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Rick

Alaska Is...

Alaska is - a place on our planet that is unique to our nation as a state, a location of discoveries for me as a person, and a place for experiencing the natural environs of Mother Nature.

Portions of this current journey had shown to me that Alaska is an example of how the environment has the "last word" over mankind. I believe more than ever that man is vulnerable to changes created by nature. Some of these changes are the result of global impacts of human endeavors and lack of foresight of mankind. Exposure to the variable weather conditions at different times of the day, month or year makes Alaska very interesting to say the very least. Many of these changes can occur over the course of a short 24-hour time span. Being prepared to encounter these changes, some being abrupt, make me appreciate those people who choose to stay in the Alaskan frontier as a permanent resident. Man interacting with Alaska as a resident or even as a guest traveler such as myself, makes me realize that we all bear the responsibility to make as little an impact on the environment as practical, which in itself is a daunting endeavor.

Why is this difficult? Because many decisions of man’Äôs existence in Alaska is a complex set of interactive set of things like in order to live, one must have food, shelter, transportation, and the basic essentials of modern living. While at the same time, all of these essentials bear a direct or indirect impact on the environment. Many of these decisions in themselves produce an environmental "trade off". The more people who live in Alaska, the more of an impact on the environment is made and therefore, the higher chance of disturbing the ecological balance is possible. It is my hope that people who visit or live in Alaska can keep and maintain the necessary balance of man’Äôs needs with the natural resources of the wilds of Alaska. But equally important is the practice of this basic environmental concept should be applied to the rest of the world in order to maintain the values of a more stable future for future generations.

Alaska is for me a special place for me to explore, enjoy the quiet of the landscape and yet realize the scale of what nature can deliver. The mere vastness of the expanse of Denali as an example shows to me the scope of how complex the area is as it changes ever so slowly over time. As a person keen on all things aviation and flying, I have seen this landscape from high above and can appreciate those who call themselves bush pilots. Having experience in flying on land, sea and gliding, Alaska is an utter paradise for what I have as a sport pilot. Those who make it a profession and there is an usually high number here in Alaska, I admire their daily routine which in actuality, is far from routine!

As you drive, fly, or dream of Alaska, there is concrete evidence of man’Äôs impact on this vast resource. Ever so subtle can these small changes be evident, but if properly documented over time, and put into proper prospective, man can utilize this information to better protect this supreme example of what a true natural world is. Hopefully, this can be translated to the more human centered locals to prevent an irrevocable misuse of the earth’Äôs offerings to support all forms of life, not just for mankind.

- - Richard Stacy AGLP 2011

Final Reflections

This trip into the heart of Alaska was a mix of the expected and the unexpected. Having been the locations prior to this year helped me to prepare mentally what we would generally experience. It was also a fairly recent comparison as some things changed as one would expect over time, but mostly, things were like they were during my first trip.

The unexpected things were centered around who was on the trip with me. I gained many new friends and observed behaviors typical of adolescence. Some of the participants were exposed to choices of their own for the very first time. Students need that experience. They will make mistakes, but for the most part, many of the students are ones who I would very proud to say they were mine’Ķand of course, they aren’Äôt. The most important behaviors were already present when I first met them. Others need a closer look at what makes a polite person and need to be less ’Äúme first’Äù centered in their personality. As a veteran teacher and instructor on many topics and disciplines I have witnessed this many times before. Patience is something that is learned and needs to be practiced. On this trip our participants had many, many chances to learn this ability. Some of the junior leaders need to refine their level of patience..by seeing the task at hand through the eyes of a beginner. Easily said, harder to practice. Other junior leaders have this skill down to refinement. Those leaders are ones I have grown to admire and have appreciated what they do in the AGLP group adventures throughout Alaska and it was because of this I would encourage the continuance of such an opportunity for others in the near and far future!