We are excited to celebrate the opening of a new facility at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center: The Matson Ocean Education Center!
On Saturday, May 16th, AWCC staff gathered with supporters and contributors to celebrate years worth of planning and labor that went into the development of the facility.
This building will serve as a hub for school field trips, beluga monitoring, conferences, and much more. Located along the Turnagain Arm at the furthest north point on AWCC property, belugas and other marine life can be spotted from inside the building (which is ideal when you’re located in a rain forest). The exterior also features a large partial wrap around deck for stunning panoramic views of the surrounding scenery, as well as a beluga themed con-ex painted by local artist, Dawn Gerety.
That’s not all though— step inside to be met with a life size beluga skeleton on display for all to see and learn from. The Matson Ocean Education Center will be open to the public as a place to learn about the local marine life that has an incredible impact on our ecosystem (or just as a place to warmup and get out of the weather.) Interpretive signs have been created and placed along the walls for our visitors to read over during their tour of AWCC.
We are thrilled to share this celebration with all of our supporters, and we look forward to updating you all on everything the Matson Ocean Education Center offers in the coming years.