From Blueberries to Burn Zones: Meet the 2026 AK CASC Ambassadors
Relationships are at the heart of actionable science which is exactly what the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center’s Ambassadors Program is built to foster.
Now in its second year, the program provides $20,000 seed grants to University of Alaska faculty to do the foundational work that makes meaningful climate adaptation research possible. The researchers selected to do this are building trust with community and agency partners, collecting preliminary data and bridging the gap between science and practical questions.
This year’s four projects span the state, from Southeast Alaska’s berry patches, to salmon abundance in Kenai Peninsula waterways and fire-prone lands in Interior Alaska.
Erin Larson (UAA) is taking Alaska’s growing freshwater temperature database, AKTEMP, to the next level. Larson’s project will convene a statewide workshop of managers, researchers and data collectors to identify priority science needs and feasible decision-support projects. The workshop will also feature a keynote on real-time temperature management from Canadian salmon fisheries with the goal of exploring opportunities to connect the work with ongoing Alaska CASC freshwater research.
Orca Jimmy Peniston (Kenai Peninsula College) is partnering with the Kenai Watershed Forum to build predictive habitat models for salmon across the Kenai Peninsula Borough. By combining advanced predictive models with community-led field surveys, the team aims to more accurately document salmon habitat for large areas of previously unmapped anadromous streams. The effort also engages students and volunteers and builds local fieldwork and monitoring capacity to provide critical geospatial data for fisheries and habitat management.
Logan Berner (UAS) is tackling the understudied topic of wild blueberries in Southeast Alaska. Roughly 30 tons of berries are harvested annually in Southeast Alaska and have deep cultural significance in many communities. However, climate and forest change impacts on berry abundance remain poorly understood. Berner is working with tribal organizations, including the Chilkat Indian Village, to design monitoring protocols and begin building a baseline dataset that can guide future forest management.
Kate Hayes (UAF) is helping Alaska fire managers navigate a growing conundrum – more acres burning, longer fire seasons and fewer resources to respond. Her project identifies where carbon-rich permafrost, wildlife habitat and cultural sites overlap across Interior Alaska. Understanding where there is overlap could potentially help fire managers make better decisions about fire suppression efforts in the future.
Together, these projects reflect the Ambassadors Program’s core purpose of connecting University of Alaska scientists with the communities, agencies, and networks needed to produce science that is not just rigorous, but useful.
Applications for the 2027 cohort are expected to open in summer 2026. More information on the program is available on the Ambassador program website.