Anchorage Daily News

BIRDING

Potter Marsh Bird Walk

WHEN: 8 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Potter Marsh

DETAILS: Come join us for a guided walk on the Potter Marsh boardwalk and nearby trails to identify and learn about area bird life. This event is for beginners as well as veteran birders. Binoculars, spotting scopes and guide books will be available. Sponsored by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

COST: Free

CONTACT: 267-2281

BIKING

Ride for Life

WHEN: 8 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Carrs/Safeway Huffman

DETAILS: Register or donate now for the 2009 Ride for Life Alaska Saturday and Sunday. Bikers will bike from Anchorage to Seward to raise funds for colon cancer screenings. Register online.

COST: $80 registration, plus fundraising

CONTACT: www.rideforlifealaska.com/; e-mail bjarneholm@ak.net to volunteer.

FISHING

Pike-free Arc Lake gets fish

WHEN: Noon Wednesday

WHERE: Arc Lake on Kenai Peninsula

DETAILS: Arc Lake, about two miles south of Soldotna on the Sterling Highway, will be stocked with juvenile landlocked silver salmon that will reach catchable size by 2010. The lake was treated with the chemical rotenone last October and Fish and Game biologists now consider it free of illegally introduced pike. Arc Lake was first stocked in 1966.

COST: Free

CONTACT: Fish and Game fishery biologist Patti Berkhahn in Soldotna at 1-907-262-9368.

Valdez Silver Salmon Derby

WHEN: Saturday-Sept. 6

WHERE: Valdez

DETAILS: Valdez Silver Salmon derby, offering $15,000 for the first-place fish, gets under way on Saturday. Second place earns $5,000 and third takes home $2,000. There are also daily prizes. Last year, Derek Werder of Valdez earned the top prize with his 22.14-pound silver, the largest caught in Alaska in 2008. His was the only Valdez fish larger than 20 pounds.

COST: Tickets $10 per day

CONTACT: www.valdezfishderbies.com

Seward Silver Salmon Derby

WHEN: 6 a.m. Aug. 8

WHERE: Seward

DETAILS: Alaska's biggest silver salmon derby attracts some 6,000 anglers and runs through noon Aug. 16. In addition to prizes given for big fish, one tagged $50,000 fish will be released in Resurrection Bay. Winner earns $10,000; second place gets $5,000.

COST: $10 per day, $50 for entire derby

CONTACT: www.sewardak.org

FLORA & FAUNA

Guided tour of flowers

WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday through Monday

WHERE: Alaska Botanical Garden

DETAILS: A docent will guide you through the lower and upper perennial gardens, rock garden, herb garden and wildflower trail. The tour will last about one hour, ending back in the nursery.

COST: Free; $5 parking for nonmembers

Wildflower walk

WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Eagle River Nature Center

DETAILS: Join naturalist Ute Olsson on a walk around the Albert Loop to learn about native wildflowers and berries.

COST: Free; $5 parking for nonmembers

CONTACT: 694-2108

HIKING

Weekly outdoor hikes

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Upper Huffman trail head

DETAILS: Alaska Outdoors weekly hikes. Monday hike is an easier trail, suitable for kids. Thursday is a mountain trail. Check Web site for Monday's location.

COST: $1

CONTACT: 770-0440, www.alaska-outdoors.org

KIDS

Meet a great horned owl

WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Eagle River Nature Center

DETAILS: Have you ever looked an owl right in the eyes? Here's your chance to meet Arc, a great horned owl in the care of Ginamaria Javurek. Javurek has much to share with you about this amazing bird.

COST: Free

CONTACT: 694-2108

MEETINGS & CLASSES

Sculling classes at Sand Lake

WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: Sand Lake Park

DETAILS: Anchorage Rowing Association will host three classes on the basics of sculling in singles and multi-person shells. Learn to execute proper launching and landing techniques and how to recover after flipping a shell.

COST: $75

CONTACT: 566-OARS; www.anchoragerowing .com/

Unlikely predators

WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: Anchorage Museum of Natural History

DETAILS: Join the museum for self-paced, hands-on activities. So you think you know how to identify a predator? Come learn about the museum's collection of not-so-obvious killers. Drop in. For groups larger than 10, please call ahead to schedule.

COST: 12 and under $3, 13 and over $5

CONTACT: www.alaskamuseum.org/

RUNNING

Dog Jog covers 2 distances

WHEN: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: East High School

DETAILS: Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Friends of Pets with 1-mile and 5-K runs for all ages. Includes a vendor fair, canine demonstrations and contests. Dogs must be on a leash and have current rabies vaccination.

COST: Pre-registered individual $20; preregistered family of four $45. More on race day.

CONTACT: 562-7446; www.friendsofpets.org/

RECREATION

Cardboard Boat Regatta

WHEN: Noon-4 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Goose Lake Park

DETAILS: Compete in a cardboard boat race where you're the designer, builder and crew. Boats must be made only of corrugated cardboard and held together with duct tape and/or white glue. Complete rules and registration form are online. Great team-building activity for businesses or organizations. For ages 8 and up.

COST: Free

CONTACT: 343-4247; www.muni.org/parks

Site of the week:

www.homerhalibutderby.com

Check out the latest from the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby.

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