2026 Special Emphasis Series

Scott Weidensaul is the author of nearly 30 critically acclaimed books on natural history, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Living on the Wind  and his latest, the New York Times bestseller A World on the Wing. Scott is a contributing editor for Audubon and writes for a variety of other publications, including BWD and Living Bird, and is a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society.

An active field researcher and longtime bird bander focusing on bird migration, he directs a major research project tracking the migration of saw-whet owls, and is part of a continental effort to learn why more and more western hummingbirds are wintering in the East. He is a cofounder of Project SNOWstorm, an ambitious effort to learn more about snowy owl migration. Scott is a frequent visitor to Alaska for more than 40 years, where his work has taken him into almost every corner of the state, including Denali, where he helps direct Critical Connections, a study of the park's migrant birds. A native of Pennsylvania, he and his wife Amy now live in New Hampshire.

Philip Wight is an Associate Professor of History and Arctic & Northern Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He is an energy and environmental historian, with a focus on infrastructure, mobility, and climate. He teaches classes in Alaska history, the contemporary history of the circumpolar north, as well as energy and climate history.

Dr. Wight is currently finalizing a book manuscript, Arctic Artery: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the World it Made, based on his doctoral research. To be published for the pipeline’s 50th anniversary, Arctic Artery tells the story of the most consequential pipeline system in American history and how it transformed the Pacific Rim from the North Slope to Panama. His other research has investigated the origins of green consumerism, the electrification of Alaska, and the history of Alaskan nuclear power.

Beyond his academic scholarship, Philip is deeply involved in modernizing Alaska’s electric industry. He worked as a policy expert for the Alaska Public Interest Research Group and led the successful passage of Alaska’s community solar legislation (SB152) in 2024. He was honored as a “Community Solar Champion” for these efforts. He currently serves as the Chair of the Golden Valley Electric Association’s Member Advisory Committee.

When not in the archives or tinkering with off grid solar systems, Wight could be found cycling, packrafting and skiing throughout Alaska.

Eowyn (pronounced A-o-win) LeMay Ivey was raised in Alaska and continues to live there with her husband and two daughters. She worked for nearly a decade as a bookseller at independent Fireside Books in Palmer, Alaska, and prior to that as a reporter for the local newspaper, The Frontiersman.

Her new novel, Black Woods, Blue Sky was released February 2025. To the Bright Edge of the World was published in 2016. Her debut novel, The Snow Child, has sold more than a million copies worldwide and is a New York Times bestseller published in more than 25 languages. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a UK National Book Award winner, an Indies Choice award for debut fiction, and a PNBA Book Award winner.

Ben Goldfarb is an environmental journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic, The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, and many other publications. He is the author of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times, and Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Elise, and his dog, Kit — which is, of course, what you call a baby beaver.

Alison York is an expert in Alaska fire ecology, tundra fire, fire management and science communication. She has lived in Alaska since 1986. She works with scientists and managers to understand and address the impacts of environmental change in high latitudes. Alison is program coordinator for the Alaska Fire Science Consortium where she helps bridge the gap between boreal and arctic fire science delivery, outreach and application.

Danielle is of Dena’ina and Koyukon Athabascan descent and was raised in both rural and urban areas of Alaska. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She began her professional career in the northern regions of Alaska, assisting in the documentation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge of polar bears. Over the last decade she worked across Alaska advocating for local and cultural subsistence rights, diversity, equity and inclusion in public policy forums and meetings, and acted as a liaison between tribes and state and federal entities.

In her free time, Danielle enjoys teaching and practicing yoga, beading for her small business - Dena’ina Dreams, playing with her nieces, traveling, harvesting salmon, picking berries, and spending time out on the land.

Karen Evanoff is of Dena’ina descent with ancestry around Qizhjeh Vena, Iliamna/Pedro Bay, and Stony River. Her academic background includes an undergraduate degree in Anthropology and a Master's degree focusing on interdisciplinary topics in Dena’ina education and traditional knowledge. Her life experiences are woven intricately from growing up close to the natural world. She has had many visions for projects and programs over the years, often influenced by Indigenous Elders, and has pooled resources to bring these ideas into the world.

Together they, along with two other partners, founded Qizhjeh Vena Alaska; a nonprofit working towards creating a world-class gathering center inspired by Dena’ina values and culture. Their holistic approach will nurture the next generation of leaders, educators, and inspired individuals within and beyond the Dena’ina community. Qizhjeh Vena, ‘a place where people gathered lake,’ is the original Dena’ina Athabascan name of Lake Clark.

David W. Shaw splits his time between Fairbanks, Alaska and Salida, Colorado. He is a professional photographer and writer specializing in conservation imagery, science communication, and educating others about the art of photography. He has both undergraduate and master’s degrees in wildlife biology and applies this background to create in-depth stories of the natural world.

He has written over 100 articles for publications across the world. His images and writing about science and natural history have appeared in magazines like Sierra, Living Bird, UnDark, Defenders, Ensia, Resurgence and Ecologist, Birds and Blooms, Birdwatcher’s Digest, Birdwatching, Alaska, and others. His instructional photography articles have been published in Shutterbug, Photographic, Photo Technique, Professional Photographer, Amateur Photographer and others. Dave is also an instructor at the Digital Photography School and Expert Photography. He leads small-group, active-learning photography workshops, and natural history tours in Alaska and abroad.