Community Outreach

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge has a large and ever increasing presence in the Kodiak community, with the opening of Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center in downtown Kodiak. This new facility is open year-round to the public and is the crossroads of conservation and education for Kodiak Refuge and our conservation partners.

Much of this activity centers on the following community events:

Whale Fest – a community event celebrates the whale migration. It is truly a combined effort of individuals and organizations that participate in this two week event. Kodiak Refuge hosts kids programs, visits schools, showcases whale movies and teams up with the Kodiak museum community to offer more educational programs. Events for Whale Fest 2008 will be posted as they are announced.

International Migratory Bird Day – Held annually in May, this refuge event is sponsored in conjunction with Alaska Geographic and Audubon

National Wildlife Refuge Week – A weeklong event sponsored by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the second week of October. The week is full of activities such as movies, art shows, kid’s events and much more.

Bear Exhibit at the Kodiak Visitor Center. Photo Credit: John Harris/USFWS. Click on image to enlarge.

Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center hosts regular public talks and evening programs that feature current and on-going wildlife research projects from across the archipelago. Please see out community calendar for current events. The Center also offers a downtown meeting space for local conservation-oriented organizations such as Audubon, Sustainable Kodiak and Whale Fest. For more information about scheduling workshops and other events, please contact Tina Shaw, Visitor Center Manger, at 907-497-0282 or Tina_Shaw@fws.gov.

Other community events that the refuge participates in include:
Coast Guard Day, Pink Salmon Jamboree (in conjunction with the Kiwanis), Archaeology Week, Fourth of July festivities, Coho Carnival, Woody Island Camp and Audubon Bird counts.

Last updated: August 7, 2009