Haines: Duo hopes to open 40-acre wildlife park
A maverick tour operator and a local filmmaker have formed a partnership that aims at opening a 40-acre wildlife park next spring in the upper valley outside Haines.
Dave Button and Steve Kroschel said they hope the park, to be located just south of Mosquito Lake School, will be among cruise-ship excursions offered locally and in Skagway in 2004.
The two men stressed that the park is in the planning stages, but a sneak preview of the tour's offerings is available at Button's website, www.dollyvardenalaska.com.
The park will showcase native Alaska animals in their natural habitat. Visitors will be able to feed a reindeer, learn from a falconer or see how a log cabin is built, as well as watch Kroschel wrestle with a wolverine "the way (the predator) would with a bear in the wild." Button said the park also plans to display coyotes, foxes, marmots among other indigenous animals, for which Kroschel is seeking required state permits.
Kroschel, a Minnesota native who's trained animals for motion pictures and has worked as a filmmaker for 18 years, said the animals in the park will be trained, and that the wolverine demonstration will illustrates how the animal kills its prey.
"It's an entertaining way to learn," he said. "Educating visitors will be one of our goals."
Kroschel said lectures on a variety of topics would be offered regularly, and that his short films on topics from avalanches to polar bears would be shown in a log-cabin theatre on site.
Button said Kroschel "is the brains behind the concept," who will handle logistics. Button is handling the marketing. He plans to transport visitors to the park in a vintage 1957 glass-roofed bus and offer 30- and 60-minute tours.
Button said he pitched the idea to cruise industry representatives during the recent Alaska Tourism Industry Association conference in Juneau. "The cruise lines know about the idea, but the tours already are set for 2003. It will take a while to build belief in the idea, so hopefully we can offer it for the 2004 season."
Haines tourism director Michelle Glass said the tour could be good for Haines, if done well. "Anytime Haines can boost its tour offerings, it's a great thing."
But she said if cruise lines are to sell the tour, it has to be high quality. "Consumers are demanding, and they want a quality, memorable experience. They don't want a zoo or a show. Cruise lines also are extremely demanding, and have insurance and quality standards."
Kroschel stressed the operation "will not be a zoo," but rather a remote location with rolling hills and beautiful views that present educational opportunities to visitors.