Alaska's Arctic:
One of the Greatest Wildlife Nurseries on Earth 

Every year millions of birds—waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, raptors—migrate en masse to Alaska’s Arctic lands.  They come from four continents, converging in the great wetland complexes of the coastal plain to raise their young. Raptors nest in the bluffs of the great rivers. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of caribou gather to calve and feed in the plain and foothills. In offshore waters, endangered bowhead whales, beluga whales and three species of seal rear their young. Even in the depth of winter, polar bears give birth in their dens.

For thousands of years, the native Inupiaq people have directly relied on the abundance of this great nursery for their subsistence way of life. Across continents, hundreds of millions of people depend on this nursery for the birds that feed, delight and inspire them. The Nature Conservancy wants future generations to inherit a biologically rich Arctic. We are working with partners to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to ensure the long-term, biological health of Alaska Arctic. 

Taking Action