Bill Sherwonit: Wildlife’s Writer
Wolves can’t hold a pen, bears can’t submit an op-ed, and birds can’t publish books or essays. When Alaska’s wildlife need to share their stories, Bill Sherwonit is there.
Bill and his trusted hiking buddy, Denali
Each year, AWA honors a volunteer who has made a difference for Alaska’s wildlife. The Lisa Ferguson Volunteer award is presented in remembrance of Lisa Ferguson, who died of Hodgkin's disease when she was 18 years old. Lisa's legacy lives on through her family's support of wildlife conservation and the volunteers who make that work possible.
This year, we are proud to recognize author and volunteer, Bill Sherwonit, for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in Alaska.
Born and raised in Connecticut and an Alaska resident since 1982, Bill is a nature writer, essayist and activist whose work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, literary journals, and anthologies. He’s the author of more than a dozen books, among them Animal Stories: Encounters with Alaska’s Wildlife, Alaska’s Bears, Changing Paths: Travels and Meditations in Alaska’s Arctic Wilderness, and To the Top of Denali: Climbing Adventures on North America's Highest Peak. Bill's work primarily focuses on Alaska’s wildlife and wildlands, but he’s passionate about wild nature in all its varied forms, including the nature of his adopted hometown, Anchorage, and the spirited wildness we carry within us.
Bill has authored dozens of Opinion pieces and Letters to the Editor on a wide variety of wildlife issues, educating Alaskans about our wildlife neighbors and the important decisions we make that effect them. Over the past year, Bill has voluntarily (and prolifically) written about the State’s Mulchatna bear control program, where the Alaska Department of Fish and Game shot more than 180 bears (including more than 20 cubs) from helicopters in southwest Alaska. Some of Bill’s pieces include:
Biologists dispute the state’s Mulchatna ‘intensive management’ rationale
During Fat Bear Week, let’s not forget Alaska’s state-run slaughter of bears
In his writings, Bill also educates readers about the wonders of wildlife. Some of our favorites include 30 years ago this month, chickadees changed my life, and countless posts on his City Wilds column, including: Winter survival strategies of Alaska’s songbirds, Celebrating Winter Bugs, Light Pillars, and Other Forms of Wild Nature, Tracking down some short-eared owls—and long-sought answers, and Dall sheep grace Chugach State Park’s Front Range.
Bill’s journalistic skills and talent for communicating complex issues makes him an exceptional spokesperson for the wildlife who don’t otherwise have a voice.
Join us in honoring Bill at our Hibernation Celebration on October 25th at Matanuska Brewing, Midtown Anchorage! We’ll be raising a glass and hearing some words from Bill during the presentation at 7:30pm. The event is free (purchase your own food and drink) until 9pm, then strap on our dancing shoes for a benefit concert by the Jangle Bees until midnight!
