Why I Fell in Love With Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - and Why We Must Protect It From Drilling

While renowned and beloved for its superlative qualities, I love the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on a macro level. One evening I watched a small red-backed vole move her offspring, each no larger than a jelly bean, from one hiding spot to another. I was no less impressed by her adaptability and will to survive than by the caribou of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. And the first time I saw the delicate nodding bladder-campion growing amidst the raw bulldozed terrain of a glacier’s recent retreat, I was just as dazzled by this tiny flower, making a living in the most hostile environment, as I was by my first view of Mt. Isto’s glaciated slopes.