Chamisso Wilderness
Encyclopedia
Chamisso Wilderness is a 455 acres (184.1 ha) wilderness area
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
. It was designated by the United States Congress
in 1975.
A small subunit of the Chukchi Sea Unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
, Chamisso Island
and nearby Puffin Island
were combined as a wildlife refuge in 1912, designated Wilderness in 1975, and added to the AMNWR in 1980.
Chamisso Island, named after the naturalist Adelbert von Chamisso
, comprises one large sand spit and a low beach zone surrounding a covering of tundra
with a few marshy bogs. Although Chamisso Island is much larger, Puffin Island houses many more nesting birds, especially horned puffin
, black-legged kittiwake
, and thick-billed murre who build their nests on the steep-walled cliffs that fall into Spafarief Bay
. Eskimos still cross from the mainland to gather eggs, primarily from kittiwakes and murres. With the exception of birds and the occasional fox
that crosses frozen sea in winter, nothing lives on the islands that make up Chamisso Wilderness. Walruses, seals
, and whales can often be seen in Spafarief Bay.
National Wilderness Preservation System
The National Wilderness Preservation System of the United States protects federally managed land areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. It was established by the Wilderness Act upon the signature of President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It was designated by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1975.
A small subunit of the Chukchi Sea Unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge comprising 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs in Alaska, with a total area of , of which is wilderness)...
, Chamisso Island
Chamisso Island
Chamisso Island is a small island in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. It is located off Spafarief Bay at the mouth of Eschscholtz Bay, just south of the Choris Peninsula....
and nearby Puffin Island
Puffin Island, Alaska
Puffin Island is a rocky islet in the Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. It is located off Spafarief Bay at the mouth of Eschscholtz Bay, just south of the Choris Peninsula, in the Northwest Arctic Borough at ....
were combined as a wildlife refuge in 1912, designated Wilderness in 1975, and added to the AMNWR in 1980.
Chamisso Island, named after the naturalist Adelbert von Chamisso
Adelbert von Chamisso
Adelbert von Chamisso was a German poet and botanist.- Life :He was born Louis Charles Adélaïde de Chamissot at the château of Boncourt at Ante, in Champagne, France, the ancestral seat of his family...
, comprises one large sand spit and a low beach zone surrounding a covering of tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
with a few marshy bogs. Although Chamisso Island is much larger, Puffin Island houses many more nesting birds, especially horned puffin
Horned Puffin
The Horned Puffin is an auk, similar in appearance to the Atlantic Puffin; this bird's bill is yellow at the base and red at the tip. It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with other auks.The yellow bill plate grows before the breeding...
, black-legged kittiwake
Black-legged Kittiwake
The Black-legged Kittiwake is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Larus tridactylus....
, and thick-billed murre who build their nests on the steep-walled cliffs that fall into Spafarief Bay
Spafarief Bay
Spafarief Bay is a bay in the Kotzebue Sound, on the Chukchi Sea-facing coast of Alaska. Its size is 15 mi. across. There is a lagoon at its southern end....
. Eskimos still cross from the mainland to gather eggs, primarily from kittiwakes and murres. With the exception of birds and the occasional fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
that crosses frozen sea in winter, nothing lives on the islands that make up Chamisso Wilderness. Walruses, seals
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
, and whales can often be seen in Spafarief Bay.
External links
- Chamisso Wilderness - Wilderness.net