual practices, resiliency and adaptation, and how local Alaskan organizations are addressing climate change impacts.

This article also highlights the urgent need for environmental public health professionals to engage with AN and Native American communities, address health inequities, and participate in mitigation and adaptation efforts to address the environmental public health threats and consequences of climate change. Increasing awareness of climate- related health impacts on these communities is crucial and immediate actions are needed to support safer, healthier, and more sustainable and climate-resilient communities. Government agencies at all levels should also seek to integrate perspectives from Indigenous Peoples, engage in co-management strategies, and provide equitable funding and support for Indigenous communities. Unity, resilience, and adaptation become attainable goals by joining communities in caring for the environment. This message resonates not only in Alaska but also globally, highlighting the need for collective action in the face of climate change.

The article examines how the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework can facilitate informed decision making and a more cohesive and proactive approach to managing ecological trajectories…”

Check out a new publication co-authored by AWA’s Vice President, Dr. John Morton in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research!

The article discusses a study that examined the genetic makeup of Lutz spruce, a natural hybrid between white and Sitka spruce on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Our board vice president, Dr. John Morton, and our executive director, Nicole Schmitt, have both been recently published! Read more about the RAD Framework and AWA’s outlook on climate adaptation for wildlife in Alaska.

Our board vice president, Dr. John Morton, has been recently published. Learn more about Alaska’s first known aquatic invasive species, Elodea spp. (Elodea) and its floatplane-related dispersal.

In the article, Becker and Herreman (2021) critique the approach of Schmidt et al. (2019), which integrates local minimum counts with landscape‐scale conventional distance sampling (CDS) surveys.

AWA’s Vice President, Dr. John Morton, co-authored a recently published report on climate adaptation strategies we hope to employ in Alaska. Learn more about this Resist-Accept-Direct framework.