Everything Under The Sun: Preserving Wilderness At Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The beauty of the wilderness, with whitened animal horns on the ground.

Located in the northeast corner of Alaska lies a wildlife refuge that was first established in 1960. Under the administration of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE preserves some 19.64 acres of land and water. Within the refuge is a large wilderness area and two wild rivers areas.

To give you an idea of the size of this refuge, it comprises an area as large as the State of South Carolina. Another claim to fame is that this preserved area is the largest and most northern of the US wildlife refuges. Within its boundaries are tundra plains, the Brooks mountain range, and the spruce and birch forests of the Yukon River basin. Also within the refuge's boundaries are the Inupiat, and the Gwich'in peoples, found, respectively, in Kaktovik and Arctic Village.

Today, Second Chief Trimble Gilbert, of the Tanana Chiefs Conference received a painting by artist Lindsay Carron of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The painting includes a portrait of Second Chief Gilbert, intertwined with the waters and wildlife.

Ms. Carron described her experience at the conference, "Between listening to orations from Gwich'in environmentalists, deep moments of connection through portraiture with the elders, dancing in celebration to the midnight sun, painting with the kids, trekking on trails made by caribou, gazing over a valley that has supported migrations of animals and people for thousands of years, hearing the haunting call of the Arctic loon, and feeling the tumbling pressure of silence between the mountains, my life was altered by the Arctic Refuge."

Yet another sight in the Arctic Refuge, a snowy owl soaring over the coastal plain in search of prey, which can range from arctic ground squirrels to voles and lemmings. Wilbur Wright noted the grace evident in the flight of birds, "The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who...looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...on the infinite highway of air." Although he may never have viewed this refuge, it is one area remaining in this country that gives an impression of an "infinite highway of air."

Lindsay Carron's painting of Second Chief Gilbert intertwined with the Arctic Refuge.

The Arctic Refuge is one of those areas where you might want to observe the rules of being in a wilderness area, to leave it the way it was before you entered. This huge tract of wilderness does indeed represent the reason why unspoiled areas were designated as preserves/national parks/refuges. This piece of wild lands heritage preserves an area with minimal human intervention, as much of an area where nature dominates without much human interference. These are areas that bring peace, quiet, contemplation of the beauty of nature, a place we want to preserve for future generations.