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Six students put their science skills to work documenting the ecology of a remote Alaskan wilderness

Science classes make up a large part of the core curriculum for a 91���� Northampton student—replete with labs, written coursework, and plenty of observation. But for six 91���� students, this past summer was about putting all of the theory they learned in a classroom into action in the real world of Alaska.

As part of a trip led by science faculty member Bill Berghoff, students Joey O’Donald ’25, Jack Berrien ’25, Maya Zesiger ’25, Alyssa Matricciani ’25, Maddy McCarthy ’25, and Ava Medaugh ’25 headed across the country to live for two weeks on a boat off of Montague Island in Prince William Sound. During their stay, the students did research for a benchmark study—a report that provides an ecological snapshot of the local environment, to be used by researchers and scientists studying the area in the future. Each student was given a specific task during the stay.

Jobs included tracking mammals and marine life; observing foliage and plants; recording mineral reserves; and simply tracking the weather. Because of their location, the group even got to name a small island they found—Blustery Point. Combined, the reports were assembled during Fall 2024 to complete the study, which will be submitted to the National Forest Service.

“It’s amazing to be the first people to study this area,” said Berrien,
“because we think about how the world is pretty much mapped. It’s incredible and eye-opening that this benchmark study could be the first of many to better understand the world of climate change.”

While the experience of observing the Alaskan wilderness is adventure enough, living on a boat for the duration of the stay added an interesting wrinkle. The six students stayed in one room of bunkbeds, and were put on rotating chore schedules—including cooking meals and cleaning up the cabin.

“It made [the trip] so much more real,” said McCarthy. “Being so incredibly immersed in the nature and beauty around us constantly—it was surreal.”