Sockeye salmon return to Steep Creek to spawn during the summer months of 2022. Residents and youth in Juneau are invited to learn more about the species at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center this Saturday for the final installment of the Mendenhall Minis series of the winter. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Sockeye salmon return to Steep Creek to spawn during the summer months of 2022. Residents and youth in Juneau are invited to learn more about the species at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center this Saturday for the final installment of the Mendenhall Minis series of the winter. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

Learn more about salmon at this winter’s final Mendenhall Minis event

The series returned in-person after two years of online only

Though Mendenhall Glacier area’s Steep Creek might appear calm and empty this time of year, come summer, it will be teeming with salmon.

In the meantime, before the excitement of the run begins, Juneau youth and residents are invited to visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Saturday morning to learn more and participate in activities that explore the life cycle of the salmon that inhabit the Mendenhall Glacier area.

“This month explores all things salmon,” Julia Spofford, acting assistant director at the center, told the Empire. “We chose salmon because it’s one of our biggest wildlife presences here and something we talk about frequently with the public.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Saturday’s event is the final installment of this winter’s Mendenhall Mini’s series, an annual series created by the forest service as a way to encourage children in Juneau to learn more about the vast array of animals that call the glacier home via offering activities and mini feature videos that spotlight different species each winter month.

The sun partially sines on the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center as it sets in late February. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

The sun partially sines on the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center as it sets in late February. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)

This year, the animals featured were bears in January, birds in February and lastly, and salmon in March. This winter marked the in-person return of the series after a few years of online-only content due to COVID.

Spofford said it’s been great to have the series snack in person, and encouraged residents to head over to the visitor center to learn more about the salmon that will be making their way to Juneau in just a few short months.

Know & Go

What: Mendenhall Minis Series: Salmon

Where: Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. 6000 Glacier Spur Rd

When: 11 a.m. Saturday, March 11.

• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807. Follow her on Twitter at @clariselarson.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Feb. 15

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

The Tlingit and Haida Elders Group performs the entrance dance at the 89th annual Tribal Assembly of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Trump rescinds Biden executive order expanding tribal sovereignty and self-governance

Order giving Natives more access to federal funds cited in awarding of major Southeast Alaska projects.

The House Finance Committee listens to public testimony about next year’s proposed budget on Friday at the Alaska State Capitol. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
The Alaska House budget currently has a ‘full’ PFD of about $3,800. Except it really doesn’t.

Legislators on all sides agree PFD will shrink drastically before floor vote to avoid $2 billion deficit.

Dylan Court and Emily Feliciano-Soto at a rehearsal of “Necessary Nonsense,” a Theater Alaska production debuting Friday. (Photo courtesy of Theatre Alaska)
Middle schoolers bring ‘Necessary Nonsense’ to life in Theater Alaska Kids Company’s debut play

Imagine a world where “Alice in Wonderland” characters mingle with limerick legends… Continue reading

Jonathan Estes, a parent of three students attending the Dzantik’i Heeni campus, testifies for a safe playground at a special Juneau Board of Education meeting on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Juneau School District submits budget for next school year to Juneau Assembly

The plan assumes $400 BSA hike and no staff vacancies; board also advocates for DH playground.

A totem pole and visitor guide sign on the downtown Juneau cruise ship dock on Thursday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
‘Anecdotal’ signs Juneau’s tourism season may see a dropoff due to Trump’s policies, officials say

Tariffs, talk of recession causing uncertainty and ill will resulting in reports of cancellations.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Wednesday, March 12, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Gabriel von Eisenstein (David Cangelosi) is pulled in two separate directions by his wife Rosalinda (Sara Radke Brown, right) and Rosalinda’s maid, Adele (Kayla Kohlhase, left) during a dress rehearsal of “Die Fledermaus” on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Juneau Lyric Opera celebrates a chorus of community for 50th anniversary

German operetta “Die Fledermaus” that launched JLO gets revival with old and new voices Friday night.

Most Read