Denali National Park, Susitna River Coalition, and Susitna Salmon Center host public celebrations

Correction:  This story has been updated to reflect the role of the Susitna River Coalition in organizing the Alaska Wild Salmon Day event.

Sunday saw celebrations that drew locals and visitors at both the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station and the Susitna Salmon Center.

At the ranger station, Monica Magari explains the day’s events.

“We’re celebrating Denali National Park’s 100^th birthday, and the Walter Harper Talkeetna Ranger Station’s 20^th birthday, so a variety of hands-on activities, music, birthday cake, and we kicked everything off with the river cleanup.”

Activities at the ranger station included an atlatl demonstration and various stations where children learned about the impressive qualities of some of Alaska’s wildlife. Kids tried to hold their breath as long as a beaver, run as fast as a caribou, and jump as high as a snowshoe hare. For their efforts, they were rewarded with a junior ranger badge.

Across the street, the Susitna Salmon Center was also hosting a party to celebrate Alaska Wild Salmon Day. The celebration was organized jointly by the Salmon Center and the Susitna River Coalition. Guests were served fresh grilled coho salmon, and kids ran through an obstacle course designed to represent a salmon’s journey upriver to spawn.

Catherine Inman set up a table for the Mat-Su Salmon Partnership where she educated kids and adults alike about the invertebrates that form the base of a river’s food chain.

“The shrimp one is called a scud, and it’s going to look like that for its whole life cycle. Some of these are larvae, and they’re going to turn into little flying insects later on. They might even spend a year or two under the gravel—hiding under rocks.”

Inman says paying attention to invertebrates is important not only because they are a food source for salmon, but because they tend to only thrive in relatively clean waterways.

Many people moved back and forth between the two events, enjoying the free food, fun activities, and celebratory atmosphere.