When six seniors boarded the research vessel Endeavor this summer, they had no idea they’d soon find themselves just a few feet away from Alaskan brown bears.
The 12-day expedition to Gambier Bay pushed seniors Teddy Wilson, Carter Plowman, Alex McClintock, William Wei, Asher Gottesdiener, and JJ Stone far beyond the classroom and deep into the wilderness.
Led by Bill Urshel ’76 and chaperoned by physics instructor Simon Janzen, the students spent 10 days aboard the 72-foot vessel conducting a benchmark study—establishing baseline ecological data that future scientists can use to track environmental changes from climate shifts to wildfires.
Each student focused on a different area of research: land and marine mammals and invertebrates, ornithology, geology, botany, and mycology.
“I was the onboard botanist and mycologist,” Teddy said. “I chose it because I’d never really experienced an old-growth forest, and I wanted to see what undisturbed, tranquil forestry would be like in such a remote location.”
The untouched environment made their research more meaningful and powerful than they had imagined.
“My favorite experience on the trip was getting to see bears up close,” Carter said. “It was inspiring, humbling, and at times a little scary to be in the presence of an animal so beautiful yet so powerful.”
Wildlife encounters included observing bears. William spotted harbor seals, Asher found volcanic rocks, and JJ filmed pink salmon up close with his GoPro Camera. The group also discovered that fishing in Alaska was far more rewarding than back home.
“Every time you drop your rod in the water, you get a bite within seconds,” William said. “Compared to here, where I’ve gone hours without catching anything.”
Between research sessions, students collaborated on ship chores, played board games, and helped each other photograph, identify, and collect specimens.
The work was demanding with long days of cold rain, muddy trails, and boots that filled with water as they surveyed different bays.
Afterwards they would return to the Endeavor to the comforting smell of Kevin’s cooking.
The ship’s chef quickly became a legend among the crew. His meals offered a taste of home hundreds of miles from civilization.
“We had this man named Kevin on board. He was kind of the GOAT of cooking,” Teddy said. “I didn’t expect such amazing meals to be constantly available.”
When the weather turned or exhaustion set in, Kevin’s kitchen became the heart of the vessel and a warm refuge that kept spirits high through the trip.
Their sense of wonder lives on in a formal research paper the students completed this fall, complete with data tables, graphs, and photographs. The expedition’s success has sparked discussions about making the Alaska research trip an annual opportunity for SRP students.
“The most surprising thing was just how incredible Alaska was,” Carter said. “I knew it would be beautiful, but it was beyond what I could have ever imagined.”
But for this year’s participants, the question isn’t whether they’ll ever return to Alaska—it’s when.
“I couldn’t recommend visiting the Alaskan wilderness enough,” Carter said. “It’s a must. I already can’t wait to go back.”
