As Described in Princess Tours Package
A 5 hour summer guided program through the scenic Copper River Valley. Walk through an undisturbed portion of the boreal forest. Experience the land much as it has been for 10,000 years. Visit our Website at www.copperrivertours.org
HC 60 Box 336E Copper Center, Alaska 99573 Phone: 907-822-3575 or 907-259-3575 (cell) or 907-822-3282 contact us
Wrangell Institute For Science and Environment
Janelle Eklund President 
Gay Wellman
Carla Schierholt ,Secretary 
Paul Boos ,Treasurer
Tim Sundlov
Patty Christian
Suzanne McCarthy
Dr. Daniel Solie
Dave Wellman, Vice president
Vice President
ABOUT WISE
The WISE Mission
WISE provides science and environmental education to all age groups, resources for learning, and support for scientific research.
Our vision is to share the natural world of the Copper River Basin and to provide scientific, environmental education, and research services to all age groups from children to seniors and to instill people with a sense of awe, connectedness, and sacred feeling for the place we live.
WISE is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Currently headquartered in Kenny Lake, Alaska.
The WISE Location
WISE provides services to the Copper River Basin, Alaska. The Copper River Basin is located 200 miles east of Anchorage, AK. It is home to Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest park in the United States. Nineteen rural communities are spread throughout the Basin, which encompasses approximately 23,500 square miles.
WISE Staff
Executive Director
Bruce grew up in the Midwest and graduated from the University of Michigan with a B. S. in Environmental Engineering. From there he joined the Navy and became an aviator flying antisubmarine patrols worldwide, and after a very rewarding career, retired as a Commander. For sixteen years he worked as a manager for three manufacturing companies. During that time he was responsible for delivering quality products, using innovative techniques while reducing costs and increasing value. As Executive Director of WISE, he coordinates multiple youth, environmental programs in the Copper River Basin. He also worked as a National Park Ranger coordinating their Junior Ranger programs for the summer of 2009. Through his work experience he has been responsible for organizing groups in remote settings in foreign countries with the Navy, in the Alaska wilderness for WISE, and as a hunting guide. Bruce enjoys getting involved with community and nationwide organizations volunteering his time. He is past president and a member of a regional Shiners’ organization and has served as a member and volunteer on conservation clubs, Masonic groups, and fire departments. He also served time as a Boy Scout Leader. During his time volunteering he has had experience with fundraising and leading groups. Bruce is passionate about wilderness areas and the challenges of living in remote Alaska.
Thirty-five years ago Bruce married his high school sweetheart, Kayane. They have two adult children and three precious grandchildren. He and Kayane enjoy living in a remote area as in-holders in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve and spend time gardening, hunting, trapping and fishing.
Naturalist
Cara grew up in Eagle River, Alaska, where her parents home-schooled her along with her older sister. Her love of nature was instilled during the first few years of her life, when her family lived in a small cabin they built up the mountain at the edge of Eagle River. In her mid teens, she began exploring beyond the natural world of her suburban backyard, and spent many hours wandering in the nearby woods and adjacent wilderness of Chugach State Park, recording her experiences in her poetry and occasional wildflower drawings.
At age 16, she became active in the local naturalist community, volunteering at the Eagle River Nature Center (a nonprofit in the Chugach State Park), staffing their front desk and leading nature walks, and at the Campbell Creek Science Center (run by the Bureau of Land Management), where she helped create a herbarium. At 17, she was one of the first to join an interpretive naturalist training program put together by the organizations in the community, where she learned fundamentals of becoming an environmental educator and informal science teacher. Four years later, in 2004, after dividing her time between naturalist training, volunteering, and part-time university classes, she was the first candidate to complete the program.
She continued volunteering and university studies, and transferred to the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2007, where she focused on botany and included some literature and creative writing. She graduated in 2010 with a bachelor of arts in biological sciences with a minor in English. She is excited to understand and share the beautiful nature of her lifelong home
WISE Award Recipients
Volunteers at Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment have received a number of prestigious awards. To read about the awards and what they mean to the recipients please visit our awards page.
Our History
Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment (WISE) is a grassroots organization, receiving it's non-profit 501(c)(3) status in April of 2002 and it's final determination letter in 2006. The founders started meeting in 1998 with a dream to build an organization that would provide science and environmental education to all age groups.
All of the founders saw a need for science and environmental education in the Copper River Basin. The face of the Copper Basin is changing rapidly. Local communities are gateways to the largest Park in the nation, Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST), and are experiencing growth and development pains. Youth programs were the first target group, along with a public lecture series. As WISE grows, new programs are being developed to include adults and a broader range of youth age groups.
Programs are developed in collaboration with other agencies, organizations and schools. Partnerships were formed in with the Bureau of Land Management, Copper River School District (CRSD), High Frequency Active Auroral Research Project (HAARP), Prince William Sound Community College (PWSCC), Wrangell Mountains Center (WMC), and Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST). Many other agencies and organizations have joined the list and partner with WISE to deliver programs.
All members of the Board of Directors brings valuable resources and volunteerism to the organization and help in creating partnership connections.
Board of Directors
Janelle Eklund, President. Former Bureau of Land Management Outdoor Recreation Planner (Click to read a message from our Board President.)
Dave Wellman, Vice President. Retired high school science teacher.
Carla Schierholt, Secretary. Kenny Lake School 2nd and 3rd grade teacher
Paul Boos, Treasurer. Former Bureau of Land Management Lead Outdoor Recreation Specialist
Dr. Daniel Solie, Director of Education Outreach, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Assistant Professor of Science Education.
Suzanne McCarthy, Director Prince William Sound Community College
Gay Wellman, Education/In home services specialist for Alzheimer's Resource Agency of Alaska
Tim Sundlov, Fisheries Biologist, Bureau of Land Management, Glennallen, AK
Patty Christian, Former Interpreter and naturalist, National Park Service, Kenny Lake, AK
WRANGELL INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT - COPPER CENTER, ALASKA PHONE: 907-822-3575
907-259-3573 (CELL) OR 907-822-3282 Contact Us