OUR MISSION
The Denali
Education Center was founded in 1989 in order to develop and implement research,
education and communication programs that benefit the Denali Park bioregion, the
state of Alaska, and our planet. We believe that wilderness provides an
educational opportunity to teach and to share values common to all of us.
Denali Education Center's 14th Annual
Auction!
Don't miss the premier event of the summer! Our Annual Auction
will take place on Saturday, August 2nd at the Charles Sheldon Center. This
FUNdraising event is a celebration and wildly-entertaining community affair!
Your donations, attendance and support help sustain the programs of Denali
Education Center including;
-Camping and backpacking experiences for Denali Borough
children aged 6 to 18
-Reaching out to disadvantaged youth & challenged youth
and adults from across the state - introducing them to the wonders of Denali
National Park and Preserve
-Exposure to educational lectures and the arts through our
Community Series events.
-Educational programs for senior citizens who are engaged in
lifelong learning through Elderhostel
And so much more! Please join us for the feel-good event of the
summer and have the time of your life! If you would like to donate items or make
a financial contribution to the Annual Auction, please contact Jill or Christine
at (907) 683-2597 or jill@denali.org and christine@denali.org. Details for how to pre-register
and buy your tickets early will follow on this website in the coming weeks.
Register for Denali Discovery Camps here
Come Visit! Denali Weeks 2008
Don't forget about Denali Week and Denali Mini-weeks! These are
great opportunities to visit family and friends working in the area or just come
up for an amazing learning experience in Denali this summer. All you need to do
is get to Denali and we will take it from there! All lodging, meals, programs,
and trips into the park are included! Leave the details to us and come to
Denali. It's a trip of a lifetime that you won't soon forget. For more details
regarding Denali Week please click here or for Denali
Mini-Weeks click here.
New Wheels!
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We are pleased to announce the newest member of our fleet! With a
generous grant from the Rasmuson Foundation and an in-kind donation from Pacific
Environmental Corporation (PENCO), we recently purchased a 31 passenger bus to
use as a new program vehicle. This smaller bus will provide an economical
alternative to our transportation needs and will allow us to be more flexible
when transporting our program participants. Rasmuson Foundation is a private
family foundation based in Anchorage dedicated to promoting a better life for
Alaskans. PENCO was formed as part of American Marine Services Group and
provides emergency marine oil spill response and related environmental services.
We are incredibly grateful to all of those who helped to make this purchase
successful and encourage you to learn more about both the Rasmuson Foundation
and PENCO by going to their websites at www.rasmuson.org and www.penco.org.
Updated March 27.
Winter is Wonderful!
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Our Elderhostel season began with a happy howl again this year as 47
people joined us in Anchorage for our first program of the season focusing on
the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race! Mushing-fever abounded as participants
attended race related events including the musher's banquet, the ceremonial
start in downtown Anchorage and then out to Willow, AK for the official start of
the race.
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While we waited to see if Lance Mackey could pull another miracle out
of his sled bag, many of the Iditarod crew came along for our second Elderhostel
program of the year, the brand new Winter in Interior Alaska. 30 hardy folks
took to the road for a taste of the Alaskan winter beginning in Talkeetna with
the focus on climbing Mt McKinley. It was then off to Healy and Denali National
Park for a visit to the winter visitor's center and programs with varied topics
including wolf research, bird migration, and a visit to a local sled dog kennel.
We saw scores of caribou in Cantwell and flagged down the Alaska Railroad for a
beautiful trip through the Alaska Range. Our last evening in Healy culminated
with a magnificent aurora! The next day we headed north, catching a glimpse of
Mt McKinley and after taking our chance to win the Nenana Ice Classic it was on
to Fairbanks and the Museum of the North, finishing the evening with a trip to
the World Ice Art Championships. It was an amazing start to what promises to be
another outstanding year of Elderhostel programs!
Updated March 27.
Welcome Back Willie!
Executive Director Willie Karidis celebrates 100-year anniversary of
Charles Sheldon's winter exploration in the wilderness of
Denali
Our Executive Director
Willie Karidis has been in the Toklat area of Denali National Park since late
January and has returned home from the park to complete his 70 days retracing the footsteps
of park visionary Charles Sheldon.
Willie's trip has been a tribute to Sheldon's work and marks the
100th anniversary since Sheldon over-wintered in the same area of
Denali; a life altering event that proved to be a major impetus in Sheldon's
quest to establish Mt McKinley National Park, later renamed Denali National Park. Willie has been busy attempting to
recreate many of Sheldon's photos, 100 years to the date, and making
observations of temperature, bird species, animal activity and more. To read about Willie's journey and send
him your well wishes, please click here: "Wilderness of Denali
100"
Congratulations,
Willie!
LOCATION
Located upon ten wooded acres near
the eastern boundary of Denali National Park & Preserve, the home of Denali
Education Center is the Charles Sheldon Center and Riverside Hall, also known as
the "Learning Center" or "Elderhostel Classroom." We welcome visitors to
this remarkable land and experience what makes this place so very special. The
Denali Education Center is located at Milepost 231 of the George Parks Highway,
seven miles south of the Denali National Park entrance, behind the McKinley
Village Lodge.
INFORMATION
For more information about programs or
events sponsored by the Denali Education Center, call 907.683.2597 or e-mail us
at info@denali.org.
If you would like
to be placed on the Denali Education Center mailing list to receive Community
Series updates, please send your name, street address and email address to mail@denali.org. We hope to see
you in Denali!
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