10/05/2026
Our natural resources technician (NRT) students recently spent several days in Cordova, Alaska, putting classroom learning to work in the field and getting a closer look at the people and projects connected to Alaska’s natural resources.
For NRT student Dahiana Barasz, the trip started with a first: riding the ferry to Cordova.
The group met at 5 a.m. in the dorm parking lot, traveled to Whittier, then took the ferry and arrived around 8:30 that night.
“It was gorgeous,” Dahiana said. “It was my first time properly seeing the scenery from the water.”
The next morning, students visited the Chugach National Forest office and met with Forest Service staff. They learned about conservation, recreation, interpretation, public-use cabins, and some of the staffing and programming challenges agencies face.
They also learned about bird monitoring in the Copper River Delta, where millions of shorebirds pass through during migration, and the work involved in tracking bird populations and migration patterns over time.
Then it was into the field.
At Haystack, students practiced forestry skills they have been learning at PWSC. They measured tree height and diameter, took core samples with an increment borer, and worked on a forest inventory plot.
“It was really cool to get that hands-on experience actually using the instruments,” Dahiana said.
Students then worked with the Copper River Watershed Project on culvert restoration and monitoring.
They learned that a culvert is much more than a pipe in the ground. Culverts can change how water moves through a system and can affect fish passage and habitat. Students looked at restoration work designed to improve those conditions and learned how projects like these bring together research, landowners, transportation officials, and other partners.
They also saw firsthand what erosion can do.
An area that once provided trail access has been closed because so much land has eroded. Trees have fallen as the soil around their roots disappears, and changes to the river can affect salmon habitat and the larger ecosystem.
“It was really eye-opening to see all of that,” Dahiana said.
Students also helped monitor juvenile coho salmon in restored culverts. They set traps designed to capture young fish safely, carefully collected the salmon, and practiced measuring them before releasing them. It gave students a firsthand look at how the Watershed Project monitors whether juvenile salmon are using these restored systems.
They also learned about beavers and how their ponds can provide important habitat for salmon and other wildlife.
Later, students switched gears and collected plant seeds near Sheridan Glacier, hiking out to gather lupin seeds for restoration work.
Then came the parts of the trip that weren't on the official schedule.
Students explored Cordova, tide-pooled at Orca Bay, and found plenty of starfish when the tide went out. Most of the group eventually took a polar plunge into the sound, warming up afterward in the sauna.
They even spotted a black bear along the road.
The trip connected so many pieces of what NRT students are learning at PWSC: ecology, forestry, Alaska geography, mapping, weather, wildlife, field methods, and restoration, while giving them the chance to meet people actually doing this work.
And that may be the best part.
