February 23rd Ed Bennett on Hulahula River & Beaufort Sea Polar Bears  

Dave Plant from Goal Zero Solar Panels

Adventures in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge By: Georgia and Ed Bennett

  Travel with Georgia and Ed as they float the Hulahula River in June and witness the migration of the Porcupine Caribou herd on the northern flanks of the Brooks Range in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness. In September, they traveled to the  coast of the Beaufort Sea near Kaktovik where they photographed polar bears. Come and enjoy beautiful photographs of the landscape and wildlife of ANWR, from the mountains to the sea. Ed and Georgia will also talk about the logistics of setting up these trips and will provide gear tips for those wishing to travel to the Arctic. Ed Bennett is a long-time journalist; Georgia works as a graphic designer. They formed a photography business, Bennett Images, in 2003 and have been learning ever since.

Dave Plant from Goal Zero Solar Panels

  "Goal Zero offers an innovative solution to the demand for transportable energy with the highest quality solar panels and power packs, equipped with relevant accessories needed to power any device, anywhere. Goal Zero has created an entirely new industry within portable power." You can use the sun to create and store electrical energy, then use that energy when you need it. So if you’re a Kayaker, hiker, hunter you now have a very compact and modular way to keep you’re your electrical devices working, i.e. GPS, Camera, Cell Phone, Satellite Phone, etc. The systems range from very small, say for an individual, all the way up to a base/hunting camp or even a small cabin.

  Now, a littler more about "Goal Zero," and why that name. The Goal Zero products were designed and built about 6 years ago. At the time they were not built for retail sale. They were specifically made for a Non-Profit Organization, TIIFIE (go to: http://tifie.org/) for Humanitarian Operations in Third World Countries. These products have been in use for the last 6 years, all over the world, from the African Congo, to Mt. Everest, in every type of environment. About 2 years ago, TIFIE realized that they could bring these systems to the retail market and use a portion of the proceeds to continue to fund their humanitarian efforts. So Goal Zero is simply the retail side of TIFIE. The name comes from some of TIFIE's mission statement, which is Zero Illiteracy (they build and runs schools powered by Goal Zero systems), and Zero Poverty (in addition to teaching children how to read and write, they teach adults a applicable trade and set them up in that business). You can also visit our website: www.goalzero,com for more information.

March 22nd Cathy Hart on Brazil

Tom Kain  on Volunteering for Camp Improvement Opportunities Alaska State Parks

  Cathy Hart will present her trip to Brazil. She spent 2.5 weeks partly in the Pantanal in search of Birds, Jaguars, Giant River otters, Caymans and more and in the jungles of the Amazon. Most days were spent in small skiffs searching for wildlife from boats and in the Amazon hiking in the jungles, rivers, and high in the canopy of the forest. Cathy has been a wildlife photographer in Alaska for over 20 years. Her other passion is being on rivers and in her sea kayak.

Tom Kain is a ranger out of Seward and will be discussing camp improvement opportunities for KCK volunteers for this summer.

April 19th General Safety Meeting

April 26th Jack Mosby - Chandalar River

Jack Mosby will speak on Three Forks (West, Middle, East) of the Chandalar River – Where is it? How to get there and back – What to expect? Follow along with Jack Mosby and friends on a 30-day Paddling experience on the south flank of the Brooks Range. Who said you shouldn't eat peanut butter, jam, and pilot bread every day?

Second slot is currently vacant.

May 17th Ruth Kroon from Eagle Safety Solutions

Ruth will be showing and explaining some of the newest safety gear to help improve outdoor experience

Second slot is currently vacant