Members of the NGEE Arctic team, or at least those who
conduct field research in Alaska, are finding themselves increasingly
comfortable living and working in the vicinity of Nome. While it is not a large
town – 3,500 people – it nonetheless has resources that make our stay
comfortable, efficient, and safe. These come in the form of grocery stores,
hardware stores, hotels and B&B’s, restaurants, a regional hospital, a community
recreation center, and the UAF Northwest Campus.
Business owners and local citizens are friendly and go out
of their way to answer our many questions. Just this morning in response to
asking about the different kinds of fish that occupy area streams and rivers I
was given a “Fishing Guide”. The guide provides a river-by-river description of
fish found in the region and, more specifically, along the Teller, Kougarok, and
Council roads; Chinook, pink (humpies), chum, Sockeye, and Coho salmon; Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden, and Northern Pike. Now if we only had the time and,
more importantly, the energy to fish or join a pickup game of basketball at the
recreation center after long days in the field! Such is the life of a field
scientist.
