WORDS OF A FEATHER 38 by HEATHER SHIRLEY Charismatic Megafauna just returned from Alaska. It was my third I time there. Certainly not my last trip to visit the largest state in the country. Its vastness is mind-boggling. If you superimpose a map of Alaska onto a map of the continental United States, Alaska stretches almost entirely across the lower 48. I’ve only explored a fraction of it, but every bit I’ve seen is glorious. As a birder, I am keen to see new species of birds everywhere I go. Of course, the more species you see, the harder it gets to spot new ones. Even though on this most recent trip to Alaska I went to areas I hadn’t previously explored, I only saw one new species: a pelagic bird, the short-tailed shearwater. Of course, I wish I had seen more new species, called “lifers” in birder parlance. But I really can’t be disappointed because I saw so, so, so much other amazing wildlife. I was traveling with wildlife experts—people who have spent their careers studying wildlife in remote places all over the earth. (Can you imagine?) They were tremendous resources throughout the trip, identifying what we saw and teaching us natural history. We were kayaking, and I pointed out a raft of otters, noting that some were holding paws, others were twirling floating kelp around their babies so they didn’t float away and still others were holding shellfish in their tiny adorable paws. So cute! That’s when a burly, grizzly, seasoned scientist leaned over and told me: “That’s what we call charismatic megafauna.” I hadn’t heard the term, but loved the idea that scientists came up with a description for cute animals. Wikipedia notes that, “Charismatic megafauna are animal species that are large— in the relevant category that they represent— with symbolic value or widespread popular appeal and are often used by environmental activists to gain public support for environmentalist goals.” Think of giant pandas, the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund. Conservationists got the idea to drive more public support for their goals by attaching cute, familiar animals to LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS <strong>Labor</strong> <strong>Day</strong> <strong>2023</strong> the cause. The overall environment benefits because when the habitat of a panda—or other animal—is protected, many more species beyond just pandas are ensured the resources they need to survive. Critics also exist, however. There may be more critically endangered species in an area, but they don’t get enough attention because they’re not “cute.” The public can also become overly focused on protecting “cute” species that aren’t native to an area and should be removed to restore an ecosystem to optimal health. Science and conservation always seem incredibly complicated. What’s not complicated is the joy and wonder I felt when I experienced the wildlife sightings in Alaska. A mama grizzly bear and her three cubs emerged from their winter den. The cubs, who had contented bellies full of their mother’s milk, tumbled along the coastline, rolled in the grass and splashed in the water. Two stood on their hind legs and used their forepaws to box and wrestle with each other. Mama bear, in contrast, hadn’t eaten since she had gone into the den last fall. She pretty much ignored the cubs and instead rummaged around to find food. Her first food of spring may include grass, clover, dandelions, ants, seeds and mammals. Bears are omnivorous and after months hibernating, I’m sure she’d eat pretty much anything she could. The bears were a delight to watch. But Alaska is full of delights and more wildlife waited ahead. I kayaked past a colony of harbor seals with their pups. They were basking in the spring sunshine, hauled out on boulders at the edge of Disenchantment Bay. Seeing me glide past, they raised their heads and stared with large, dark eyes. The males, however, bellowed protectively, urging me to quickly paddle towards my goal, the Hubbard Glacier. The spectacular glacier glowed icy blue in the Left to right: A Stellar’s sea lion swims past the author’s boat. A moose emerges from the Alaskan forest. PROUDLY SERVING THE BOATING COMMUNITY SINCE 1987 Text: 201-400-6031 MORRIS COUNTY MARINE INC. Sales • Service • Storage Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to hear the sounds of a sea lion. sunshine and thundered as ice calved into the sea. I picked up a chunk of the ice that floated past my kayak and learned that it was at least 3,000 years old! Amazing! My attention turned from the ice as we heard a large expulsion of breath. Humpback whales! Swimming right alongside us! They winter and have their calves, or babies, in Hawaii, then cross the ocean and spend summers feeding in Alaska’s nutrient-rich waters. We watched as one breached, gloriously erupting out of the ocean. Others were finslapping, lying on their sides at the surface of the water, lifting their long pectoral fins and slamming them down. Scientists believe this behavior to be a way the whales communicate with each other. So much wildlife and not enough space in this magazine to write about it all! Moose wading in rivers swollen from the spring melt. Sea lions leaping in the waves all around our Zodiac boat. Mountain goats defying gravity, scampering up sheer mountainsides of granite. Dall’s porpoise leaping and cavorting. Wildflowers blooming across valleys. Everywhere, constantly, Alaska offers breathtaking experiences in nature. If it’s been on your bucket list, don’t put off that dream trip to Alaska. Book it and enjoy. Go see some charismatic megafauna! WE HANDLE: Insurance Claims • Fiberglass • Gelcoat • Mechanical 745 US 46 W • Kenvil, NJ God Bless America
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