Girls* on Ice Alaska, supported by the Alaska CASC, has annually led young explorers through an alpine landscape on Gulkana Glacier since 2012. Participants in the program embark on a 12-day science and art expedition on the Gulkana Glacier in the eastern Alaska Range. Known as C’ulc’ena’ Łuu’ in Ahtna, the glacier’s name means “cutting stream glacier.” The trip provides an up-close look at how the glacier is a vital source of water recharge for the Delta-Clearwater River which is an important spawning ground for coho salmon, a species central to both subsistence and commercial fishing.  

A major goal of the program is to inspire the next generation of scientists to pursue careers in various environmental science fields that can make positive local impacts. This can be seen with participants like Teslin Brannan who presented her research from the 2023 Girls* On Ice expedition to an international community of glaciologists at the 2024 GLOBE symposium in New York and plans to study environmental science when she starts her university studies the fall of 2024. The program hopes to continue to illuminate the wonders of the Eastern Alaskan Range for budding researchers’ interest in glaciology and other scientific disciplines.