Caribou Update From Alaska, 2/10/95

Greetings from the Arctic village of Wainwright, Alaska. We are located on the shores of the Chukchi Sea about 90 miles southwest of Barrow, the northernmost community in the United States. My tenth grade biology class and I are very interested in participating in Journey North and we look forward to learning about the migrations of various animals.

We are particularly interested in learning more about caribou migrations. These animals have been crucial for the survival of the Inupiaq Eskimos for thousands of years. The caribou inundates every aspect of the Eskimo culture in form of food, clothing, and artwork, and tools.

As part of the Journey North project, we have been asked to present information about migration of a caribou herd in our state. In the near future, we hope to provide project participants with the results of our research. With some help from our internet experts, we will be able to show you slides, maps, and video footage of the herd and its migration patterns.

Here is a brief introduction to the caribou herd we will present: There are three major herds that live on and migrate across the Alaskan Arctic. We have chosen the eastern herd, the Porcupine, to use in our presentation. This herd (named after a river in Canada and Alaska) ranges over 96,000 square miles that spans from south of the Brooks Range (actually the northern portion of the Continental Divide) in Canada to the coastal plain on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

Laura Thorpe and her 10th grade Biology class