Interview with Kathaleen Hanna

We knew prior to getting here there that there were going to be bears at Kulik. But, then we got here and actually saw the bears. What are your impressions of this week?

It's been mind-boggling. People talk about Alaska as the Last Frontier and when you come out here you can see what they mean. On some of these hikes, you feel as if you are the first person who's ever been to that area.

To get this close to a bear is magical. We know how to behave around them and we don't feel threatened. We know their behavior. I feel very much at ease and I've been totally enthralled. When you're out there fishing and, these bears come out of nowhere - it stops your heart for a second. But, then you soak it in and you think, "wow!" You feel so privileged.

I understand that just this morning you had a close encounter of the bear kind out on the river?

One came about fifteen feet behind me as I was fishing. I caught a fish and I was worried he might be interested in my fish. But, then he caught a fish just after I did. I had my fish and he had his and together we looked at each other and we realized that we weren't invading each other's territory. So we both relaxed and it was fine. But, it was a big rush of adrenaline.

Yesterday, you interviewed Carol Anne Woody, a salmon researcher. What did you learn?

We learned that there's actually a problem with these sockeye salmon. There aren't as many now as there used to be five years ago. This research is vital to figure out why the numbers are diminishing.

They actually put a transmitter into the fish. To do this she uses something that looks like a AA battery with a big, long thread hanging out of it that is, perhaps, ten inches long. It comes out of the mouth of the fish. The battery-like transmitter goes into the belly of the fish and it lasts for five months and never comes out. It doesn't hurt the fish. The reason they can do this is because the fish stop eating when they're spawning. When they come in to spawn, the transmitter is in them and it doesn't affect them in any way. She's up there doing radar calculations with a GPS [Global Positioning Satellite] from a plane and from a boat.

She is able to monitor what route the fish are taking and can track their movement. The other thing I found fascinating is that she is a young women, and has devoted her life to conservation. She lives out in the middle of nowhere and she is just in her element. She wakes up everyday and says, "this is the job for me!" She doesn't get scared and she is very, very far from any sort of civilization.

One of our unsung heroes. Out there, making it happen.

Completely - and I find that really exciting.