TAASHUYEE-CHOOKAN.AANI

The wetlands are a series of estuaries created by numerous streams flowing down the surrounding mountains.

As the tides ebb and flow, the wetlands alternate from grassland to shallow sea. The varying salt conditions produce a diverse community of plants, from sedge meadows and beach rye to spruce-hemlock forests in the surrounding uplands.

The diverse vegetation provides resting and feeding habitat for spring and fall migrations of waterfowl and shorebirds, and 3,764 acres of the open land has been protected as the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge. SEALT conserves adjacent properties to protect the integrity and size of the Refuge.

The Refuge is a National Audubon Society-designated globally significant Important Bird Area. It is vital habitat for 230 species of resident and migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, a migratory route that extends from Alaska to Patagonia.

The Refuge is also home or valuable resource to numerous mammals, (including black bear, wolves, Sitka black-tailed deer, muskrat, otter, mink, and hare) and an ark of marine life, including eight species of anadromous fish and marine mammals like seals.

Taashuyee is a priority conservation site. Its integrity is undermined by climate change, glacial uplift, and encroaching development. The Southeast Alaska Land Trust works with private landowners surrounding the Refuge to protect accreted lands.