Introducing Inspiration Ridge Preserve
Kachemak Currents is a podcast and radio segment produced weekly by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. This segment originally aired on KBBI public radio (AM 890) on September 6th, 2023, and was written and recorded by Inspiration Ridge Preserve naturalist Julia Slater. For more episodes of Kachemak Currents or to listen live, visit KBBI online.
Transcript:
Welcome to Kachemak Currents, brought to you by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. Inspiration Ridge Preserve is the newest entity at Coastal Studies, with this being one of the first summers we offer tours and programs along the nearly seven hundred acre Preserve. Though this land is new to Coastal Studies, the Preserve has been gestating since at least 1993, when co-founders Edgar P. Bailey and Nina Faust started purchasing contiguous land in order to conserve habitat and protect watersheds.
Above Kachemak Bay, a flock of sandhill cranes surveys the meadows of Inspiration Ridge Preserve. The cranes use these meadows to gather and prepare for their communal migration every fall. Photograph by Nina Faust.
Homer—though best known for its natural wonders and pristine ecosystems—faces the same issues that plague the Lower 48 and areas worldwide, which is increased pressure from urbanization and an increasingly unstable climate. Sensitive to these issues—and with vast experience working in the fields of conservation and education—about 30 years ago Ed and Nina decided to turn their pending retirement into a mission that would steer Homer in a new direction. Acquired piecemeal over decades, the Preserve includes varied habitat that protects an essential corridor in the Anchor River-Fritz Creek critical habitat area and other protected lands, to the common overwintering habitat of key species on the Ridge below.
Now, IRP provides a sanctuary for animals amidst a backdrop of the area's increasing human population, and has a daily limit of 30 visitors to ensure minimal disturbance to wildlife. On a visit to the Preserve with a trained naturalist, a quiet visitor may encounter moose, porcupine, hare, coyotes, cranes, some migratory waterfowl and songbirds; if they're really really lucky, a black or a brown bear, or even a lynx. The pristine seven hundred acres is a testament to Nina and Ed's foresight and tenacity in the field of conservation, as well as a sanctuary for healthy watersheds for all beings.
“Because cranes are intelligent birds with ritual and culture, some speculate that cranes adapted to the situation by invoking their human neighbors as protectors...”
The history of the Preserve could be read as a love story between a retired couple and a remarkable species of birds. If you know Nina—and if you knew Ed—and if you also know Homer, you know sandhill cranes. But what you might not know is that their nesting behavior in Homer's residential areas is relatively new, coinciding with the now-prohibited practice of feeding eagles along the Spit. This controversial practice attracted a super-abundance of bald eagles to the area and—because they're apex predators—this had rippling affects through the food chain, including nesting sandhill cranes that found it increasingly difficult to protect their colts from the eager eagles. Because cranes are intelligent birds with ritual and culture, some speculate that cranes adapted to the situation by invoking their human neighbors as protectors from predators and choosing to nest in sites closer to human settlements.
Nina is inarguably the most enthusiastic ambassador of the cranes, and co-founded Kachemak Bay Crane Watch with her husband to monitor nesting success, overall counts over time, and the general behavior of these fascinating birds. Educating the public about cranes through videos, photos, and public programs is an important part of Kachemak Crane Watch's mission.
Sandhill cranes displaying their unique rust-colored “paint.” Cranes in the Homer area will use local iron-rich sediment to coat their feathers, offering camouflage and protection from parasites. Photograph by Nina Faust.
Sandhill cranes are capable of recognizing individual humans, and walking alongside Nina on any given day during the season is a way to earn their trust and recognition. Sandhill cranes are an important, but also ephemeral, presence in Kachemak Bay. The Homer area is a summer habitat for some three hundred to four hundred sandhill cranes, which migrate here in the early spring from central California—just to the east of Sacramento. Upon arrival to Alaska, crane pairs will paint themselves a rusty color with sediment for camouflage from predators, as well as an added protection from parasites and mites on their feathers.
By late summer and early fall, their colts will almost be fully grown; strengthening their wings for migration, and integrating into the social order of the flock. Meadows at Inspiration Ridge Preserve are managed for this part of their migration, and on a good day in late August or early September you might find upwards of one hundred cranes staging for their communal migration. If you see cranes circling the sky in the next few weeks, they just might be heading to IRP. Sandhill cranes are a beautiful entry point into understanding the winged beings that migrate the globe, the challenges they face, and the allyship they need from humans who increasingly dominate the landscape.
This is Julia, and this has been Kachemak Currents. Brought to you by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, which has been connecting you to the nature of Kachemak Bay through education and stewardship for over 40 years.