Canning Delta Shorebird Camp in Arctic NWR, June 14, 2005. Photo by Steve Kendall.

Canning Delta Shorebird Camp sleeptents in Arctic NWR, June 6, 2005. Photo by Steve Kendall.

  

Have you ever wondered what it takes to plan and implement a minimum impact, long-term field camp in the remote Arctic? At the Canning Delta Shorebird Camp in the Arctic Refuge, ornithologist Steve Kendall is striving to set an example for wise and respectful backcountry living.  He and his crew, who spend 2 months each summer on the Delta studying shorebirds, practice “leave-no-trace” camping techniques to avoid impacting the area unnecessarily.  Careful consideration and foresight go into every step of planning the logistics for this remote field site.  Everything from flying in and out of the camp to preparing and eating meals is carried out in a way that mitigates impact to tundra vegetation, wildlife and refuge visitors. To avoid landing on a wet runway, which creates ruts in the sensitive tundra, Kendall limits flights into the study site when the runway is saturated. Prior to scheduled flights, his crew monitors the runway. When ruts are sometimes created, the crew levels them out as much as possible, filling them with gravel and smoothing the surrounding dirt. Within the camp, the crew lays plywood over walkways to protect fragile tundra from foot traffic. They store food and garbage (which is all ultimately hauled out of the camp) in bear barrels to avoid attracting easily habituated and potentially dangerous bears, and also surround tents with solar-powered electric fences to deter curious bears from entering the camp. Even the task of going to the bathroom includes “leave-no-trace” principles; the crew uses an environmentally friendly toilet that allows them to haul waste out and they burn all paper. Although Kendall and his crew considerably reduce their impacts to refuge resources, their efforts are still a work in progress.  In the future, Kendall hopes to implement additional leave-no-trace practices in his shorebird camps. Improvements may include reducing visual impacts by using camouflage tents, avoiding permanent damage to the tundra by moving tent locations every two weeks or using platforms under the tents, and using more plywood walkways in high traffic areas within the camps.  Arctic Refuge thanks Steve Kendall and his crew for being good stewards of our public lands. For more information about the Canning Delta field camp and/or "leave-no-trace" camping techniques, contact Steve Kendall at steve_kendall@fws.gov or Jennifer Reed at jennifer_reed@fws.gov.