The Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve or KBNERR celebrated its 25th anniversary last week. The research reserve was established as part of a national coastal research and education system.
The reserve is one of 30 in the country. Reserve manager Katherin Schake said when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established the research reserves in the 70s, groups around the country submitted proposals to establish a research reserve in their local community. She said people in Homer submitted a proposal around 20 years later.
“There was a group of 12 people, a committee, that was led by Nina Faust and Will Files to nominate Kachemak Bay as a site for the Research Reserve, and that nomination went to the office of the governor,” Schake said.
KBNERR has gathered weather, water quality and invasive species data for more than 20 years. Schake said they also research watershed and nearshore ecology while engaging with the community through education, internships and training programs.
“Through our coastal training program, the decision makers of our communities have access to the best available science to make decisions, especially when it comes to coastal management issues, preserving groundwater and understanding impacts to our ecosystems and the coastal area,” she said.
Schake said founding members and longtime employees reflected on accomplishments through the years at a storytelling event last Saturday.
“We continue to make sure that the people who live here and grow up here understand what's happening in their backyards and on their coastlines so that we can continue to make decisions that allow for long-term food sources and economic livelihoods,” Schake said.
But, the reserve is also facing challenges to maintain funding. Schake said half of the reserve’s budget comes from the federal government. The rest of the funding comes from various grants, which aren’t guaranteed.
In the meantime, she said they’re going to continue monitoring the conditions in Kachemak Bay.
More information about KBNERR is available on their website.
