Let’s be clear, it’s not just about the pretty picture…. it’s about the SCIENCE! Now is a fascinating time to be a scientist and conscious of it or not, we are all participating in the biggest experiment of all called life on planet earth. I really hope we are smart enough not to blow up the laboratory. I’m finding a huge amount of fascinating information on the Lake Clark NP website, as I do my homework before venturing into the park this summer. Knowledge brings powerful insights into how to best manage the irreplaceable treasures of our planet. SCIENCE has never been more important to our well being and to your children’s future than it is right now with the impacts of our rapidly changing globe. Keep in mind that science doesn’t care if you believe in it or not. We are the only species capable of destroying the very things we call sacred, it’s time to change our value system to accommodate the priceless. Do you know that part of the National Park Service mandate is to conduct and facilitate SCIENCE projects? At Lake Clark NP research is ongoing in; Cultural Resources (ethnography, archeology), Natural history (tides & shorelines, mercury in fish, sockeye salmon and wolves) and Ecology (SWAN = Southwest Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network). Studies conducted by the park service and in collaboration with outside organizations provide a huge repository of shared information that is crucial to the understanding and therefore the good stewardship of our national heritage lands.