In order to fully appreicate the Yukon-Kuskwim Delta (where the Lower Kuskokwim School District is located) you must first see it from the sky. The district is roughly the size of Ohio or West Virginia and is comprised of 22 remote villages (four of which are on islands). These villages are only accessible by small plane and snow mobile in the winter and small plane and boat in the summer. Many of these villages are quite isolated and this is part of what makes living and working for LKSD so different and interesting. And now, on with a few pictures from the sky:

This is the airport in Bethel. The big green and white building is the Alaska Air and ERA "terminal". We get jet service several times a day (on a good day) from Anchorage and ERA flies to most of the villages that we serve. When you come to Bethel from the Lower 48 (aka Down States, Outside), this is the first place you'll see... and the last thing you'll see when you leave.





These hangars are all in a row next to the Alaska Airlines/ERA terminal. These buildings house the other carriers and charters that we use to go to the villages... Craig Air, Yukon Aviation, Grant, Hageland and Inland Aviation. Yute and JP Air are on the other side of the Alaska Air/ERA terminal. All of us who travel about the delta are initimately familiar with all of these buildings.





This is most of the town of Bethel. It is the hub of over 50 villages. The LKSD central office is located in Bethel (toward the top of the photo). Bethel is 400 air miles from Anchorage (we say "air miles" because there are no roads connecting Bethel to Anchorage). The town is 70 miles up the Kuskokwim River from the Bering Sea. That's the mighty Kuskokwim winding its way into the right side of the photo. (photo courtesy of Jennifer L. White, DHOH Specialist for LKSD).

The tundra in late August.





Village of Kipnuk in late August. The big building is the school. The rest are houses, a store and a church. Teacher housing is located between the school and the bottom of the photo.





This is the same village (Kipnuk) from a different angle... and slightly later in the year. The school is still the largest structure in the photo.





This is the village of Chefornak in late August. The school is the biggest building with the red roof (look toward the river). The landing strip appears to curve and head straight to the school. One of the advantages to teaching in Chefornak is that you don't have far to walk to the air strip.





This is Ayaprun School in the village of Newtok in winter. The teacher's houses are just to the left and forward of the school.






The tundra turning colors in Autumn. This is very typical of what we fly over to get from village to village... and, of course, what the tundra villages (as opposed to the "coastal villages") are surrounded by.






More of the tundra from the sky in Autumn. We don't really have trees... but we still do a pretty good job for Autumn colors.




The village of Nightmute on Nelson Island. The villages of Tununak and Toksook Bay are also on Nelson Island.





The village of Goodnews Bay with Goodnews Bay (the actual water) in the foreground. The school is the big blue building in the back of the photo. Goodnews is at the southern end of the district. This picture was taken in August.






Rivers and ponds from the air.



Typical plane that we would fly on... coming into Toksook Bay.






Kevin (SLP) and Jamie (special education teacher) standing in Toksook Bay.






Heather (PT) and Donald (SLP) in a sled at Tununak. In some of the villages, we are met at the airstrip by a snow machine (aka snow-go, snow mobile) pulling a sled like the one in the picture above. It's a little bit like a sawed-off bass boat (but slightly less comfortable).That is the Bering Sea in the background. The Tununak School and village are just out of the picture to the right.






This is Heather (PT) ice fishing with Liz. It looks like they might be catching Tom Cod. They are fishing on the river that runs off the hills behind the village of Tununak into the Bering Sea.






This picture was taken on from the hill behind the Goodnews Bay School. If you turned 1/4 turn to the left, you'd be able to see the school and village of Goodnews Bay.






Okay... this is 1/4 turn to the left from the previous picture. That's the Goodnews Bay School with a flock of geese flying over it in the early fall. Some of the village is obscured by the school and the rest of the village is blocked by the hill in the left foreground. The water is Goodnews Bay.






This is the "airport" (aka: landing strip) at Mekoryuk. Mekoryuk is the only village on Nunivak Island. The village is one of the smallest in the district; however, the airstrip is located about 3 miles from the actual village. The school and the village agent both have vehicles for taking/picking up people to/from the airport. The airplane is a Twin Otter. They hold 15 passengers and 2 pilots... or cargo and few people.






This photo was taken in Newtok. The homes in Newtok do not have running water (although the school does). The structure in the foreground is a steam (similar to a sauna). You can tell by the smoke coming out of the chimney that someone (or a group of people) are probably inside taking a steam bath. There is a loyal dog waiting outside... and it's hard to miss the juxtaposition of the satelite dish on the house in the background. There are numerous steams in all of the villages throughout the district (and all across Alaska).






This is the post office in Newtok.










A Twin Otter on the airstrip in Tununak... early Fall.






Sunrise in Quinhagak. This photo was taken on the steps at the end of the school. These mountains are the backdrop for the village of Quinhagak.






Rocky Mountain School (K-12) Goodnews Bay, Alaska... winter.






This is the Russian Orthodox Church and cemetery in Napaskiak. Most of the villages have one church (Russian Orthodox, Moravian or Catholic). There are several villages that have 2 churches. Bethel has more than I care to count right now.






This is the school in Napaskiak... J. John Williams Memorial School (K-12).






Twin Otter landing in Kwigillingok... on second thought, it might be Newtok.






The village of Napaskiak is in the center of the picture. Napaskiak is about a 5 minute flight from Bethel. In the winter, you can get there by snow machine on the frozen river (or by 4 wheel drive) in 15-30 minutes, depending on the condition of the "ice road". Of course, in summer, its an easy trip by boat.






These are the hills behind the school/village of Toksook Bay. You can see a teacher (center right) taking her class up to pick blackberries (early fall). It's about 7 miles (by 4-wheeler or snow-go) over these hills to the village of Tununak.






This picture was probably taken from the same spot as the picture above it... only in the exact opposite direction. You can see MOST of the village of Toksook Bay. The high school is the big building to the left. Toksook has the largest number of students ages 3-21 of any of the 22 villages in the district. The village of Nightmute is across the water at the base of the hill that slopes away to the right in the middle of the picture. At night, you can often see the lights of Nightmute from Toksook Bay.






This Ayaprun School (K-12) in Newtok, Alaksa. It is one of the newest schools in the district.






Tom's Store in Newtok... from the OUTSIDE. It appears that the last plane that landed had a shipment for the store.






I bet you were wondering what Tom's Store looked like on the INSIDE! Well, now you know. This is 80% of the store. The door is behind you and there is a small room off to the right with a couple of freezers full of caribou meat and other frozen goods.






Dying fish on a rack in Toksook Bay. This is a very common site in the early fall. Fish, fish, fish... drying everywhere.... getting ready for winter! It is a busy time in the villages.






This is JoJo (school psych) and Gabe at the Kipnuk School (K-12). Kipnuk's enrollment is usually in the top 3 for the 22 village schools.




JoJo (school psych) and Donald (SLP) out enjoying a walk after school in Kipnuk.  Two fuel  tanks add some color to the stark winter day.






Kipnuk (most of it)... sky... frozen tundra.






The USA and Alaska flag flying poudly over Z. John Williams Memorial School in Napaskiak.






This is the high school (grades 3T-12) in Toksook Bay. The school is actually called Nelson Island Area School. There are 3 villages on Nelson Island (Toksook, Tununak and Nightmute) and each one has their own school. The elementary school in Toksook Bay (K-3... taught in Yup'ik) is a 2 minute walk to the the photographers immediate left. Toksook's mascot is "The Islanders".






Typical crowd at a village airstrip... but... where's the plane? It's anybody's guess. This is the airstrip in Newtok and the school is behind the lady in the blue coat.






This is the village of Toksook Bay... early winter.






Heather (PT) and Annie (village agent in Goodnews Bay) eagerly await the arrival of ERA Aviation at Gate 1.






Vickie (multi-disciplinary specialist), Chris (OT) and Heather (PT) being dropped off at Atmautluak by Craig (far left). Craig is the owner of Craig Air (note tail of plane). Craig provides charter services to villages across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and is well known to all of the itinerants.






Heather (PT... on the left) headed from the airstrip in Newtok to the school It's about a 5 minute walk.






Ahhhhh.... late summer in Bethel. This is the LKSD Central Office (green building) and Bethel Regional High School (aka BRHS... grades 7-12).






This is Rocky Mountain School (Home of the Goodnews Bay Bears) in Goodnews Bay, Alaska... early fall.






Sea grass and a few houses in Toksook Bay. The high school is behind the photographer and teacher's housing is to the right. This is the view from most any spot in the village looking out toward Toksook Bay and Nightmute.






 Johns' Store in the village of Toksook Bay. Toksook has 3 stores.






Panorama view of the village of Kipnuk... taken from the front porch of the school.






This is the basketball court in Kwigillingok. It is build on stilts that penetrate the perma-frost (3 feet down). The school and houses in most of the villages and Bethel are also built on stilts... otherwise they would sink into the tundra in the summer. The ground is very mushy in the late spring, summer and early fall.






Kwigillingok School... early fall.






Panorama view of Mekoryuk (Nunivak Island) from the boat harbor.






This is about 1/3 of the village of Newtok... viewed from the airstrip.






This picture was taken from the bow of a boat headed toward the village of Nunapitchuk. Nunap (as it is often called) is situated on both sides of a river. The airstrip and 1/2 of the village are on one side and the school and other 1/2 of the village are on the other side. When the plane drops you off in Nunap, you are required to make your way across the river in order to get to the school. This can be accomplished by boat (piloted by the village agent, school personell or a passerby) in the early fall, late spring and summer... or by walking (once the river freezes sufficiently) in the late fall, winter and early spring. There are times when the river is too frozen for travel by boat... and yet, not frozen enough to walk across. That can be a sad and desperate time if you wish to leave Nunap (as it is pretty much impossible).






Drying fish in Toksook Bay... early fall.






Perched high on a hill, this is Paul T. Albert Memorial School in Tununak, Alaska. The view out across the Bering Sea from this school is one of the finest in the district.






This is the school dock in Nunapitchuk (refer to narrative 3 pictures previous).






Kids skating on a pond in Newtok, Alaska.






A teacher with her students in Tununak, Alaska. The school is just to the right of this photo.






Several years ago, Donald (SLP) got "delayed" (due to weather) in Newtok for a week over Thanksgiving. Margaret (green coat) invited him to spend the holiday with her family in the village. Sadly, the generator in the village went ka-put and the folks from the village had to come up to the school and cook their Thanksgiving turkies (4-5 turkies for the whole village). Once Margaret's turkey was cooked (and you have to admit that is one fine looking turkey), it was too heavy and hot to carry to her house across the village. So... Margaret and Donald took turns pushing it in her wheelbarrow from the school to her house. Halfway there, I decided it warranted a photograph. It was one of the best Thanksgivings ever! And I got to taste a number of things I'd never eaten before.






The beautiful rocky coastline of Tununak, Alaska.





It would be impossible to exaggerate the popularity of basketball in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The Kwigillingok Eagles Boy's team have been our disctrict champs for the past 2 years.





This is the village of Tununak in early Autumn.




School kayaks and a few of the homes in Kwigillingok.





Toksook Bay boat harbour and some of the villages houses. The school is up and to the right of this photo.





Toksook Bay from the air (with the prop of a Twin Otter). The big blue building to the right is the high school. The other biggish blue building (way to the left of the high school) is the elementary school. The big tan building with the black roof (upper right of picture) is the new regional clinic.





Heather (physical therapist) in the basket of a dog sled with Paul (one of the elementary school teachers in Goodnews Bay) mushing.





Grass and the frozen bay of Goodnews Bay (the name of the body of water AND the name of the village that sides at the edge of the water). The mountain in the middle of the picture is Beluga and is very prominent and you almost always fly right next to it before landing in Goodnews Bay.





Dogsledding in Goodnews Bay.






Kids and teacher from Quinhagak playing Circle Dash on the beach after school.





View from the special education classroom in Quinhagak. That's the teacher parking lot, playground and a few of the village houses.