New Podcast Chronicles Southeast Alaska’s Diverse Coastal Climate

The following press release is courtesy of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust:

Newly Released Podcast – The SeaBank Chronicles

Tune in to be transported through the living science of Southeast Alaska’s coastal rainforest

[Sitka, Alaska, October 10, 2024] – Southeast Alaskans are used to bad weather forecasts calling for plenty of rain, but recent scientific data offers a ray of sunshine: according to the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT), the state’s southeast coast is shaping up to be a climate refuge. This information and more is part of ASFT’s SeaBank initiative which is a multi-disciplinary approach to identify, assess, and communicate the value of the Southeast Alaska ecosystem, and to empower residents, visitors, and policymakers to make sound long-term decisions that promote stewardship and sustainable economics.

To share this heartening science with the public, Beth Short-Rhoads, local Sitka chef and writer, has produced a podcast, The SeaBank Chronicles, that brings the viewpoint of a citizen scientist to current research.

According to Short-Rhoads, The SeaBank Chronicles is meant to evoke a sense of mystery while also communicating data from the latest scientific research on Southeast Alaska. “It’s a cross between radio theater and a science lesson,” Short-Rhoads says, “listeners find themselves among ancient trees and wild salmon runs where they receive a series of transmissions from a SeaBank radio operator. They learn about  ecological succession and orographic lift while being immersed in the sounds of flowing water, birdsong, tectonic collisions, and entrancing music clips. It’s like stepping into another world, except that it’s our world—just experienced a little differently.” 

The SeaBank Chronicles draws heavily on the work and research published each year in ASFT’s SeaBank Annual Report. The report, researched and authored by Paul Olsen, a commercial fisherman and environmental attorney, is a data-based tool for policymakers and educators that captures the economic benefits resulting from Southeast Alaska’s unique geography and climate. The 2024 report will be released later this month.

As part of the expanding SeaBank initiative, ASFT will host a Sitka Summit on November 13th where keynote speaker Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage and leading coastal temperate rainforest expert will guide attendees through why Southeast Alaska is projected to become a stronghold for wild salmon, old-growth forests, and human communities tomorrow and in the decades to come. Award-winning author and yellow cedar expert Lauren E. Oakes will virtually  attend, reading from her forthcoming book Treekeepers: the Race for a Forested Future. More information and tickets can be found at www.thealaskatrust.org/seabank-summit. 

New transmissions of The SeaBank Chronicles will be released each Friday, starting October 11th  and are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many other platforms or listen at
https://thealaskatrust.org/seabankchroniclespodcast.