Bristol Bay Field Notes

Bristol Bay Field Notes, a radio program created to inform the people of Bristol Bay on a wide range of outdoor and conservation topics, continues to reach out to audiences, even after eight years on the airwaves- and it shows no signs of slowing down.

The idea for the Field Notes program was hatched by former KDLG news reporter Alexei Rubenstein. The plan was for several Bristol Bay area entities to partner together on a program to inform area listeners about a wide range of outdoor and wildlife based topics. While the program did take flight, it was Togiak National Wildlife Refuge that really stepped up and took charge. Rob MacDonald, a former biologist for the Refuge, was particularly instrumental in the program’s success, from the very first episodes until his departure in 2006. By the time the taping of segments began to take shape, Field Notes was solely a production of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Episodes for Field Notes are written and produced by Togiak staff members. New installments air weekly and are between three and five minutes in length. Nearly 250 episodes have aired, informing people on a broad range of topics that touch on outdoor pursuits, wildlife facts, topics specific to the Refuge, and conservation. Shows have aired relating to all manner of animals and plants; still others have covered traditional Yup’ik stories and issues. Some of these programs have been quite broad in nature (National Wildlife Refuge Week), while others have had a very narrow focus (American dipper movements).

Current staff members continue to pump new life- and topics- into Field Notes. The show can be heard three times a week on KDLG radio, with new episodes every week. Field Notes reaches an audience of approximately 14,000 people in 38 villages, covering nearly 42,000 square miles. Additionally, Field Notes can be heard on-line, via KDLG’s website (www.kdlg.org). The site will also soon have past segments available to listeners as downloads.

An old radio advertising cliché states “I saw it on the radio”, a reference to the vivid images a good radio program can conjure up. In that spirit, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge continues a tradition of outreach excellence utilizing radio airwaves to “show” the people of Bristol Bay the wonderful world to be found just outside their doors.