Maia Edwards sets up a sound recorder on a tree near the Little Salmon River as naturalist Nick Szatkowski takes note on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in the Haines borough, Alaska. (Photo by Lex Treinen/Chilkat Valley News)
Maia Edwards sets up a sound recorder on a tree near the Little Salmon River as naturalist Nick Szatkowski takes note on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in the Haines borough, Alaska. (Photo by Lex Treinen/Chilkat Valley News)

In late March, Maia Edwards strapped on cross-country skis for the second time in her life near Chilkat Lake Road. 

The 24-year-old researcher, who is originally from New Orleans, set off with a backpack full of three gray…