On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 07:40:13 -0900, Wild Sanctuary
<> wrote:
> Sitka is a small but really neat town with lots of nature writers
> (like Richard Nelson [The Island Within]) and one of the best museums
> of Native American collections (albeit tiny) that I've ever seen. The
> Sheldon Jackson Museum, an extension of the college, there, is a must
> and worth a lot of time. The environs around Sitka are pretty noisy
> so you have to get way up the coast of Chichagoff Island in the
> inland bays to find places to record.
I grew up in Sitka and after spending a few years going to school have
been living here again since Fall 2002 so I am familiar with the area.
However, I am only just getting started with recording, so I do not much
experience-backed advice about good places/times to record yet. It will
be pretty noisy around town and in many places on the water (lots of boat
traffic in the summer). Depending on the amount of heavy construction
occuring (with the loud booms that carry for a long distance) and your
ability to hike, there are probably places you can go to get periods of
fairly quiet time (which will be occasionally interupted by float planes
flying overhead). With about 6-7hours available in town, you might have
time to get back into the woods where things should be quieter. What kind
of things are you interested in recording?
Incidentally, Richard Nelson also does a lot of nature recording as well.
He has been writing/recording/producing a show for the local public radio
station (which is now being syndicated around the state) called Encounters
where he goes into the field and talks about what he is observing. He
does quite a bit of research before and is able to talk about it, but the
audio from actually being there adds a great deal to the presentation.
They just recently started making programs available on CD, you can get
information on that by going to www.kcaw.org
It's really a pretty interesting way to incorporate nature recording into
a program with educational, entertainment, and conservation aspects. The
programs all are done in Alaska, with subjects including; American
Dippers, Glaciers, Mountain Goats, Wind, Northern Lights, Urban Moose,
Dall Sheep, Polar Bears, Snow, Bald Eagles, Bison, Petrels, Red Squirrels,
Sperm Whales, Wolves, Deer, Ice, and many others. I would recommend
checking it out if you have the chance, the programs are generally really
good.
Another minor note is that technically Sheldon Jackson Museum is no longer
a part of the Sheldon Jackson College. It was sold to the State of Alaska
in the 1980s. I second the recommendation to check it out, however. I
should go visit it more often, but it's one of those things where it is so
close it is easy to not go (I teach at the college and live right behind
the museum) since I could go 'any time.' Some folks live in Sitka for
years without ever visiting the historical places before they live since
it never seems like it needs to be a priority.
Matt Goff
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