A Seward sojourn for new fellows

By Alaska Sea Grant | July 16, 2026
Six people lean on a large log and smile at the camera. Behind them is verdant forest and a large waterfall.
Fellows pose in front of Bridal Veil Waterfall during their kayak trip on Resurrection Bay. Left to right are Bergen Kludt-Painter, mentor Cara O’Brien-Holen, Hannah Bogdan, Alaska Sea Grant coastal resilience specialist Sean Kelly, Amiah Jared, and Alex Devon. Photo courtesy Amiah Jared/Alaska Sea Grant.
A young woman strides through a room full of trays of sprouting plants.
Fellow Bergen Kludt-Painter explores a prototype hydroponic garden at the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute. Photo by Amiah Jared/Alaska Sea Grant.
Six people stand on a rocky beach holding kayak paddles. A kayak instructor stands in front of them.
The fellows get trained up on kayak basics. Photo courtesy Amiah Jared/Alaska Sea Grant.
Two young women ride a bright green kayak through the ocean, with a forested green hillside behind them.
Fellows (l to r) Bergen Kludt-Painter and Alex Devon on a kayak trip in Resurrection Bay. Photo by Amiah Jared/Alaska Sea Grant.
Three people climb up a trail in a verdant forest. A stream flows beside them.
Fellows climb toward Bridal Veil Waterfall during their kayak trip on Resurrection Bay. Photo by Amiah Jared/Alaska Sea Grant.
Six people stand around a set of water tanks covered in screens.
Fellows and mentors examine tanks of sea cucumbers at the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute. Photo by Amiah Jared/Alaska Sea Grant.

Alaska Sea Grant’s 2026 cohort of Community-Engaged Fellows kicked off their summer fellowships in memorable fashion with a three-day retreat in Seward.

Four of the six fellows attended the June retreat, which began with a videoconference presentation to the national network of Sea Grant community fellows. The fellows enjoyed a tour of the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute hosted by former Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow Jake Cohen, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the Alaska SeaLife Center. 

The group held a barbecue where they discussed project ideas and heard career presentations from community partners in Seward. They wrapped up the retreat with a six-mile kayak paddle and natural history tour of Resurrection Bay, including a hike to Bridal Veil Waterfall.

The event marked the start of the ten-week CEF program, which will see the fellows work on local research and education projects in towns from Nome to Petersburg, each mentored by one or more Alaska Sea Grant faculty members.

More information about Alaska Sea Grant’s Community-Engaged Fellowship program is available on our website.

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