Togiak_NWR_Visitor_Center_Vision_Document_2.docx

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center Vision Document

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Arrival First Impressions Exhibit Elements

Introduction

Agency Mission The Visitor Contact Station at the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge office building in downtown Dillingham reflects the following basic mission:

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Audiences Like many Alaska visitor facilities, the Visitor Contact Station will serve two different audiences: visitors in summer and regional residents all year.

Visitors:

From mid-June through mid-September, the region welcomes a steady stream of anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, and hunters. Summer recreational visitors are mostly adults, and as much as 90 percent are from outside Alaska. Many are wealthy enough to spend thousands of dollars for a week of fishing; others have saved up for the trip of a lifetime, or return as often as they can afford. In early summer, commercial fishermen and fishery support workers fly into Dillingham for jobs on boats and on shore. Guides and camp help also work in the area during summer, staffing the region’s many sport fishing lodges. Both groups represent potential audiences for the Contact Station.

Additionally, out of town visitors such as itinerants in Dillingham on behalf of agencies such as the Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation or the Bristol Bay Native Association frequently stay at the Bristol Inn, located next door to the Refuge office; these workers are yet another potential audience.

Regional Residents:

The region’s 5000 residents will be an important user group year-round, but especially from fall to spring. School children and families are an important part of this group. Another important off-season audience consists of residents of regional villages who are flying to or through Dillingham.

This southwest region of Alaska is the homeland of Yupik Eskimo. This audience will be a significant visitor component of the Contact Station.

At any time of year, airline passengers may find themselves at the Togiak airport and Dillingham for longer than they planned because of a weather delay. In that case, the Visitor Contact Station has a captive audience.

Take-home messages We would like all visitors to understand and remember these big, take-away ideas:

• These protected landscapes and ecosystems are valuable to Americans and to future generations.

• Together with adjoining Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and Wood-Tikchik State Park, the Refuge is part of a 25 million acre protected area that is one of the three largest on the continent.

• These rivers, lakes, and streams nourish salmon, and support an entire food chain that includes us.

• People’s subsistence use of these lands is vital to the culture of the region and is a continuation of a long-established tradition.

• There is a direct connection between the intact ecosystems managed by Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, and the economic health of the region.

• Resource Conservation: The Contact Station will be housed in an existing building that was recently purchased by the Service. It will be renovated and incorporate more energy efficient technologies and building materials.

• We should all strive to be good stewards of these wild places. Our actions matter. Whether we act in the name of governments that manage public use and wildlife habitat on Togiak Refuge, or as individual users of the refuge, our choices will affect this place.

• Togiak National Wildlife Refuge has designated Wilderness area that is unique to the wilderness system, and provides exceptional wilderness opportunities. Togiak’s wilderness is the second largest in the Refuge System.

Interpretive themes and subthemes

Overarching theme Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most diverse conservation areas and provides some of the greatest wilderness experience in all of Alaska and the U.S. The beauty and balance of this unique and special place are inevitably linked to our actions.

Theme 1 Intricate networks of rivers, lakes, and streams flow into Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim Bay.

1a. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge contains ideal habitat for young salmon, rainbow trout, and at least 25 other fish species.

1b. Glacial cycles over many thousands of years have laid down deep beds of gravel: ideal spawning grounds for salmon.

1c. Climate change shows that this area is not immune to outside influences.

Theme 2 Salmon are essential to the health of river, forest, and tundra ecosystems, and are economically critical to the region.

2a. Salmon bring the ocean’s nutrients far inland. Their decomposing bodies nourish animals and plants within a wide area along the waterways.

2b. Interior tundra and forests abound with life.

2c. Yupik people fish, hunt, and harvest in Togiak Wildlife Refuge. Their subsistence practices are directly connected to the fragile balance of this place.

2d. Anglers come from all over the world to fish the rivers, lakes, and streams of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

2e. Bristol Bay is the site of Alaska’s largest commercial salmon fishery and the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery.

Theme 3 Togiak National Wildlife Refuge encompasses an amazing variety of habitats and a diverse array of wildlife.

3a. Low wetlands within the Refuge provide vital staging areas for migratory birds.

3b. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge’s 600 miles of coastline, a critical component of the Bering Sea ecosystem, includes marine mammal haul-outs and migratory routes, and bird nesting sites.

3c. The region’s geologic history, combining glaciation and volcanism, has created breathtaking landscapes.

3d. Moose colonization of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and the Bristol Bay region is a modern-day wildlife interest story that demonstrates the changing nature of these lands over time.

3e. At least 60% of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is tundra.

3f. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is renowned for its exceptional biodiversity.

Theme 4 Wilderness provides settings and experiences of national significance.

4a. This huge roadless area abounds in wildlife.

4b. Visitors to remote and roadless Togiak National Wildlife Refuge find scenic grandeur and experience a solitude that is extremely rare in today’s world.

4c. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge conveys national wilderness messages and the value of wilderness to individuals and society.

4d. This wilderness provides excellent research opportunities, including the ultimate “control sample” and standard of comparison.

Theme 5 Opportunities on your public lands: uses that are consumptive, yet renewable 5a. Show varied, seasonal activities that go on within the Refuge.

5b. This is what you can do on the Refuge.

5c. Be prepared and be safe.

5d. Preserve the beauty of this unique place. Respect Native holdings and private property. Leave no trace of your sojourn on this land.

Key facts and exhibit ideas

Theme 1 Intricate networks of rivers, lakes, and streams flow into Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim Bay.

1a. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and Wood-Tikchik State Park contain ideal habitat for young salmon, rainbow trout, and at least 25 other fish species.

Key facts

• The Refuge includes 1500 miles of streams and rivers.

• Glaciers, snowmelt, and ample rainfall supply pure, cold water.

• Sediment loads carried by glacial rivers and streams are not conducive to salmon or trout rearing. Fresh water upwellings or side tributaries with less sediment are better for rearing.

• Rivers within Refuge boundaries that are important for subsistence include the Togiak, Goodnews, Kanektok, Osviak, Matogak, and Igushik.

• Sport fishing and recreation use is concentrated on the Togiak, Goodnews, and Kanektok rivers.

• There are no maintained roads, and no dams, culverts, or stream diversions (where? On the refuge, in wilderness, in Bristol Bay?).

Exhibit ideas

• Relief map with features highlighted in colors that echo the actual colors of rivers, lakes, and streams on the refuge and in the park. Include rivers and main streams, major lakes, mountain ranges, vegetation, and glaciers. Include coast and nearby islands used for haulouts and breeding. Adjoining portions of Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and Wood-Tickchik State Park are clearly shown on the map.

1b. Glacial cycles over many thousands of years have laid down deep beds of gravel: ideal spawning grounds for salmon.

Key facts

• “The area’s landscape is the bedrock and backdrop of the bay’s fisheries…. Bristol Bay’s sockeye salmon runs are the largest in the world, a world that has become increasingly dangerous for salmon.”

––Jan Konigsberg

• Five species of salmon are associated with Bristol Bay: Chinook, sockeye, chum, pink, and coho.

• Gravel is essential for wild salmon to reproduce.

Exhibit ideas

• Mounted salmon showing the five species found in rivers that flow into Bristol Bay [same as 2a]

• Graphic panel with scenic images and cartoon-style diagrams shows extent of gravel beds laid down by glaciers.

• Footage shows salmon spawning, redd construction, eggs deposited in gravel, fry hatching. Footage shows actual gravels and waters of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, creating a picture of the Refuge as a nursery for the salmon population. (short feature video)

1c. Climate change shows that this area is not immune to outside influences.

Key facts

• Global climate change affects glaciers and water temperatures here as elsewhere in Alaska. Research projects on Togiak National Wildlife Refuge provide important data for measuring change and predicting the future of regional ecosystems. [same as 3c]

Exhibit ideas

• Graphics showing contrasting images of the same glaciers, past and present, illustrating climate change; as well as fluctuations in ocean level through time.

• Bookmarked computer site (public access terminal) illustrating summaries of research and monitoring studies related to climate change.

Theme 2 Salmon are essential to the health of river, forest, and tundra ecosystems.

2a. Salmon bring the ocean’s nutrients far inland. Their decomposing bodies nourish animals and plants within a wide area along the waterways.

Key facts

• Food webs of salmon-based ecosystems include algae, crustaceans, insects, fish, birds, otters, bears; their chemical makeup contains the stamp of marine environments.

• Salmon are “little bags of fertilizer” swimming up the river, returning the ocean’s nutrients to the headwaters.

• Up to 80% of the body composition of Alaskan brown bears and rainbow trout on the Refuge is derived from salmon.

• Core samples and ring counts show that trees grow bigger close to the waterways. They are fertilized by animal and bird excrement, packed with marine nutrients from dead salmon.

• Moose have thrived on Refuge lands because of the riparian forests, which are bolstered marine nutrients from spawned-out salmon.

Exhibit ideas

• Artistic renderings of salmon near the entry

• Photomural: underwater image of countless bright salmon swimming upstream, incorporating fish mounts.

• Photos of piled-up salmon carcasses, bears and raptors fishing

• Touchable tree round slabs to show growth patterns

• Information about animals’ chemical makeup (bear hair studies), evidence that salmon contribute marine nutrients.

• Aquarium showing refuge species

2b. Interior tundra and forests abound with life.

Key facts

• Tundra is defined as treeless land in cold latitudes. Moist tundra on the Refuge consists of low-growing shrubs, herbs, grasses, and sedges rooted in a continuous mat of mosses and lichens.

• A moose management strategy, developed collaboratively with Refuge villages, resulted in dramatic increases in the size of moose herds near those communities.

• Two caribou herds inhabit the region: the Nushagak Peninsula herd and the Mulchatna herd.

• Predators include wolves, foxes, coyotes, wolverines, and raptors.

• Smaller animals live underground: mice, lemmings, voles, arctic ground squirrels, marmots.

• Some small animals store food under the snow to survive the winter. When the snow melts, piles of dirt are revealed.

• Insects are prevalent from mid-June through August. They play important roles in the ecosystem as food for fish and birds, pollinators for plants, etc.

Exhibit ideas

• Photo essay about moose management strategy

• Short feature video or touch screen digital frame for public access terminal showing distribution of moose and caribou herds on Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

• Antler growth cycle (moose or caribou)

• Interactive caribou mount with a radio collar shows how animals are tracked by Refuge biologists.

• Matching games: visitors match 3-dimensional scat, fur, and tracks to photos of animals. Lift or slide panel to check their answer, learn more.

• Actual size photo of a few square feet of tundra identifies plants, shows clues to animals living underground. Lift/slide panels to reveal animal burrows, nests, food storage underground.

2c. Yupik people fish, hunt, and harvest in Togiak Wildlife Refuge. Their subsistence practices are directly connected to the fragile balance of this place.

Key facts

• More than 4000 Native people from nine communities live within and near the Refuge.

• Most local people rely economically and culturally on fish, wildlife, and plants through subsistence activities.

• Subsistence is a way of life, practiced year-round. (Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Chapter 3, section 3.5.5)

• Subsistence fishermen have different rules than sport fishermen.

• Local residents are asked to support conservation efforts for endangered and listed species, e.g. spectacled eider.

Exhibit ideas

• Fish drying rack display

• Small feature video on traditional fishing techniques

• Entry carpet of salmon fighting their way upstream

• Seasonal calendar with photos and objects to show examples of Native subsistence practices, with quotes by Native people sharing cultural values and reinforcing Leave No Trace principles. (Short feature video)

• Map of Native place names: a work in progress. A current large photocopy is posted. A second current photocopy is spread on a table with markers and notepads for people to add their thoughts. If possible, volunteers or staff will be available to record oral histories. (This map may eventually become web-based.)

• Replicas of traditional tools and equipment for fishing, hunting, trapping, and harvesting.

• Changeable loan item from Sam Fox Museum shows clothing made from skins of e.g. parka squirrels. (This is also a promotion for the Museum.)

• Current Subsistence Management Regulations booklets

2d. Fishermen come from all over the world to fish the rivers, lakes, and streams of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Key facts

• Sport fish include salmon, rainbow trout, Arctic char, Dolly Varden, northern pike, and Arctic grayling.

• Use by sport anglers and other users is concentrated on three rivers in the Refuge (the Togiak, Goodnews, and Kanektok). Although these areas appear isolated, they are under tremendous pressure ecologically from the influx of users each summer season.

• It’s vital to know and follow the rules of Catch and Release and Leave No Trace, to know how to avoid transporting invasive species to these rivers, and to respect Native subsistence practices, property rights, and cultural values.

Exhibit ideas

• Use an existing Catch and Release video (to be determined) as a part of small feature video room.

• Use an existing LNT video (to be determined) as a part of the small feature video room.

• Artificial lure display

• Story board (Togiak Fish Tales: The One That Didn’t Get Away) shares fish stories, fishing myths, etc.

2e. Bristol Bay is the site of Alaska’s largest commercial salmon fishery and the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery.

Key facts

• Togiak National Wildlife Refuge provides pristine spawning grounds and ideal habitat for young salmon, supporting a thriving commercial fishery.

• Commercial fishermen take 60 percent of the salmon returning to Bristol Bay; subsistence fishermen take another 2 percent; sport fishing accounts for 1 percent.

Exhibit ideas

• Touch screen digital frame displays changeable Bristol Bay images, including images of fishing boats and fishermen on Bristol Bay through time: kayaks, gillnetters, and contemporary fishing vessels. Other related topic(s) covered in this way: match models of five salmon species found in Bristol Bay.

• Whiteboard with hand-written numbers compares this year’s catch with last several years; also, salmon prices from around the nation.

Theme 3 Togiak National Wildlife Refuge encompasses an amazing variety of habitats and a diverse array of wildlife.

3a. Wetlands within the Refuge provide vital staging areas for migratory birds.

Key facts

• Most of the world’s king eiders and Steller eiders migrate through the Refuge.

• About half of the world’s black brant populations stage on the Refuge.

• Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is a staging area for birds; Yukon National Wildlife Refuge is a nesting area. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is part of an important migratory route for birds on their way to the Arctic.

Exhibit ideas

• Videos of massed bird populations at staging areas on touch screen digital frame (audio capacity)

• Mounts (or models) of individual birds, models of bird eggs as a part of large scale habitat display

• Map of Alaska Refuges

• 3-D map includes staging areas for waterfowl

3b. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge’s 600 miles of coastline, which includes critical components of the Bering Sea ecosystem, plays host to marine mammal haul-outs and migratory routes, and bird nesting sites.

Key facts

• The Refuge includes coastal areas in Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim Bay.

• Sea lion, walrus, and seal haul-outs are found along the coast and on nearby islands.

• The Refuge’s coastal area is also frequented by several species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Orcas are seen occasionally.

• Nushagak Bay on Togiak National Wildlife Refuge’s eastern border is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.

• Waterfowl nest on the Nushagak Peninsula.

Exhibit ideas

• Lifesize resin walrus displayed as a part of the Center’s primary habitat display, or lifesize resin, plastic, or bronze sculpture of a walrus incorporated into the exterior landscape.

• Photo collage of sea lions, seals, gray whales, orcas, and coastal bird species incorporated into the Center’s primary habitat display.

• Mounts, models, or photos of individual birds (primary display preferred but other locations considered) [same as 3a]

• Touchable models of bird eggs; visitors match eggs to bird photos [same as 3a]

3c. The region’s geologic history, combining glaciation and volcanism, has created breathtaking landscapes.

Key facts

• Glaciation has created mountains, high tundra, and abundant lakes, rivers, and streams throughout the Refuge.

• Glaciation and volcanism combined to form Alaska’s only tuya: a low, flat-topped volcano that formed when lava erupted beneath a thick sheet of glacial ice.

• There are 100 alpine glaciers on Togiak Refuge.

• Alaska’s oldest rock formations are in the Kanektok metamorphic complex on the Refuge. They are two billion years old. (The age of the Earth is estimated at 4.6 billion years.)

• Global climate change affects glaciers here as elsewhere in Alaska. Research projects on Togiak National Wildlife Refuge provide important data for measuring change and predicting the future of regional ecosystems.

Exhibit ideas

• Touch the oldest rocks in Alaska (two-billion-year-old rocks)

• Touch screen digital frame showing tuya, and Kanektok complex

• Alpine glaciers incorporated into primary habitat display

• Juxtaposed images of the same glaciers, past and present, illustrating climate change (touch screen digital frame)

3d. Moose colonization of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and the Bristol Bay region is a modern-day wildlife interest story that demonstrates the changing nature of these lands over time.

Key facts

• A moose management strategy, developed collaboratively with Refuge villages, resulted in dramatic increases in the size of moose herds near those communities. [same as 2b]

Exhibit ideas

• Short feature video or touch screen digital frame showing moose expansion for public access terminal [same as 2b]

3e. At least 60% of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is tundra.

Key facts

• Tundra is defined as treeless land in cold latitudes.

• Wetland tundra and potholes of glacial kettle ponds serve shorebirds and waterfowl.

• Caribou use tundra year-round, for green vegetation, lichen.

• From rolling hills to alpine environments, up to 2500 feet, vegetation still grows, fed on by caribou, brown bears, marmots, ground “parka” squirrels, and guilds of birds.

Exhibit ideas

• Matching games: visitors match 3-dimensional scat, fur, and tracks to photos of animals. Lift or slide panel to check their answer, learn more. [same as 2b]

• Actual size photo of a few square feet of tundra identifies plants, shows clues to animals living underground. Lift/slide panels to reveal animal burrows, nests, food storage underground. [same as 2b]

3f. Togiak National Wildlife Refuge is renowned for its exceptional biodiversity.

Key facts

• Togiak NWR ranks #1 on the Biodiversity Index of all national wildlife refuges in Alaska.

• Togiak has 50+ mammal species, over 200 bird species, and 500 plant species.

Exhibit ideas

• Existing printed guide to wildlife on the Refuge: photos, common and scientific names, seasonal distribution, etc..

• Use of websites (Cornell School of Ornithology, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Species Notebook) bookmarked on public access terminal.

Theme 4 Wilderness provides settings and experiences of national significance.

4a. This huge roadless area abounds in wildlife.

Key facts

• The Refuge is approximately the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island: almost 4.7 million acres, or 7,400 square miles.

• The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA) established Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and other conservation system units.

• The Refuge is home to 50+ land and marine mammal species, 33 species of fish, 200+ bird species, 1 amphibian species, and 500+ plant species.

Exhibit ideas

• Touch screen digital frame with a menu of maps related to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge

• Existing printed guide to wildlife on the Refuge: photos, common and scientific names, seasonal distribution, etc..

• Use of websites (Cornell School of Ornithology, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Species Notebook) bookmarked on public access terminal. [same as 3f]

4b. Visitors to remote and roadless Togiak National Wildlife Refuge find scenic grandeur, and experience a solitude that is extremely rare in today’s world.

Key facts

• Estimated number of people using the Refuge for recreation and subsistence by season.

Exhibit ideas

• Large digital display (separate from touch screen digital frame) over fireplace depicts changeable scenic images by Robert Glenn Ketchum, Steve Hillebrand, and others. Changeable captions on the frame identify the locale and the photographer.

• Maps showing public use to be incorporated as a part of touch screen digital frame.

The use of quotes and testimonials may be an affect interp. Element.

4c. Convey the national wilderness messages and the value of wilderness to individuals and society.

Key facts National Wilderness messages:

• Protect watersheds upon which many cities and towns depend for drinking water

• Improve air quality through the filtering action of plants

• Serve as critical habitat for fish and wildlife

• Help meet the nation's increasing demand for outdoor recreation, including hiking, hunting, fishing, birding mountain climbing, canoeing, and camping

• Serve as a haven from the pressures of urban and suburban sprawl

• Serve as unique and irreplaceable "living laboratories" for medical and other scientific research

• Provide for spiritual and emotional renewal

Value of wilderness:

• "The richest values of wilderness lie not in the days of Daniel Boone, or even in the present, rather in the future."

Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

Exhibit ideas

· Large digital display (separate from touch screen digital frame) over fireplace depicts changeable scenic images by Robert Glenn Ketchum, Steve Hillebrand, and others that focus on wilderness. [connected to 4b]

· The Togiak Wilderness Area boundary will be displayed on the relief map.

4d. This wilderness provides excellent research opportunities.

Key facts

• This wilderness is unique in that it encompasses entire ecosystems and complete watersheds.

Exhibit ideas

• Touch screen digital display with illustrated summaries of current research and monitoring studies.

Theme 5 Opportunities on your public lands: uses that are consumptive, yet renewable 5a. Show varied, seasonal activities that go on within the Refuge.

Key facts

• Berry picking is an important activity for regional residents.

• Include fall/winter/spring activities, e.g. ice fishing, wood gathering.

Exhibit ideas

• Seasonal calendar with photos and objects to show examples of Native subsistence practices, with quotes by Native people sharing cultural values and reinforcing Leave No Trace principles. (Short feature video) [same as 2c]

5b. Here is what you can do on the Refuge.

Key facts

• Examples of activities: fishing, rafting, ecotours, photography, hunting, etc.

• The Visitor Contact Station has resources to help you learn more.

Exhibit ideas

• Video illustrating correct Catch and Release practices (example: 8-minute NPS) [same as 2d]

• Camper, angler, hunter, and rafting photos illustrating Leave No Trace principles [same as 2d]

• Large digital display over fireplace that highlights photos shared by Refuge users. [same as 2d]

5c. Be prepared and be safe.

Key facts

• Be prepared for extreme weather, swarms of insects, and other wilderness realities.

• Learn and practice the rules of bear and moose safety.

• Always wear a personal flotation device (PFD) when you’re on the water.

Exhibit ideas

• Copies of a “Visiting the Refuge” brochure (to be produced) available; this brochure will have an amalgam of safety and stewardship information.

• Other existing topic specific brochures are also available.

• Produce safety and stewardship video for short feature video viewing area.

5d. Preserve the beauty of this unique place. Respect Native holdings and private property. Leave No Trace of your sojourn on this land.

Key facts

• Know and practice the Leave No Trace principles: Plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors.

• Many places in this region are ancestral sites for hunting and gathering. Native people have always relied on subsistence for their livelihood.

• When traveling on the Refuge respect subsistence sites.

• Never disturb archaeological sites or remove artifacts; this is illegal under federal law.

• Large areas within the Refuge are owned by Native corporations and private individuals. Watch for posted signs. Be alert to signs of Native ownership such as clearings, cabins, and fish racks. You need a permit from the appropriate Native corporation or private land owner permission to travel or camp on these lands.

• Unpredictably shifting river and stream channels make it difficult to bury human waste properly. To ensure optimal disposal, its best to pack out all your waste to an approved disposal facility.

Exhibit ideas

• Copies of a “Visiting the Refuge” brochure (to be produced) available; this brochure will have an amalgam of safety and stewardship information.

• Produce safety and stewardship video for short feature video viewing area.

• Historic and contemporary images chronicle changes in subsistence techniques, highlighting traditional practices that are sustainable today. (touch screen digital display)

• Captioned images, audio, or video of a Yupik elder telling a story about hunting or fishing using traditional techniques, and sharing the cultural significance of these methods. (touch screen digital display)

Narrative walkthrough of visitor experiences

• Arrival Colorful, eye-catching signage in the airport tells incoming passengers that they’ll find a fascinating, “don’t miss” attraction in downtown Dillingham. Visitors learn at a glance that there’s no admission charge, and that exciting, informative exhibits await. They’re motivated to check out the Contact Station. Area hunting and fishing lodges, and major area employers are provided information to make them and their clients or employees aware of the beneficial information at the Visitor Contact Station to make their visit more interesting and safe.

Colorful, attractive signage adorned by outdoor artwork lets visitors know they’re in the right place. Native plantings complement the artwork, sharing a slice of the varied habitats within Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Additional signs affixed to the exterior of the Contact Station begin the process of informing and welcoming visitors to the Refuge. Approaching the front door, salmon, inlaid in the walkway and attached to the building all point to front door and usher visitors into the building. Upon entering the front door, visitors are welcomed by a life-sized brown bear – perfect for a photo opportunity! Trees rise up from the floor, flanking the interior entrance to the exhibit area.

• First impressions The Visitor Contact Station’s interior and exhibits have an informal feel––more like a great room than a museum or gallery. Comfortable benches and chairs invite visitors to browse through picture books, field guides, and strategically placed electronic devices summarizing recent USFWS research studies. Surrounding a relief map of the region is an interpretive rail, with changeable graphics, hands-on displays, and electronically integrated information. Nearby, visitors can contribute their knowledge and memories toward development of a map of Native place names.

Within an intimate and personal setting, the grandeur and immensity of this land are shown in powerful, memorable ways. Changeable landscape photographs in rustic wood frames, and seasonally changing projections display wondrous photographic images. There are high-quality taxidermy mounts, touchable antlers, skulls, and rocks. Visitors become fascinated by the interconnected life histories of animals large and small. Each animal and plant is shown in its appropriate environment, with authentic depictions of seasonal variations. Native names for animals, plants, and places are integral to the interpretation. Detailed cultural content for the exhibit will be developed in consultation with Native advisors.

The depth of time, cycles of glaciers and volcanism, and our climate form another interpretive layer. Exhibits are thought provoking regarding our own choices, and the future we all share.

A multi-purpose room functions as a classroom and community gathering space.

A small dedicated theatre space features a 12-minute orientation film, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge: Rivers of Life, playable on request. Other short video features will also be available for viewing.

A separate space directs visitors to other community and area attractions and points of interest to include restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in Dillingham. A changeable display features artifacts and images from other places to visit: the Cultural Center, Wood-Tikchik State Park, Sam Fox Museum, and the Peter Pan Cannery. An Alaska Geographic bookstore will occupy a space adjacent to the information counter. Sales displays in the bookstore will be enlivened with interpretive and design elements to make it seem a part of the exhibits.

The Visitor Contact Station is a transition space where people heading into the wilderness can become acclimatized, and those headed back home can recollect and reflect. One might call it nature’s waiting room.

• Exhibit elements Fireplace, study center, and scenic image display Close to the fireplace is an inviting conversation and study area. Visitors are drawn to a gathering area around the fireplace, where people are working on crafts projects and chatting around a sturdy wooden table. A rustic wood frame above the fireplace displays changeable scenic images of diverse habitats and landscape features on the Refuge through all four seasons. Available near the fireplace, a collection of coffee table books share images, to include wilderness areas on the Refuge. A public access terminal allows visitors to “dig a little deeper”, for those who yearn to know more.

Relief map A relief map of the Bristol Bay region is another focal point. Rounded corners and an organic shape give the map a natural look; built-in storage cabinets underneath make it doubly useful.

The relief map distinguishes Togiak Wildlife Refuge and Togiak Wilderness Area, and will include portions of Wood-Tikchik State Park, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, the Nushagak River and the lower Kuskokwim River, as well as islands along the coast where birds breed and marine mammals haul out. Major subsistence and sport fishing rivers and major lakes are named, along with mountain ranges and communities. The coastline and nearby islands are included as well. An interpretive reader rail provides salient information about the region, keyed to the map. LEDs might be used to indicate salmon migration up the rivers and migratory bird staging areas.

Information center A Refuge staff member is located at the entrance to the Contact Station. Additional Visitor Services staff members are on hand, with work areas located close to the Contact Station entrance; if one is not present within the Contact Station, a request can be made at the front desk. Visitors can talk with staff members, perusing examples of brochures, maps, and other helpful resources.

Separate from the information desk but visible and accessible, a graphic panel and associated brochure rack convey important messages about personal safety, environmentally sound behavior in the Alaska wilderness, and respect for cultural values––especially for subsistence as a way of life. This panel might include images showing signs of human activity that should be respected: camps and other typical subsistence sites, fishing equipment, etc. A brochure rack provides vital information in condensed, portable form—including Wildlife Safety, Leave No Trace, Catch and Release principles, and National Wilderness messages.

Welcome: Salmon lead the migration into our Contact Station Salmon link several interpretive elements into a unified story.

Headed Home As visitors enter the Contact Station, they are caught up in the phenomenon of the salmon runs. Floor designs, mobiles, and detailed fish models create a layer of salmon, swimming through Bristol Bay, headed up Togiak’s many pristine rivers.

Fishing Bristol Bay Visitors “follow the fish” from the Contact Station’s exterior and continue as they pass through the front door. Salmon lead the way. As visitors enter, it’s as though they are entering the refuge: fish migrate from the door to the Contact Station entrance, where towering cottonwoods frame the gateway to an authentic Refuge visit. A narrow portal, hints at what’s to come, providing a glimpse of the Contact Station aquarium which is stocked with native species. Also at the entrance, a pair of wolves (mounts) afford visitors the opportunity to be photographed “on the Refuge”. Wolves are one of many species that benefit from the Refuge’s robust salmon runs.

Experience the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge Great Room As visitors pass “between the trees” they are met with the expanse that is Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Sweeping panoramas, inviting seating areas, and opportunities to interact and to learn about all that is Togiak National Wildlife Refuge abound.

show visitors the location of Refuges throughout the United States and specifically Alaska.

Our Ichthyological Wonders* A state of the art aquarium allows visitors to view resident species in a simulated “natural habitat”. This live display presents opportunities for visitors to imagine underwater ecosystems as found on the Refuge. Colorful, panoramic imagery of Togiak Bay and the Togiak River accentuate the aquarium and provides information about the different forms of fishing that take place on the Refuge: commercial, subsistence, and sport. Seating near the aquarium provides a comfortable platform from which to view the Contact Station’s aquatic denizens. Interpretive panels found along the base of the aquarium provide key information about the three forms of fishing and share Refuge fisheries research (e.g. Dolly Varden and rainbow trout migrations).

Dig a Little Deeper: Exploring the Refuge Online A public access terminal, placed on a vintage fly-tying desk, allows visitors who want to know more to “dig a little deeper”, and provides bookmarked websites that provide for a place to do that. Examples include the Refuge website, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Wildlife Notebook Series, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s What About Birds.

Relax by the Fire A warm and inviting lodge style fireplace provides visitors with a relaxed space for both friendly conversation and further contemplation of the many facets to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors are automatically drawn to the area’s ambiance, generated through the use of a rustic fireplace and furnishings designed to be both comfortable and inspiring. A sturdy wooden table, complemented by lodge furnishings, connects like-minded outdoors enthusiasts in spirited and connected conversations. A wood framed electronic “picture” above the fireplace displays changeable scenic images of diverse habitats and landscape features on the Refuge through all four seasons. Available on the table and on nearby shelves are a collections of high quality reference materials, such as coffee table books that share images and pertinent maps.

The Big Picture: An Interactive 3-D Map of the Refuge An Emperor’s View: Togiak National Wildlife Refuge At the heart of the Refuge’s large scale museum quality panoramic habitat and wildlife display is an interactive 3 dimensional map that shows the Refuge in its entirety (and includes adjacent public lands): its vast areas of tundra, breathtaking coastal areas, vast wetlands, forested river valleys, lakes, glaciers, and mountain ranges. From this map, visitors can match map features with locations on the large scale display. Map visuals highlight salmon runs and critical waterfowl stop-over spots. The periphery of the map makes use of colorful and catchy interpretive panels that share information about the Refuge’s habitats, wildlife, and subsistence uses.

The Big Picture: From Cape Peirce to the Nushagak Peninsula At the back half of the room is a large wrap-around outdoor backdrop that incorporates both two dimensional and three dimensional elements to share the vastness and grandeur of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge with visitors. This display moves from one part of the Refuge to another, beginning with the awe-inspiring sea cliffs of Cape Peirce and ending with the gently undulating hills of the Nushagak Peninsula.

Cape Peirce: Unique Habitat, Unparalleled Beauty The towering cliffs, critical nesting habitat for a number of seabird species, seems alive with the movement of tens of thousands of wings, and the cacophony of their cries. Here, visitors can learn about species such as pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, common murres, and both tufted and horned puffins. Lower, the area’s beaches are popular haul-out sites for a large number of pinnipeds, to include Pacific walruses, and a number of seal species. Cape Peirce’s coastal waters are home to whales and porpoises.

The Refuge’s Riverine Systems: the Togiak Bay and River Valley The Togiak River, typical of several similar river systems on the Refuge, meanders south out of the Ahklun and Wood River Mountains in the northern half of the Refuge. Smaller rivers and streams flow into the Togiak, providing a vast network of aquatic highways by which salmon find their way home, to create future generations of this critical resource. Other types of wildlife, large and small, terrestrial and aquatic, flock to these riparian corridors. Visitors can learn about the tremendous web of interconnectivity found along Togiak’s many waterways.

Togiak’s Abundant Alpine Areas High above the rivers, the Refuge’s upper reaches team with hardy plants and animals that survive amongst rugged rocky terrain blanketed with low shrubs, mosses, sedges, and lichens. Glaciers, while in decline, still cover portions of Togiak Refuge’s mountains.

Alpine lakes provide a splash of color amongst grays and greens and whites of snow and solid ground. Smaller mammal species such as marmots and Arctic ground squirrels find ways to survive in these upper hardscrabble reaches. Larger mammals such as moose, caribou, and bears seek relief up high from summer insects and heat.

Peninsula of Plenty: The Nushagak The Nushagak Peninsula is a gently undulating landmass in the southeast corner of the Refuge. Surrounded by the waters of Bristol Bay, it boasts rolling hills, grassy areas, alders, and marshlands that provide critical habitat to terrestrial mammals such as caribou, wolves, bears, and smaller species. Its coastal waters and shorelines play host to a variety of marine mammals such as walruses, several species of seals, and both whales and porpoises. The multitude of ponds, lakes, and marshy shore areas are vital stop-over areas for migrating waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds.

Subsistence through the Year Across the room from the lodge style fireplace is a space dedicated to illuminating the importance of subsistence to the Refuge, a land mass from which over 4,000 Alaska Natives from 9 villages make use of area resources, just as their ancestors have done for thousands of years. Yup’ik people fish, hunt, and harvest, according to both season and tradition. A mock-up of a fish drying rack shows how salmon are put up annually, to be used throughout the year. Replicas of historical traditional tools illustrate how subsistence has been practiced over time. A seasonal calendar shares with visitors photos and objects depicting Native subsistence practices. This space promotes Dillingham’s Sam Fox Museum, while sharing objects on loan from the museum.

Visual Learning Opportunities That old adage that says a picture is worth a thousand words? This contact station has that covered. Multiple opportunities exist for visitors to learn more, at their own pace and according to their specific interests. A small theater provides seating and a selection of seasonally relevant short films about Refuge topics. Additionally, for those wanting more focused, shorter queries, a touch screen digital display allows access to imagery and information about a host of key Refuge interests.

Large Public Gathering Space Located in close proximity to the exhibits area is a staircase providing access to a much larger meeting space, one that is warm, inviting, and up to the task of providing for much larger groups. This state of the art conference room has comfortable seating, and provides for the very best in audio/visual capability. This space is ideal for a multitude of public uses, from impromptu visitor orientations to local advisory council meetings. Restroom availability is close at hand, as is access to food and beverage amenities. Wall space shares photographs past and present, exceptional artwork by past Refuge artists-in-residence, and area wide public school art including the Alaska Migratory Bird Calendar.

Visiting the Refuge Proper: Trip Planning Brochures and Information Near the entrance, visitors can find an abundance of brochures and fact sheets they can take with them. Some of these are simply takeaway items to remind them of their visit to Togiak Refuge. Others provide more detailed information to assist with planning trips to Refuge locations. Topics such as camping and traveling safely in bear country, maps and information about specific rivers, lakes, and location, tips for achieving Leave No Trace camping practices, emergency preparedness, and flora/fauna identification (and much more) can all be found for those wanting to travel to Refuge lands. Additionally, staff members are available to confer with visitors about specific questions they might have.

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge: Take a Part of it Home with You Also located near the entrance is a small wing that serves as home to the Refuge’s Alaska Geographic outlet store. A wealth of print materials and gift options, for all ages, about the Refuge and Alaska as a whole are available for purchase. These tangible reminders are both educational and aesthetic, allowing visitors to take a piece of the Refuge home with them.

image1.jpeg