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Explore the life and land of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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»Focus on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

We invite you to explore the natural history and cultures of the Arctic. The content featured on this page is selected for you by Burke Museum staff.

Featured content

	Arctic artifacts! View amazing objects from the Burke's Arctic collection: masks, dolls, model kayaks, ivory animal carvings, mukluks, and more.
	Arctic photography exhibit Extraordinary images of Arctic landscapes, wildlife, and people—by photographer Subhankar Banerjee.
	Should We Drill for Oil? What a group of UW students learned on a recent visit to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (PDF file.)
	My Arctic Sketchbook Charming vignettes from UW student Corrina Chase's journal of her visit to Refuge. (PDF file.)
	Arctic study collection Bring a museum collection into your classroom—rent a study kit! Hands-on learning at its best.
	Kids activities Fun for kids: Make an Arctic mask; make your own caribou antlers; make snow goggles. (PDF files.)
	Lesson plans Hey, teachers! Curriculum and lesson plans for grades 7–10, about the land, wildlife, and people of the Alaskan Arctic.
	Want to learn more? Best Web links and books about the Arctic and the issues, as recommended by Seattle librarians.

DID YOU KNOW?

Oil from the Arctic Refuge would only minimally affect gasoline prices (less than 1 cent/gallon).

The United States exports one million barrels of oil per day, equal to the estimated supply from the coastal plain at peak production rates.

Canada is the largest single petroleum exporter to the United States.

28 species of birds migrate between the Pacific Northwest and the Refuge.

More than 180 bird species live in or visit the Refuge. They migrate to all 48 states in the continental United States and as far away as Antarctica.

The Porcupine Caribou herd, which totals 120,000 animals, migrates over 400 miles annually to visit the coastal plain. It is critically important to the herd because it offers safety from predators and mosquitoes during the calving season.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge consists of 19.5 million acres of tundra, mountains, coastal plain and forest. It is approximately the size of South Carolina.

45 species of mammals inhabit the Refuge ranging from shrews that weigh less than an ounce to polar bears, which can weigh over 1,300 pounds.

Oil and gas drilling is permitted in 95% of the coastal lands of Alaska�s North Slope. The only 5% that is protected is in the Arctic Refuge.

Only one town is in the Refuge, Kaktovik. The sun is continuously above the horizon from May 15 to July 27 and below the horizon from November 24 to January 17. Average precipitation is eight inches per year.

Caribou are central to the Gwich�in people who live at the southern edge of the Refuge. They call the coastal plain Iizhik Gwats�an Gwandaii Goodlit (The Sacred Place Where Life Begins).

The Coastal Plain has the highest number of polar bear dens of any location on Alaska�s North Slope.

Permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, under the Refuge is as much as 1,800 feet deep. During a typical summer, up to 18 inches of the upper layer of permafrost melts, providing a footing for roots and animals.

Some excerpts from Should We Drill for Oil?, by UW students.

What's this all about?
The Burke developed this Web page to help people learn more about the Arctic Refuge, its cultural and natural history, and the politics of one of the most controversial landscapes on the planet.

In 2005, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was the subject of two exciting programs at the Burke Museum. The first was an exhibit of 49 photographs by Subhankar Banerjee. For two years beginning in March 2001, Banerjee traveled some 4,000 miles on foot, raft, kayak, snowmobile, and bush planes, visually recording this extraordinary area. His photographs have helped reveal the beauty and diversity of the Refuge to thousands of people.

The Burke also partnered with the University of Washington�s Program on the Environment, which put together an intensive class focused on the natural and cultural history and politics of the Refuge. In addition to reading about the Refuge and listening to experts, the twelve students in the class traveled to Alaska and spent eight days rafting across the coastal plain, the area proposed to be opened for drilling. The students also talked with geologists, activists, ecologists, writers, and politicians in Alaska and then traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators and to share their experiences.


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