Family fun talk
Migration
Migration is one of nature’s greatest wonders — each year millions of birds travel great lengths, sometimes across the globe, to find feeding and breeding grounds. Many of the birds come to the Puget Sound from around the world, often on their way to or from the north coast of Alaska.
A new environmental photography exhibit at Seattle’s Burke Museum explores the phenomenon of bird migration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a region that is environmentally crucial to the survival of more than 190 bird species, yet is a hotbed for political controversy.
“Arctic Wings: Miracle of Migration” opens Sept. 13 at Burke Museum on the UW campus in Seattle. Featuring the work of award-winning photographers Subhankar Banerjee, Michio Hoshino, Mark Wilson, Arthur Morris, Hugh Rose, Paul Bannick and Brad Winn, Arctic Wings presents more than 30 color photographs that capture the global bird biodiversity represented in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ecosystem.
Birds from across six continents and all 50 states migrate to the refuge annually to take advantage of the 24-hour Arctic summer daylight and plentiful, rich food sources. Hundreds of thousands of birds nest on the coastal plain of Alaska during breeding season, mating and storing up fat for the long migration to southern wintering grounds.
Critical to the survival of global wildlife, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge also has been identified as a prime oil-drilling location, placing the Arctic Refuge directly at the center of heated environmental debates.
“Arctic Wings: Miracle of Migration” will tour nationally following its debut at the Burke Museum, joining another critical wildlife issue-themed exhibits, “The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World,” which is also on view at the Burke through the end of the year.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
