Meet the Crew

Coming at you from the east, west, north and south, SCA Alaska Corps team 5 is almost a week out from arrival in Anchorage for training and the start of the season. Anticipation is in the air as school winds down or graduation dates pass for each of them. Over the course of 16 weeks we'll take on the wilds south east Alaska. Until then, here is a quick introduction to the crew.

NATHAN KEMP

My name is Nathan Kemp and I'm from Santa Rosa, Ca. I have been studying in the Natural Resource Management program at the Santa Rosa Junior College for a year and a half. It amazes me everyday that the local rivers and forests have become my classroom. I hope to one  day turn my passion for the outdoors into a career as a park ranger. I spend most of my free time rock climbing. It has led me on incredible adventures that make me look at and respect nature in a whole new way. When I am not climbing you might catch me hiking, fishing, wakeskating, or snowboarding.

SCOTTY MARTELL

Greetings in the name of the most high!

My Name is Scotty Martell and I come from Montana, and no, I don't ride any horses.  I've called Bozeman, MT my home for the eighteen-years I've been on this earth.  My family and I live right in downtown Bozeman in a small orange house which is adorned with horse and moose skulls on the front porch.  My family enjoys gardening and we have a decent sized garden in the backyard producing carrots, corn, squashes and peas. As well as the garden there are two fruit trees, an Italian plum and Nanking-cherry, which produce fruit annually.

Bozeman is an "outdoorsy" town located 80-miles from Yellowstone National Park.  We are located near some of the best public lands for recreation and in the summer time I just enjoy being outside communing with nature.  Whether that be chillin' and sungazing under a tree in the backyard or hiking and mountain biking the many trails in the mountains.  When it snows I enjoy skiing at Bridger Bowl (the local ski area).  I especially enjoy jumping off of cliffs into gravity storms and shreddin' deep snow!

I attended Bridger Alternative High School and Graduated class of 2015.  Outside of school and skiing my interests include meditation and art, especially using ink and watercolor.

SARAH PICKETT 

I’m Sarah Pickett and I am from Dallas, Texas. I just finished my Bachelor of Science in Biology at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. I participated in undergraduate research in plant physiological ecology for the last two years. I looked at the effects of shortwave UV-B on native Texas grasses in natural light environments. I am very interested in ecology and plants so my research was a nice combination of the two. I have played alto saxophone for eleven years and was a member of the Jazz Band at Trinity. I also high jumped on the Track and Field team for the last four years and won high jump at conference with a jump of 5’5” this spring. Additionally, I was a member of SPURS Sorority, a local sorority, and the oldest at Trinity. I enjoy art of all sorts, but one of my favorite mediums is wood block printing, which I have been doing for the past year. When I have free time I like reading and will read anything I can get my hands on. I also enjoy camping, hiking, and anything outdoors.

SAMANTHA SEA

Meet Big Al a 13’2” American alligator.

Hey, I’m Samantha Sea. I am from central Kentucky, Lebanon to be precise. I am taking a break from Eastern Kentucky University, where I am majoring in Wildlife Management. I love animals, traveling, reading, and anything outdoors from hiking to hunting and fishing. I want to travel all over the world through most any means, including backpacking the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

VINNY SALVATO

I was born in Winslow, Maine and have spent my whole life in that great state. I have recently graduated from Green Mountain College in Vermont with a degree in Environmental Studies and concentrating in Natural Resource Management. I have been on multiple trail crews including this past summer I was working in Tongass National Forest in Prince of Wales Alaska. When not building trails I enjoy cycling, nordic skiing and eating.  

LESLEY  SEALE

I call Colorado Springs, Colorado, home and attended the University of Colorado, majoring in Environmental Studies with minors in biology and geology. I grew up in an Air Force family, which led to moves across the country and the world and inspired my interes to explore new places. I am most happy when skiing, hiking, biking, drawing, or anything that get me out in fresh air. This will be my second season project leading for the SCA, and fourth summer in Alaska. Over the past few years I've worked seasonally leading trail/conservation crews, and ski instructing in Crested Butte, Colorado. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with this crew and share a summer with like-minded individuals in one of the most beautiful and majestic places in the world.

Setting the Scene

We are one of six SCA Corps teams working throughout Alaska this summer, each team has a unique set of projects and locations they will be working in. Last season I led a crew through south-central Alaska, here is a link to our blog in case you're curious: http://scaalaskatc.blogspot.com/. AK Team 5 is set largely in south-east Alaska, within the maize of coastline and islands. Our summer schedule will take us to the towns of Palmer, Gustravus, Skagway, and Sitka over the course of 14 weeks of conservation projects.

Palmer 

Mat-Su Borough Trails

West Butte Trail Project June 8 to June 11

Source: http://www.alaskapublic.org/2014/12/01/buying-a-landmark/

Palmer is located about an hour north of Anchorage, set North of the Knik Arm of the Cook Intet, east of the Matanuska River, and surrounded by the Talkeetna Mountains to the North and Chugach Range to the South. The Bodenburg Butte is a geologic feature within the Matanuska valley, left as a remnant from glacial activity. It serves as a popular day hiking destination for the Mat-Su area. The trail will be receiving work early this season to take account for newly aquired property on the summit of the butte. 

Gustavus 

Glacier Bay National Park

Bartlett Cove June 15 to July 3

Dry Bay July 6 to July 24

Source: www.sandygennrich.com

Glacier Bay National Park harbors high peaks, temperate rainforest, and dynamic coastlines of glaciers and fjords. The park and preserve is 3,283,000 acres, with approximately 27% covered by 1,045 glaciers. The majority of the glaciers are located at elevations between 8,000 to 12,000 feet, few but notable are the tidewater glaciers infamous for their calving and dramatic addition to the landscape. 
Gustavus is the nearest town, 10 miles from park boundary, and can be accessed only by boat or plane. Limited access to the area influences the large quantity of cruise ship passengers visiting the park. Prior to modern establishments the region was the homeland to the Huna Tlingit people. 

Skagway

Klondike Goldrush National Historic Park

Chilkoot Trail Maintenance July 27 to August 21

Source: nps.gov

Klondike Goldrush National Historic Park is a collection of scattered sites in the Skagway area to commemorate the history of mining that influenced the growth of Alaskan and Yukon territories in the late 1800s. Miners flooding the area were referred to as Stampeders, and utilized the Chilkoot Trail to hike from Dyea, Alaska, to Lake Bennett, British Columbia, to mine for gold. The 33 mile trail was a demanding trek and intensified by the requirement for each person to bring a years worth of supplies across the border with them. The National Historic Park is also connected to sites in Seattle, Washington, and Dawson City, Yukon Territory, that help to encompass the story of gold mining from start to finish. The Klondike goldrush is one of 50 mining booms that took place between 1800-1915 that helped expand the options for further development in the north. 

Sitka

Sitka Trail Works

Boardwalk removal August 24 to September 11

Source: tripadvisor.com

The location of Sitka was originally a Tlingit native settlement, that was taken over through a series of struggled by the Russians between 1799-1804. Sitka, served as the trading hub for the Russian-American Company and was designated the capital of Russian America. Political and economic concerns in Russia led to the sale of the Alaskan Territory to the United States is 1867 for $7.2 million dollars. Today Sitka serves as a major fishing port for the U.S. and was assisted in development by the goldrush era. The town is located primarily on Baranof Island and on the southern end of Chichagof Island, which are part of the Alexander Archipelago.  
We will be partnering with Sitka Trail Works, a local non profit started in 1997. Their mission is to enhance the trails of Sitka and provide opportunities for "physical activity, economic development, cultural enrichment and spiritual renewal."


There is so much to look forward to in the quickly approaching season. Each of these places have unique stories and opportunities within them that we get the chance to interact with. Next post will feature introductions to the crew members of AK Team 5. 

-Lesley