William Healey Dall - Field Notes, Alaska, 1895

Say you wanted to conduct a study of the recently erupted Bogoslof Volcano in Alaska--who would you send to do the job? The US Coastal Survey chose naturalist and longtime Alaskan explorer William Healey Dall to visit the volcano, the same year of its eruption in 1895. This set of field notes documents Dall's survey of Alaskan coal fields and his trip to the Bogoslof Island--not just the site of a volcano, but also a breeding ground for sea lions, seals, and a variety of seabird species. Just a few years after Dall's research trip, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the island a sanctuary for sea lions and marine birds. Dall himself would go on to be a strong advocate for seal and sea lion conservation. Explore Alaska's volcanoes and coal fields with Dall, and help transcribe his notes for future scientists!