The Last Frontier (other than space) Alaska

Hello Family!

2019 will be known for me as the year I moved to Alaska. I finished up my Americorps service in January and by the end of February I was a resident of the capital of the largest state Juneau, Alaska. I began here as a Fish Tech working in the DIPAC Salmon Hatchery! Two months of moving baby fish around and releasing them into the wild ocean! I moved over 130 million (130,000,000 its more impressive with all the zeroes!) Coho, King, and Chum salmon!

In April I began my new position at the hatchery as a Lead Guide for the DIPAC visitor center. Going into this job I was not a public speaker, a teacher, or a connoisseur of Southeast Alaska ocean life. But after a summer of speaking to tens of thousands of folks from all over the world I can officially say I am all of those things. If anyone has salmon or salmon hatchery questions I am the one to call.


I’ve been working at the Eaglecrest Ski resort for a little while now after the tourism season ended, but it just so happens that on the day I wrote this I’ve been offered a full time position at DIPAC as the supervisor of the Visitor Center. So back into the fray I go!




Outside work I’ve made new friends, and gone on many adventures with my girlfriend Jessica. You may remember my Sea Semester program in 2017 when I sailed from Woods Hole, Massachusetts to St Georges, Grenada. I met her aboard that ship and somehow we ended up together here in Alaska. You could say I moved up here for her. It was a great choice! We’ve climbed mountains, hiked amazing trails, and swam in frozen lakes (a strange Alaska holiday tradition).





And to end my post I will also mention that I have made another friend up here named Nellie. She is a Giant Pacific Octopus who lives at DIPAC and loves wrapping her tentacles around

my hands and arms and playing tug of war with fish heads. They are amazingly intelligent creatures and now with my permanent position I’ll be able to see her every day. Hopefully my pictures will do this place some justice. Until next we meet, I love you all my Kansas family!