Starting the day off with an exciting moose sighting at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, we participated in a day filled with learning about the wild plants of Alaska. We learned about forestry, forest fires, the different types of trees, as well as the harm done to the spruce forests by bark beetles. Following this educational road trip around the forests of Alaska, we once again made our way to our guided raft tour. Since it was too windy during our first attempt at the tour, we had to reschedule our 8 mile trip down the Kenai River for today. While we were on our excursion, our guide informed us about the effects of numerous organisms on the environment. For example, beavers have a negative effect on the Kenai River because they can erode the river bank while building dams. At the end of our river rafting journey, we had an unexpected visit from a 1 year-old black bear. Then, on our way back to Bear Paw cabins, we made two quick pit-stops to get a view of the volcanoes (Iliamna & Redoubt) as the sun was beginning to set. A perfect way to end the day!

-Riley and Lara