Sitka Conservation Society – 2023 Calendar (2022 Annual Report) by Sitka Conservation Society

2023 Calendar

Sitka Conservation Society 2022 Annual Report

Our Mission The Sitka Conservation Society protects the natural environment of the Tongass National Forest while supporting the development of sustainable communities within Southeast Alaska.

Table of Contents Letter from the Board President

Living Wilderness Fund Updates

Honoring Sasha Calvin

Letter from the Executive Director

Donors and Partners, Financial Report

Supporting Youth Leaders

Creating Connections Across the Region

The Healing Power of the Tongass

SCS's Work to Tackle Food Security

Building a Pathway to Decarbonization

Wilderness Stewardship and Cultural History

Living with the Land and Building Community

Connecting Youth with Fish and Wildlife Management Processes

Berry Song and the Bonds We Share

Supporting Healthy Salmon Powerhouses

Finding Ourselves Through Service to Others

Building Our Future Together

SCS Staff and Board

Cover: View of the Tongass (© Crossroad Photography). (Top-Bottom, L-R): Northern lights above Sitka (© Lione Clare), close-up of salmon fin near salmon stream (© Bethany Goodrich), Sitka 4-Her in front of a totem pole at Sitka National Historical Park (© Ryan Morse), 4-Her mushrooming with volunteer Drew Larson (© Lione Clare). Opposite (Top-Bottom): Devil's club (© Bethany Goodrich), youth at Yakutat Surf Camp (© Bethany Goodrich), waterfall and stream (© John Paul Castle), sunset at Phonograph Creek property (© Lione Clare), youth at Hoonah Culture Camp (© Bethany Goodrich), close up of bunchberry flower (© Bethany Goodrich), Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid at Culture Camp (© Bethany Goodrich), salmon (© Bethany Goodrich).

Building Our Future Together A Letter from the SCS Board President

Dear Friends, Whether between the natural world or each other, Southeast Alaska has a way of reminding us of the tightknit bonds we share. The past few years have often been characterized by challenges and conflict, yet here on the Tongass National Forest, our relationships run deep: to the lands and waters, to our cultures and ways of life, and to our communities. I'm grateful for the many connections that we share between people and place. At the Sitka Conservation Society, we continue to build and strengthen these connections through our engagement at all levels. In our work as part of the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and in our advocacy and collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture, our role is to build programs, initiatives, and relationships between people, organizations and agencies to make the policy shifts of the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy a success. Locally, we catalyze and amplify programs that support the health of our coastal town of Sitka, from food security to climate action. Our youth engagement programming, such as our Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H and career-pathway internships, help foster the sharing of intergenerational knowledge and hands-on "learning through doing" that empowers emerging generations with the skills and tools that they need. As our memberships and networks continue to grow, I am extremely proud of what SCS has accomplished with your support. In a world where we have much to worry about, I remain thankful that we can find the strength, resilience, and connection to lift each other up and enable true, meaningful change. Thank you for your support of SCS. The connections that we create together will bolster our communities for generations to come. Debra Brushafer SCS Board President Sitka Conservation Society | 1

The Living Wilderness Fund The Living Wilderness Fund (LWF) is an endowment for Sitka Conservation Society that was established to ensure long-lasting advocacy for and protection of Wilderness and wild places for future generations. Donations to the fund support a variety of SCS projects and come in a range of contributions; including gifts honoring individuals and loved ones, property and assets left in wills and estates, and specific donations made towards the fund. Projects supported by the Fund continue the passionate work of the people whose efforts inform the very fabric of SCS, like founders Chuck and Alice Johnstone and Jack, Sasha and Margaret Calvin, writer Richard Nelson, and artists Eric and Pam Bealer, who left us their property in Lisianski Inlet adjacent to the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness. The West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness is special to the organization's history because of the years that the Calvins and the Johnstones spent to bring policymakers and others to the area in order for them to form their own meaningful connections to place; ones that can only be made from first-hand experience. Our goals with the Phonograph Creek property are similar to the approach used by our founders. We seek to provide a unique opportunity for connection to place and inspiration by inviting artists, writers, and advocates to translate their experiences into value-driven work that aligns with our history and mission, and honors the wishes of the Bealers, who left their homestead to us. Sharing perspectives spreads the story of this work to new audiences near and far. This year we hosted a diverse suite of visitors including sustainable artist Leslie Espino, local illustrator and writer Sheit.een Michaela Goade, and visual artist Steve Lawrie. We also hosted Taku and Jocelyn of Outdoor Chef Life who connect food and place, Alaska folk musician Annie Bartholomew, and author, climate change strategist, and executive director and co-founder of The All We Can Save Project, Dr. Katharine Wilkinson. These inspiring people all come from different backgrounds, disciplines, and interests – but now have all been influenced by the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness, which will inform and inspire their future work. SCS will continue working with these individuals and their organizations on joint projects and initiatives.

We are working to maintain and develop the property in a manner that provides a comfortable remote setting for people to experience the essence and wild spirit of this place. We are grateful for the energy and support that all of the staff, partners, members, and volunteers have put into this project. Donations to the Living Wilderness Fund can be put towards continuing this impactful work. A gift can support an artist, property development, or outreach to diverse audiences, from those who may not have yet heard of the Tongass to people who are drawn to protecting wild places through creative work. Another project that the LWF supported this year was our continued partnership on Wilderness stewardship with the Sitka and Hoonah Ranger Districts. We chartered two Sitka-based guide boats to take the Forest Service out into the field to conduct archeological and stewardship projects in the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness. Staff and volunteers also conducted remote Wilderness stewardship and clean-ups by kayak in the Pleasant, Lemesurier, and Inian Islands Wilderness area. Contributions to SCS's Living Wilderness Fund help celebrate and honor people, continue legacies and common goals through our projects, and ensure there will always be wild places for next generations. We are grateful for the contributions thus far and want to encourage you to support the Living Wilderness Fund so we can continue this work for years to come.

Phonograph Creek Property 2021 – 2022 Residencies Annie Bartholomew Claire Sanchez Dr. Katharine Wilkinson Eric and Morgan Hanson Leslie and Victor Espino Maite Lorente Maureen O'Hanlon Michaela Goade Outdoor Chef Life Team Steve Lawrie Tristan Rhodes and Jenni Goddard

The Living Wilderness Fund is at

$1,300,00

$2 Million Goal Supports Staff and Stewardship Programs

$1.5 Million Goal

Supports staff position for Wilderness programs

$1 Million Goal Accomplished!

Photos (Top-Bottom): Sasha and Jack Calvin, Sasha and Jack resting during their famous canoe trip, Sasha and her daughter Natasha (photos courtesty of Mary Purvis). Opposite: a bird's eye view of SCS's Phonograph Creek property near Pelican (© Ryan Morse).

Honoring Sasha Calvin Celebrating Her Life and Legacy

Maria Andrevna Kashevaroff Calvin, known better as Sasha, was born in Sitka, Alaska on July 7th at the turn of the 20th century. Sasha was the daughter of Andrew Petrovich Kashevaroff, a Orthodox Russian Bishop, and Martha Bolshanin Kashevaroff, a Lingít woman of the Raven Kik.sádi. Sasha was a free spirit, with intelligence and wit, who traveled widely. As a child, she would follow her father’s transfers by the church across Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. After traveling Europe and temporarily settling down in San Francisco, Sasha moved to Carmel, California in the 1920s. There, she met and fell in love with Jack Calvin, an author who shared her enthusiasm for adventure. Like magnets, Jack and Sasha attracted a variety of similarly adventurous souls, and their home became a common gathering place for marine biologist and ecologist Ed Ricketts, mythologist Joseph Campbell, photographer Ed Weston, and author John Steinbeck. In 1929, Jack and Sasha married and, in true fashion, embarked on a less-than-traditional honeymoon. That summer, they paddled over a thousand miles in a Willits Brothers Canoe from Tacoma, Washington to Juneau, Alaska, a voyage that would later be recounted by Jack in a 1933 issue of the National Geographic. By the early 30s, the newlyweds moved to Sasha's hometown of Sitka. Throughout her life, Sasha was deeply connected to the natural world, and constantly attentive to its ebbs and flows. When she and Jack moved to Southeast Alaska, Sasha would constantly monitor the changes of the seasons, the signs of life around them, and the winds out of the bay. She skillfully fished from the waters, hunted for deer and goat with her husband, and harvested wild foods with her daughters, Lois and Natasha. She cultivated this attention to the wonder and joys of the Tongass among her daughters and granddaughters, and shared her Lingít and Russian cultures and languages with them.

The lands and waters of the Tongass were very much a part of Sasha’s identity, and as she experienced these places with her husband, she imbued him with her fierce love for it as well. In 1964, Sasha and Jack became charter members of what would become the Sitka Conservation Society. Like many others, they saw the damage being caused by unsustainable practices of a boom-and-bust timber industry, and due to their strong environmentalist leanings and connections to this place, they wanted to fight to protect it. Sasha passed away in 1969 to cancer, leaving behind a legacy that demonstrated both her compassion for the people and natural world around her. Sasha was a fierce, compassionate, intelligent, and adventurous person who was foundational to the Sitka Conservation Society. She traveled the world and moved to many places, yet always kept a connection to the natural world of the Tongass. Eventually that pull brought her back to Sitka, where she imparted her knowledge and experience of Southeast Alaska to her husband and family. If not for Sasha's passion and connection to Southeast Alaska, she and Jack would not have come to Sitka, and Sitka Conservation Society would not be what we are today. We honor Sasha’s legacy through Sitka Conservation Society's Living Wilderness Fund, to continue working to protect and support the people and places that Sasha so deeply cared for. Sitka Conservation Society | 3

Photos (Top-Bottom, L-R): Lisianski Inlet (© Lione Clare), common loon (© Clarice Johnson) sun breaking through the forest (© Katie Riley), picked salmonberries (© Bethany Goodrich), survey during SCS and USFS stewardship trip (© Lione Clare), Michaela Goade reading to youth (© Lione Clare), golden chanterelle (© Bethany Goodrich), salmon for the Fish to Schools program (© Lione Clare), Yakutat Surf Club (© Bethany Goodrich), embrace at Hoonah Culture Camp (© Bethany Goodrich), deer (© Rafe Hanson).

Collaborating on Sustainable Solutions for Southeast Alaska A Letter from the Executive Director

When I look back on 2022, I’ll remember that when things got tough, there was almost always someone who would step up and help move things forward. When many of us wanted to believe the pandemic was over, we were constantly reminded that our systems hadn’t yet recovered from the turmoil and conflict of the past few years. Yet, as our systems strained, and at times even failed us, we have seen the power of people persevere. Whether this was from our staff, our local community, our partnerships across Southeast Alaska, or our supporters and collaborators across the country; time and time again, people proved their resilience and determination to fight for what they believe in and invest in a sustainable future for the health of our communities and our planet. This past year, the Sitka Conservation Society worked on collaborative projects building towards sustainable solutions for Southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest. While politics on the national level can feel divisive, we have focused on community-oriented solutions that overcome the conflicts fueled by a powerful few and looked for ways to nurture our partnerships, support intergenerational knowledge, and empower our future generations and leaders. In these efforts, we are putting in the work to achieve results, while also being mindful of how we are healing ourselves from the impacts of this pandemic, from the scars of past conflicts, and from the injustices of the legacy of colonialism. We are learning the power of regenerative processes, much like the ecology of the temperate rainforest, with its cycles of life and the ways it heals from tragedies inevitably creates new space for growth to persevere.

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Time and time again, people have proved their determination to invest in a sustainable future for the health of our communities and our planet.

Coming to the end of the year, we can now look back and see how much has been accomplished. We have helped shepherd a whole new management approach in Southeast Alaska that is not only focused on the Tongass, but brings together all of the US Department of Agriculture’s programs to create a “Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy” that is a major shift in rural community development and resource management in Alaska. In Sitka, we’ve seen our municipal actions lead to further investments in decreasing municipal carbon emissions and building more sustainable systems on the local level. Our youth programs are opening doors, recruiting, and creating both opportunities and learning experiences for the next generation of Alaskan leaders. We are introducing amazing artists and changemakers to the Tongass with residencies at our remote property adjacent to the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness Area, and we are helping map hundreds of new miles of salmon spawning streams across the Tongass. The Sitka Conservation Society continues to grow and build our capacity and effectiveness in conserving the Tongass, while leaning into the global challenge of how we develop sustainable societies and systems as we face devastating impacts from climate change and the need to transition away from an oil-based economy. We are an organization that continues the legacy of our founders, while adopting new strategies and approaches. We take on local, national, and global issues of both human and environmental importance, while remaining rooted in the lands and waters of Southeast Alaska. Most importantly, we accomplish this thanks to the contributions from members and supporters like you. In solidarity, Andrew Thoms SCS Executive Director

Photos (Top-Bottom, L-R): Devil's club (© Bethany Goodrich), mountains peaking through the clouds (© Bethany Goodrich), Sitka 4-H Parade of the Species (© Lione Clare), USFS shelter (© Lee House), muskeg pool (© Bethany Goodrich), Leslie and Victor Espino watching sea otters play out in Lisianski Inlet (© Lione Clare), herring roe being harvested(© Bethany Goodrich), kayaking in the West ChichagofYakobi Wilderness (© Emily Pound).

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Our Wild Gratitude We are immensely grateful for all your support. We would especially like to recognize the following foundations and organizations: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

7th Generation Fund A Matter of Degrees Alaska 4-H Alaska Community Foundation Alaska Conservation Foundation Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Division of Forestry Alaska Endeavor Charters Alaska Marine Safety Education Association Alaska Native Brotherhood Alaska Power & Telephone Alaska Seaplanes Alaskan Designed Allen Marine Tours Inc. Always Indigenous Media Americorps Vets Work Arrowhead Press Artchange Inc. Artist Cove Gallery Backdoor Cafe Baranautica Air Services LLC Baranof Expeditions Barnacle Foods Bert and Susan Loosmore Family at Seattle Foundation Braveheart Volunteers Campion Foundation Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Chicobi Charters City and Borough of Sitka City of Sitka Electric Department Cloud Mountain Foundation Clovis Foundation Common Stream Foundation Community Collaborators Del Company Desert Mountain Medicine Ecotrust Edgerton Foundation Edible Alaska Equinox Alaska Fidelity Charitable Filson Outfitters First Alaskans Institute First National Bank Alaska First Pacific Financial Fish and Wildlife Service For the Wild Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Fortress of the Bear F/V Tommy L II George H. and Jane A. Mifflin Memorial Fund Harbor Mountain Brewing Co. Hayes Family Foundation Heen Foundation

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Herring Protectors High Ridge Expeditions Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest Johnson Construction & Supply, Inc. Jolly Design & Consulting Juneau Empire Kaasei Training & Consulting Lead to Life Leighty Foundation Lisianksi Inlet Cafe Made in America Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Mt. Edgecumbe High School Municipality of Anchorage MyFedTrainer National Forest Foundation National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance Native Movement Natural Resources Conservation Service Neurobehavioral Consultants Office of Rep. Jared Huffman Old Growth Forest Network Organized Village of Kake Organized Village of Kasaan Outdoor Chef Life Outer Coast Outride Pacific High School Patagonia Planet Alaska RAND Corporation Renewable Energy Alaska Project Romey Fisheries & Aquatic Science Salmon Beyond Borders Salmon State Salty Spoke Bike Co-Op Seacoast Trust Leadership (Spruce Root, TNC, Sealaska, etc.) Sealaska Sitka Cycling Club Sitka Emblem Club Sitka Fish and Game Advisory Committee Sitka Health Summit Coalition Sitka High School Sitka Kitch Sitka National Historical Park Sitka Native Education Program Sitka Public Library Sitka Ranger District Sitka School District Sitka Sound Science Center Sitka Trail Works Sitka Tribe of Alaska Sitka Woman's Club Sitkans Against Family Violence South Arm Enterprises Southeast Alaska Independent Living SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium

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Southeast Conference Spruce Root, Inc. St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Tenakee Logging Company The Nature Conservancy The New Venture Fund The Wilderness Society Training Resources for the Environmental Community Transition Sitka Trout Unlimited True North Foundation University of Alaska Anchorage University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service University of Alaska Southeast USFS Hoonah Ranger District USFS Petersburg Ranger District USFS Regional Leadership USFS Sitka Ranger District USFS Wrangell Ranger District USI Insurance Services Wilburforce Foundation Wildlife Ecology Workshop Wrangell Cooperative Association Yakobi Fisheries LLC Yakutat Surf Club YETI

We also thank the following individuals for their support and contributions: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Aaron Poe Abby McAllister Adam McCleod Adelaide Johnson Adrienne Wilber Ajax Eggleston Aldyn Brudie Alice Johnstone Alyssa Russell Amy Blair Amy Ellis Amy Gulick Amy Volz Andrea Fraga Andrew Cremata Andrew Shen Angie Bowers Anne Green Annette Blankenship Annie Bartholomew Arias Hoyle, Air Jazz Artemis Klejka Arlene Levy Ashely Green Bart and Juliet Koehler Barth Hamberg Beatrice Kabler Bernard Romey Bert and Clayton Stromquist

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Betsy Lawer Beth Short-Rhoads Bianca Kednay Bill and Diane Marx Bill and Sherry Foster Blain and Monique Anderson Brenda Berry Brenda Schwartz-Yeager Brendan Jones Brent and Valerie Edwards Brian McNitt Bridget Hitchcock Brita and Eric Speck Brooks Areson and Cameo Padilla Cabot Christianson Cary and Sarah Keller Catherine Parker Cathy Needham Cecilia Reoux Charlie Skultka Jr. Charlie Skultka Sr. Charlie Wilber Chef Jo Chelsea Jolly Cheryl Fecko Cheryl Vastola Chester and Miriam Meyers Chloe Demisch Chohla Moll Christina Van Den Hoogen Christine Woll Christopher VanEsselt Cindy Edwards Claire Sanchez Clarice Johnson Collauna and Ross Marley Family Connie J. Sipe Cora Dow Daanax.ils’eik Chuck Miller Dan Kirkwood David and Marge Steward David Middleton and Claire Beck David Sam Kaaxwaan Dawn Jackson DeAnna Perry Debbie Miller Denise Turley Diana Portner Doc Noe Don Hernandez Don Kluting Don Surgeon and Galen Paine Donald Randall Doug Nethercut Dr. Katharine Wilkinson Drew Larson and Willa Johnson Elaine Andrews and Roger DuBrock Elizabeth Bagley Ellen Bradley Ellen Frankenstein Ellen L. Ferguson Ellie Schmidt Emily Wagner Eric and Morgan Hanson

We also thank the following individuals for their support and contributions: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Eric Castro Eric Jordan Ernie Eggleston and Gaylen Needham Floyd Tomkins and Connie Kreiss Frances Paxson Frank Hauser Gail Corbin Gale and Phil Brownell Gina Lawson Ginny Olney Gloria and Ralph Wolfe Gordon Chew Grace Brooks Greg Mandel Hannah Reynolds Harvey Kitka Heath Whitacre Heather Evoy Helen Dangel Henry Nathanson Howard Wayne Jack Raekoff James Clare James Faro James Poulson Jamie Cross Jamie Stone Jan Straley Janet Clarke Jason Custer Jed Delong Jeff Mckay Jennie Rice Jennifer Frank Jim and Kathy Kyle Jim Slater and Family Jim Steffen Joe Emerson and Elizabeth Wolf Joel and Alice Hanson Joel Martin John Holahan John Leach John Paul Castle Jon R. Martin Jonathan Brouwer Joseph Webb Julian Brave Noisecat Julie Platson Karen Grussendorf Karen Stepanenko Kate Grumbles Kathryn Winslow Keith Heller Kendall Whitney Kenyon Fields Kevin Kocarek Kevin Mulligan Kimberly Bakkes KK Prussian Konrad Frank Korinne Krieger Lakrisha Johnson Larry Calvin

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Laura Jacobsen and Paul Buxton Laura Schmidt Lauren Mitchell Laurence Dean Laurie Cooper and Dave Schmid Leah Weinberg Lee House Leonard Steinberg Leslie Downey Leslie and Victor Espino Lexi Fish and Adam Hackett Linda Janacek and Wayne Dye Lisa Bykonen and Greg Watchers Liz McKenzie Lois Munch Lorraine Inez Lil K'asheechtlaa Louise Brady Lucy Morgan Lyn Blankenship Maite Lorente Mandy Summer Marcel LaPerriere Marian Allen Marina Anderson Marnie Chapman Martin Remund Mary and Bob Purvis Mary Barrett Mary Goddard Matt Catterson Matt Foruria Maureen O'Hanlon Meda DeWitt Megan McGinty Michael Downs Michael Litman Michael Mayo Michael Peters Sheit.een Michaela Goade Mike Derzon and Robin Supplee Mike Thoms Mike Vieira Mimzy Wellberg Mitchell Pies Molly and Jacob Martz Moses Johnson Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid Kaasei Naomi Michalsen Natasha Eckhardt Nina Maus Nolan Veesart Norm Cambell Olan Moore Pat Kehoe and Howard Pendell Patrick Shannon Paul Norwood Paula Riggert Peggy Fedoroff Peter Apathy Peter G Brabeck Rachel Myron Rafe Hanson Randy Welsh Ray Born Rep. Dan Ortiz Rep. Jonathan Kreiss Thomkins

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Rick Fleischman Riley Whitson Rob Cross Rob Emley Rob Merchant Robby Bruce Robert Blair Robert Schell Robin Sherman Roland Wirth Roman Motyka Russell Heath Ryan Wilhelm Samson Stengl Samuel Dennis Sandie and Ted Menmuir Sandra J Kincheloe Sara Beaber-Fujioka Seth Stewart Shaelene Moler Shaina Kilyone Sharon Gmelch Shauna Thornton Shawn Foust Shelley McEwan Stephen Bethune Stephen Childs Stephen Lawrie Steve Fish and Kari Johnson Steve Ramp Steven and Ashley Eisenbeisz Steven and Katja Pflipsen Susan Bleil Susan Padilla Tad Fujioka Tad Kisaka Taku Kondo Taran Snyder Taylor White Terry Wirta Timothy Riley Tina Shen Tom and Diana Allen Tom Handler Tory and Dick Curran Tory Houser Travis Clemens Trevor Moulton Tristan Guevin Tristan Rhodes and Jenni Goddard Violet Sensmeier Yéilk’ Vivian Mork Wendy Sawyer William Frymoyer William Leighty Zach LaPerriere

A huge thank you to all the fishermen who donated to the Fish to Schools program for making sure that Sitka’s youth have access to nutritious local salmon and rockfish!

Fish to Schools coho donation (© Lione Clare).

2022 Financial Report These figures represent the first two thirds of Sitka Conservation Society's total income and expenses for 2022, and the complete year for 2021.

2022 Income $1,289,280

Grants (89%) Donations and Membership (7%) Other Income (4%)

2021 Income $1,318,015

Grants (72%) Donations and Membership (17%) Other Income (4%) Economic Stimulus: $97,000 (7%)

2022 Expenses $1,103,544

Personnel (49%) Fundraising (2%) Programs (44%) Operations (5%)

2021 Expenses $1,176,472

Personnel (51%) Fundraising (2%) Programs (40%) Operations (7%)

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January 2023

The blowing snow swirled around us while above us, the sky blazed purple and orange during an early January afternoon sunset on the Tongass National Forest.

Finding My Voice in Advocacy

Above: snowy sunset (© Bethany Goodrich). Below: harbor seal (© Lione Clare), a skier crossing Shee Baranof Island (© Lee House), silhouetted figure behind Kanéisdi Shaa Mt. Verstovia (© Bethany Goodrich).

Lauryn Nanouk Jones Youth Environmental Policy Intern

Throughout my time as an Environmental Policy Intern at the Sitka Conservation Society, I have learned about advocacy, government, and conservation in ways that have shown me how we can take action for a better future for Alaska. I started my internship by learning about the Tongass and the Roadless Rule, which protects these important forests from industrial-scale logging and resource extraction. During the 2022 Roadless Rule commenting period, I used my voice to advocate for these protections by producing a commentary at the Sitka radio station that was broadcast across the region. For my internship, I joined Alaska Youth for Environmental Action and met with Senators and House Representatives from all across the state. As I met with Alaska's elected officials, I advocated against legislation that cut public comments out from timber sales. I attended the Alaska Conservation Foundation's Mining Impacts and Preservation Conference to learn how mining operations in the state impact the health of our communities and environment. I connected with communities and organizations across Southeast and all of Alaska. These opportunities resulted in an invitation to be a panelist at the Just Transition Summit in May 2022 with activists and leaders from all over the state. At the Summit, I learned more about regenerative economies and initiatives that were happening within Alaska, and was even invited to apply to attend an Indigenous Youth Leadership Workshop in Norway! At the Sitka Conservation Society, I was able to grow as a person and as an advocate for Native people and the environment. Before this internship, I felt hopeless about climate change and the state of our world. I wasn't sure what to do or how to use my voice to advocate. Now that I have completed this internship and worked to make the best out of every opportunity, I have never felt more connected to my community and to people throughout all of Alaska. I will continue to use my voice to advocate for what I believe in and finally feel hopeful about the future because I know I can make a difference.

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New Year's Day Kwanzaa Ends

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Intl Holocaust Remembrance Day

Chinese New Year

SCS’s Future of Alaska Scholarship Investing in the next generation and Alaska’s future has long been a core part of our work. We believe that youth are leading the charge on climate change action to take control and advocate for their future, and we aim to support them in achieving their goals by providing mentorship, materials and resources, and career experience. In 2022, we were excited to present the 2022 Living with the Land and Building Community – Future of Alaska Scholarship to our Environmental Policy intern, Lauryn Nanouk Jones. Throughout her internship, Lauryn continued to develop and strengthen her voice to speak on her generation’s hopes and fears, and encourage lawmakers to enact policy that would respond to the magnitude of challenges that her generation faces.

Sitka Conservation Society | 9

February 2023

We can see the Fairweather range standing sentinel from all over the northern Tongass and beyond. These lands, waters, and mountains where we live form a connection between us all.

Cultivating Connections Through Partnerships Across the Region

Above: Mt. Fairweather (© Lee House). Below: scenes from Yakutat Surf Club (© Bethany Goodrich), snowy sunset (© Lee House), snowy trees illuminated against mountains (© Bethany Goodrich), Storytelling and Engagement Interns Muriel Reid and Shaelene Grace Moler at Hoonah Culture Camp (© Bethany Goodrich).

Bethany Goodrich Director of Storytelling, Sustainable Southeast Partnership In summer 2022, Yakutat Surf Club generously hosted youth from the communities of Sitka and Pelican to experience their surf camp. Sitka Conservation Society sponsored this trip as an opportunity for youth to challenge themselves while trying new things and connecting with other Southeast Alaskan communities. Youth had fun experiencing waves with the safety of adult mentorship. Exchanges like this are made possible by the relationships built by years of cross-community collaboration through the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, of which the Sitka Conservation Society is a founding member. SSP envisions self-determined and connected communities where Southeast Indigenous values continue to inspire society, shape our relationships, and ensure that current and future generations will thrive on healthy lands and waters. This partnership has made fundamental changes in the way entities and communities work on conservation, rural development, and regional and communityissues. Through SSP, we built a partnership with Yakutat Surf Club and have supported their efforts through storytelling, sending youth and instructors to the club, and fiscal sponsorship and administrative duties. This summer, Surf Club instructors worked to empower youth on their boards, as they built awareness of not only the ocean's strength, but also their own personal strength as well. The Yakutat Surf Club seeks to empower, educate, and inspire the community through exposure to Lingít culture and the ocean. At its core, homegrown programs like Surf Club, create deeper relationships to place and encourage young leaders to be stronger caretakers of their environment and their community. When one kid wiped out, another was there to grab their hand and laugh it off. Gunalchéesh to Yakutat Surf Club, as well as the entire community of Yakutat who graciously welcomed the youth from Sitka and Pelican, and helped make it such an unforgettable experience.

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Black History Month Begins Imbolc Begins

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Imbolc Ends

Elizabeth Peratrovich Day

Valentine's Day

Mardi Gras

St. Lazaria Wildlife Refuge Est. 1909

Community-Driven Storytelling In summer 2022, SCS supported two Storytelling and Engagement Interns with SSP, sponsored by Sealaska. Shaelene Grace Moler is Lingít of the Tsaagweidí and grew up in Keex’ (Kake), where she reported on Indigenous stewardship, workforce development, and more. Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid spent the summer finessing their writing and photography skills, and attended an Indigenous Data Sovereignty workshop in Lakota Nation. Both interns participated and volunteered at Hoonah’s Culture Camp and had stories published, including Reid’s on the Berry Song event that SCS helped host (see September story) and Moler’s on a totem pole raising in the Inian Islands and one about an Indigenous-led marine mammal tannery in Kake.

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March 2023

From deep within the forest, a tree fell and the canopy opened, allowing the sun to reach the forest floor. The mosses, ferns, and understory plants responded to the opportunity and grew.

Tackling Climate Grief and Finding Healing in Our Natural World Katie Riley Deputy Director

Sitka Conservation Society works on climate policy at local, statewide, and national levels. The Tongass is a forest that sequesters more carbon than any other national forest, and contains fully intact, functional ecosystems that provide refugia for species adapting to climate change. In 2022, we invited author, strategist, and climate advocate Dr. Katharine Wilkinson to the Southeast Alaska to work with her on national-scale engagement strategies, while sharing with her our local initiatives and introducing her to the Tongass and its national and global significance for the climate crisis. We hosted Dr. Wilkinson at the property left to us by Eric and Pam Bealer, adjacent to the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness. Of her time there, Dr. Wilkinson says, “to visit the Tongass is to visit a hub of life force. To feel small in a good way. To be reminded of who I am, who we all are, in our essence: part of Earth's beating heart and also her healing. I left Phonograph Creek with more clarity and softer eyes, both. I am deeply grateful to the land, the Bealers, and SCS for this experience, indelibly etched and entwined.” As global temperatures continue to rise and extreme weather events wrack communities close to home and across the globe, it is more critical than ever to find space where we can cultivate solitude, inspiration, peace, and both inner and collective healing. Core components of our work at SCS are to protect intact old growth forests on the Tongass to mitigate the worst impacts of global climate change; and to have spaces where intact ecosystems and the species they host can exist, evolve, and adapt. Connecting with the Tongass National Forest and its abundance of life inspires both awe and fortitude to address the challenges that lie ahead. This forest – and the economies, communities, and ways of life it supports – brings us together and helps us realize our common goals and values. Thank you to the sponsors and donors whose contributions have made access to the space at Phonograph Creek and the ensuing work possible.

Above: Morning sunlight breaking through the forest (© Ryan Morse), trees rising into the mist (© Bethany Goodrich), close-up of fiddleheads (© Lione Clare), forest lichen (© Bethany Goodrich), view of Kanéisdi Shaa Mt. Verstovia in Sitka (© Bethany Goodrich).

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Women's History Month Begins

8 International Women's Day

Daylight Saving Time Begins

19 26

St. Patrick's Day

First Day of Spring Ostara

Intl Day of Forests

Ramadan Begins

Intl Transgender Day of Visibility

Sitka’s Sustainability Commission In 2022, the City of Sitka took a big step forward in their efforts to combat climate change. For the first time ever, the City will have the Sustainability Commission, a permanent body to address issues regarding sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, staffed by a new Sustainability Coordinator. SCS helped advocate for the commission and the sustainability staff position by organizing local support and amplifying citizens’ voices. Along with the advocacy of members of the Climate Action Task Force and the broader Sitka community, these investments demonstrate the power of citizen action at the municipal level. SCS has long been a supporter and driver of local climate action, and we are thrilled that the City of Sitka is stepping up to take on these issues.

Sitka Conservation Society | 13

April 2023

The water came alive with the silver rush of herring from the deep ocean to the islands of the sound. As they leave their spawn and eggs, life returns to our shores. Spring has arrived.

Our Ongoing Efforts to Tackle Food Insecurity in Sitka

Above: A bustling spring herring scene from Sitka Sound (© Bethany Goodrich). Below: Whales bubble-net feeding (© Lione Clare), herring eggs (© Bethany Goodrich), close-up of sea lion (© Bethany Goodrich), skier looks down at Sitka Sound (© Lione Clare), sunset near Mt. Edgecumbe (© Bethany Goodrich), the harvesting of herring eggs bound for the community of Kake (© Bethany Goodrich).

Chandler O'Connell Community Catalyst, Sustainable Southeast Partnership Sitka Conservation Society has a longstanding commitment to addressing food insecurity, particularly for Sitka’s youth. We understand that access to healthy, culturally relevant foods is essential for a sustainable community. We also recognize the particular challenges we face on this front, such as dependence on imports, limited land to grow food, climate change impacts on fisheries and traditional harvests, barriers and disparities created by colonization, and a high cost of living. Systemic problems require collective solutions, which is why we prioritize collaborating with other entities working to improve access to local foods, from salmon to herring eggs to homegrown produce. Our nationally recognized Fish to Schools program is entering its twelfth year, made possible by the generosity of the fishermen, processors, and schools who work together to put wild seafood on the menu for Sitka’s children. We just wrapped up our third year partnering with the Sitka Public Library as a sponsor of their summer snack program. We are making new investments in our longtime relationship with Pacific High School, an alternative school dedicated to experiential, place-based learning. PHS's Edible Garden and student-made meals programs directly nourish students, while teaching them interdisciplinary skills critical for a more food-secure future. We are proud to hosting the Pacific High School Garden Coordinator position and to have partnered with their team on grant proposals that will hopefully fund the expansion of the garden and the continuation of this excellent work. Collaborative efforts like these don’t only help us tackle specific challenges, they also provide a pathway to build authentic, respectful relationships that can help make Sitka more resilient as a whole. Thanks to support from members like you, SCS will continue to work cooperatively to strengthen our local food systems and build a sustainable community.

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1 April Fool's Day

Easter

Ramadan Ends Eid al-Fitr

Earth Day

Ntl Arbor Day

Restoring Herring in Keex’ Kwaan Sheet'ká is known for the early arrival of herring eggs, which are shared with communities near and far. The commercial sac roe fishery has seen the collapse of herring populations across Southeast Alaska, limiting traditional harvest opportunities. Now, the Organized Village of Kake is attempting to reseed their local herring population with stock harvested in Sitka in collaboration with the Sitka Sound Science Center. SCS staff were honored to support the harvesting of eggs bound for Keex'.

Sitka Conservation Society | 15

May 2023

This fierce forest denizen scurried through the trees – along branches, through holes and hollows, and over fallen logs. The marten calls spruce, hemlock, and cedar boughs his home.

Sitka's Pathway to Decarbonization

Above: Marten in the trees (© Rafe Hanson). Below: close-up of pond lily (© Bethany Goodrich), pelagic cormorants at St. Lazaria (© Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid), Prince of Wales Alaska Youth Stewards crew (© Bethany Goodrich), Sitka Carbon Offset Fund sign (© Jake Wade, logo designed by Ryan Morse).

Jake Wade Climate Policy Coordinator As climate action moves slowly on a national level, Sitkans are continuing to demonstrate their dedication to tackling climate change locally. In 2022, the Sitka Assembly took a major step towards reducing carbon emissions in Sitka by unanimously approving a resolution to decarbonize municipal operations by 2030. This is the direct result of the advocacy done by local climate action groups and countless community members, and also hard work from the Assembly, city employees, and the municipal Climate Action Task Force. This resolution is significant – not only because it sets such an ambitious target for the city, but also because it demonstrates the resolve of the municipal government and its citizens to ensuring a more sustainable future for all Sitkans. Over the past decade, many of the City of Sitka's heating systems have been converted to electric heat-pumps, city buildings have been weatherized and made more electrically efficient, and the city’s hydropower has been expanded. The result of this is that municipal carbon emissions have decreased by an astounding 64% since 2003. Going forward, the City has resolved to continue to install electric heat in municipal buildings and to convert its fleet to electric vehicles. This progress is significant; however, municipal emissions represent a small fraction of total community emissions. Cars, boats, and home heating systems throughout the community are producing emissions. Many in Sitka have already started taking action by installing electric heat pumps, converting to electric vehicles, making efficiency upgrades to their boats, investing in alternative fuels, and growing more local food. Sitka Conservation Society's involvement in decarbonization efforts includes crafting policy and programs, working with our elected officials to step up their actions, advocating to create opportunities and support for city investments and initiatives, and helping Sitkans transition their home heating systems and vehicles to electricity. As the broader United States begins to step up to the plate on climate action, collaboration with the City of Sitka is more important and timely than ever.

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Ntl Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls

Beltane

Disability Awareness Day

Ntl Endangered Species Day

Mother's Day

Memorial Day

Taking On Climate Change Locally Climate change remains an ever-present threat, and while urgent systemic action at a global level is essential, there is still also significant meaning in the actions of individuals. The Sitka Carbon Offset Fund is a project of the Sitka Conservation Society launched by passionate community members who wanted to pool resources to reduce Sitka's carbon footprint and help their neighbors. Sitka Carbon Offset Fund allows locals and visitors alike to help offset their individual emissions by making donations toward electrifying heating in our community. Since its inception, the fund has catalyzed six heat pump conversions for households with financial need, reducing both local emissions and Sitka’s cost of living. You can learn more by going to www.sitkacarbonoffset.com.

Sitka Conservation Society | 17

June 2023

After days of winds and rain, the storm began to break. It began with a small opening in the clouds, then the sun broke through the mist to illuminate the rich estuary below.

Wilderness Stewardship and Cultural History in West Chichagof

Above: Lisianski Inlet (© Lione Clare). Below: Waterfall in West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness (© Cora Dow), USFS archaeologist Raeanna Wood surveying (© Lione Clare), Bear (© John Paul Castle), Leslie Espino at SCS's Phonograph Creek property (© Lione Clare).

Cora Dow Wilderness Stewardship and Art Team

In July 2022, I was invited on a joint SCS and US Forest Service Wilderness stewardship trip to conduct monitoring and research work, focusing on archaeological surveys in the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness Area. Through this work, SCS helps the USFS study and protect cultural resources and understand the ways people have used and depended upon the area since time immemorial. In some places we found evidence of a site being used for hunting or gathering from hundreds or thousands of years ago, right next to signs of people using the place for the same purpose within the last decade. I joined Forest Service archeologist Raeanna Wood and Siena Baldi, the USFS’s summer artist in residence. On our trip, Raeanna was working for the Forest Service's Heritage Program, which is responsible for identifying cultural resources on National Forest System lands. These could include rock art, stone tools, ancient fish traps, culturally modified trees, shell middens, and more. Raeanna taught us how we can assess impacts on these resources, such as weathering, decomposition, or human modification. As Raeanna puts it, “monitoring ensures that these resources, which help contribute to our understanding of the history of these places, are intact.” SCS’s founders advocated for the Wilderness area designation to protect the West ChichagofYakobi Wilderness. Our legacy comes from people who found this place infinitely inspiring and wanted to protect it from massive resource extraction, but the legacy of people stewarding and using this place goes back over thousands of years on Lingít Aaní. By assisting the USFS in documenting and studying how people have used and continue to use the West ChichagofYakobi Wilderness, SCS helps to keep these protections in place and ensures the future sustainable use and management of the area.

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Pride Month Begins

Father's Day

Summer Solstice Litha

Juneteenth

28 Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots Eid al-Adha

Connecting Artists with the Tongass In 2022, SCS had the pleasure of hosting artist and creative extraordinaire Leslie Espino at our Phonograph Creek property. We invited Leslie to experience the Tongass first-hand after her seeing the social media advocacy and artwork she created during the Roadless Rule commenting period. Leslie is an environmental scientist with NASA by trade, and in her free time uses her knowledge and love for plants and the environment to create intricate paper cuts from sustainable and repurposed materials. She also loves making terrariums and taught a workshop to Sitka youth after her retreat. We are excited to continue working with Leslie on stories sharing the importance of the Tongass, from the smallest plants to the largest carbon-storing trees, with new and broader audiences.

Sitka Conservation Society | 19

July 2023

The abundance of berries in our hands. The joy of children and the memories made. The pies, the jams, and the jellies we will create. Nature will provide for us if we take care of it.

Living with the Land and Building Community through Sitka 4-H

Above: Many hands collecting salmonberries (© Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid), 4-Hers kayaking (© Lione Clare), totem poles at Sitka National Historical Park (© Ryan Morse), cup-fungi (© Lione Clare), 4-Her making traditional gaaw (© Lione Clare), canned smoked salmon (© Bethany Goodrich), sunset (© Lione Clare), Sitka 4-Hers with Andrew Roseman and Daanaxh.ils’eikh Chuck Miller at the end of the gaaw camp (© Lione Clare).

Andrew Roseman Living with the Land and Building Community JV 2021 – 2022 As someone born and raised in the midwest, planning activities for the Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H Club in Southeast Alaska seemed like a daunting challenge at first. As the Living with the Land and Building Community Jesuit Volunteer at SCS, I was tasked with developing workshops and series for the Alaska Way of Life Club, which focuses on helping youth foster life skills that connect them with the Tongass and the communities within Southeast Alaska. When I first started, I imagined that this role would require me to learn as much as I could about the “Alaska Way of Life'' independently, then relay what I’d learned to Sitka youth. I soon realized that this wouldn’t be the case; Sitka is a tight-knit community, full of people with vast knowledge and experience about living and growing up in Southeast Alaska. Creating Alaska Way of Life 4-H programming meant partnering with community leaders and organizations in Sitka, as well as facilitating events that built connections between youth and elders that would pass on knowledge to future generations. Being a 4-H volunteer was an opportunity for me to learn more about this incredible place alongside youth. In leading these events, I experienced our 4-Hers teaching me about living with the land and buildign community as well! Youth growing up in Sitka already know so much about this place and its community, so it was a pleasure to learn from them and connect them with different opportunities and hands-on learning experiences here on the Tongass. Here are some of the lessons that I learned from 4-Hers, the land, and the people who live here: Only pick as many berries as you’ll eat; always leave some for others. Salmon feed the forest. It’s okay to take breaks, especially when running. Give to others. Winter can feel hard sometimes, but that’s when you lean into community. Stories can illustrate both who we are and where we’re from. Have and demonstrate respect for all things. Ask for help when you need it. Meet people where they are at. Our youth are the future!

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1 Intl Day of Cooperatives

Fourth of July

Traditional Gaaw with Chuck Miller During a spring 4-H camp, Daanaxh.ils’eikh Chuck Miller showed 4-Hers how to create traditional gaaw (travel drums). The goal was to connect youth with Lingít culture and work on a project they could feel proud of completing. Drum-making involved lacing twine through soaked deer hide, wrapping it around a cedar frame, and pulling it tight. Some 4-Hers brought their own designs, and Chuck provided copies of Lingít eagle and raven head art and offered to put his own drawings on drums. Gunalchéesh to Chuck for sharing his knowledge with 4-Hers. Sitka Conservation Society | 21

August 2023

The Tongass is a salmon stronghold, and those who live here are deeply connected to it. As long as we are responsible stewards, these lands and waters will sustain us for generations to come.

Connecting Young Leaders with Fish and Wildlife Processes

Above: Fisherman loading salmon (© John Paul Castle), Heather Bauscher, Jan Straley, and students of the Policy and Procedures in the Federal Subsistence Board Process spring 2022 class (© Ryan Morse), Tongass lake in the mountains (© Ryan Morse), Heather Bauscher in Lisianski Inlet (© Lione Clare).

Ryan Morse Communications and Outreach Coordinator

When it comes to managing fish and wildlife, Alaska has one of the most participatory systems in the nation. Citizens can propose regulations and changes to their local Regional Advisory Councils (RACs), who can then make recommendations to a board that's comprised of federal land management representatives, Indigenous community leaders, and public stakeholders. This board can then vote on implementing these proposed changes. At the Sitka Conservation Society, we help young leaders get involved in managing the resources that they depend upon, and recruit and cultivate their skills for participating in these public processes. For over five years, we have partnered with the University of Alaska Southeast and the Forest Service to offer a dual enrollment class available to high school students that teaches them about these processes that are so important to Alaskans' ways of life. During this class, the students attend Southeast RAC or Federal Subsistence Board (FSB) meetings, where they learn how to effectively navigate this system, as well as amplify the needs and concerns of their communities. Leading up to the meetings, the class learns about the nuances of these processes, as well as the many organizations and stakeholders involved. Students also have opportunities to meet with community leaders, advocates, and harvesters, who share insights and experiences. One of the most important outcomes of this program is connecting Alaskan youth to this process and helping ensure that the next generation of leaders and decision makers include those who know this place best. Reflecting on their participation, students of the 2022 spring class stressed the need for the FSB and management systems to do their due diligence in meeting community needs and ensuring that equitable and accessible systems are in place for garnering input. This need includes catalyzing more public participation and cultivating more rural and Indigenous representation on the board itself. Consistent public participation and input are integral for these management systems to reflect the diverse needs and priorities of all Alaskans. This is democracy in action, but it only works when people are involved.

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Lughnasadh

Alaska Wild Salmon Day

Anniversary of the Youth Climate Strike (Ongoing)

Celebrating Heather Bauscher Heather Bauscher has been involved with SCS since 2017. In her work, she has helped many get involved in the processes that govern forest and fisheries management so they can make their voices heard when decisions are being made. Heather is the chair of Sitka's Fish and Game Advisory Committee, which provides input to the State Board of Fish on regulatory actions. During the 2022 Board of Fish, Heather was awarded the prestigious "Excellence in Service" award for outstanding service for increasing participation in the state's fish and game management processes. These processes aren't always the easiest or most accessible for us to get involved in. We are grateful for the advocates like Heather, who work tirelessly to support Alaskans and Americans taking part in our democracy.

Sitka Conservation Society | 23

September 2023

I froze in place. I felt a fear and respect that started as a tense feeling in my chest and spread through the rest of my body. I wasn’t the boss in this place, the bear was.

The Powerful Bonds Shared Through Berry Picking and Harvest Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid SSP Storytelling and Engagement Intern Sheit.een Michaela Goade, is a Kiks.ádi artist and picture book maker from the Steel House, and a child of the Kaagwaantaan. Goade is the first Indigenous winner of the prestigious Caldecott medal for her illustrations in We Are Water Protectors. Easily recognized by its shiny gold medal on the cover of some of the most distinguished American picture books, the Caldecott has been awarded every year for 85 years. Goade’s most recent work, Berry Song, is the first picture book that Goade has authored as well as illustrated. Goade describes Berry Song as a celebration of our connections to the world of the Tongass and to each other, centering on a young Lingít girl and her grandmother on a search for tleikw (berries). “I love berry picking and I always have," says Goade "It’s playing and it’s an adventure, and it’s magic — but it’s also a way to feel connected and grounded to home. When you're connected, you're more inclined to be a better steward and to learn about this place you call home.” In August 2022, through a partnership that Sitka Conservation Society built with the Sitka Public Library, First National Bank of Alaska, and the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and with support from Hames Corporation and Our Town Catering, Goade and partners hosted her first in-person Berry Song book event. Goade read to an overflowing library and volunteers helped hand out 90 copies of Berry Song. Berry muffins were featured in the to-go breakfasts were provided to youth and participants learned to paint with blueberries on the final day of the summer breakfast program collaboration between SCS and Sitka Public Library. “I hope that people from this region feel proud when they see Berry Song," says Goade. "I have always tried to keep Native youth in mind. I want them to get to the end of the book and feel more pride in who they are and to know that leaning on their experiences, their families and their histories is like a superpower.” Berry Song is full of that same warmth – a love for children and a love for land.

Above: Bear tracks on boardwalk (© Bethany Goodrich). Below: golden chanterelles (© Bethany Goodrich), deer (© Transition Lens Photography), red huckleberries (© Bethany Goodrich), Fish to Schools coho offload (© Lione Clare).

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Labor Day

Rosh Hashanah

Last Day of Rosh Hashanah

23 First Day of Fall Mabon

30 Ntl Public Lands Day

Fish to Schools Drive Back in Action Creating access to healthy local seafood for Sitka’s youth is why SCS was so excited to bring back our Fish to Schools Coho Donation Drive! After a hiatus due to the pandemic, this year's drive was a bountiful success. A special thank you to all who were involved; from the fishermen who caught and donated fish, the processors that oversaw proper handling and storage, and the Sitka School District and Mount Edgecumbe High School for providing youth access to these nourishing meals. As SSD Superintendent Frank Hauser puts it, "It's vital that our students have access to healthy and nutritious meals. At a time when some schools in the state are unable to serve hot meals, I'm grateful to our partners who helped ensure our students in Sitka may experience and benefit from healthy, locally-caught seafood."

Sitka Conservation Society | 25

October 2023

A moment of calm in the slack tide. Then come the waves, the wash, and the spray. Such a dramatic world these anemones and gooseneck barnacles share in their tidepool realm.

Cataloging, Ground-Truthing, and Supporting Our Salmon Streams

Above: gooseneck barnacles and anemones in a tidepool (© Bethany Goodrich). Below: nudibranch (© Ellie Schmidt), kelp underwater (© Ellie Schmidt), sea urchin (© Lione Clare), salmon underwater (© Ellie Schmidt).

Heather Bauscher Fisheries Community Engagement Specialist with SHIP The streams and waters of the Tongass are a salmon-producing powerhouse – and through collaborative partnerships across the region, they are becoming more productive every day. Those of us who live here know that if there’s a stream in the Tongass, there’s a high likelihood that it is providing fish habitat. For the State of Alaska's legal protections to apply, these streams have to be recorded in the state’s Anadromous Waters Catalog. In summer 2022, I spent time out in the field with the Wrangell and Petersburg Ranger Districts to catalogue fish habitat, ground-truth the mapping of our anadromous fish systems, and help with stream restoration projects. This project was in partnership between SCS, Salmon State, the Petersburg Ranger District, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Alaska Conservation Foundation, and the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island's Indigenous Sentinels Network. By working in collaboration with entities across the region and state, SCS is helping to support the “boots on the ground” public engagement, coalition building, and exploration that helps connect people to the land and resources they depend on most. This is all done while inspiring local people who know these places best to be directly involved with the management of the ecosystems that feed their communities. Identifying fish-bearing streams and restoring miles of healthy stream habitat is a integral component of the Deparment of Agriculture's Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy. In the timber heydays of the 1970s and 1980s, before stream buffers existed, streams were used as ‘roads’ to drive heavy equipment up to timber harvest sites. Today, backhoes and chainsaws are making a comeback on the Tongass – but this time, they are helping restore and create new spawning grounds for our salmon, improve wildlife passage through the neighboring forest, and provide employment for local field crews. We at SCS are grateful to all who supported this collaboration and contributed resources to make it happen, and to all those who shared their knowledge with us in the field.

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LGBT History Month Begins Ntl 4-H Week

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Reconciliation Day Alaska Day

Halloween Samhain

Mapping Tongass Salmon Habitat As the world's largest intact temperate rainforest, the Tongass provides crucial habitat for salmon that so many human and wildlife communities depend upon. Recently, SCS partnered with the National Forest Foundation, the Forest Service, and Romey Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences to map salmon streams for future habitat management and protections. We used the newest generation of mapping technology to create a digital mapping model that updated the Forest Service’s catalog of streams accessible to salmon. We at SCS are grateful for these efforts to responsibly care for these lands and waters, and we look forward to continued collaboration to ensure these places are stewarded for future generations.

Sitka Conservation Society | 27

November 2023

A rugged coast. A churning ocean. Trees, plants, lichens, and mosses growing on every possible surface. Intertidal life of infinite forms. Where the temperate rainforest meets the ocean.

Finding Ourselves Through Service to Others and Our Community

Above: a foggy scene at Kruzof (© Rafe Hanson). Below: Estuary (© Lione Clare), close-up of beetle (© John Paul Castle), hiker at Starrigavan (© Bethany Goodrich), aerial view of Sitka (© Ryan Morse).

Paul Rioux Sitka School District Board Member “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Ghandi There is no one right way to engage in service, but rather many different opportunities for us to support the health of our democracy and our community. As a youth, some of my most formative experiences were in programs which incorporated a specific focus on citizenship and service to others. This led me towards a lifetime of public service, from participating in the Sitka Sportsman’s Association, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, to joining the Sitka School Board. As a project leader in the SCS Alaska Way of Life 4-H program, I have the opportunity to help youth learn and develop while pursuing what interests them; all while pledging head, heart, hands, and health to “my club, my community, my country, and my world.” This “my” part is important, as it gives us possession, and with possession comes responsibility. We all have an obligation and responsibility to our community and broader world, and working through the 4-H framework can help our youth identify with these obligations. Think globally, act locally: a single person can make a real difference in their community and the lives of their neighbors. Personally, my service has focused on youth because I believe that there is no greater investment than in our children. They are our future neighbors, our future employees and coworkers, and, most importantly, our future leaders. Our schools and our educators are not simply teaching kids how to read and write. They are teaching them how to be engaged citizens and critical thinkers. Here, being an engaged citizen means understanding the way of life that makes Alaska so unique, and working to protect it. The Sitka 4-H program helps create young leaders through place-based experiential learning, inspiring our future generations to continue to find ways to serve others. I have deeply enjoyed volunteering with Sitka 4-H to help cultivate this ethic. I want to encourage you to find a way, whether big or small, to get engaged and give back to your community.

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Native American Heritage Month Begins

Alaska Native Brotherhood est. 1912 Daylight Savings Ends

Election Day

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving

Native American Heritage Day

Get Involved – Run for Something There are many ways to serve your local community. Running for office or volunteering on a local board or commission is often a great place to get started. Since 2021, Elizabeth Bagley served as the Chair of Sitka’s Climate Action Task Force, which was her first experience participating in local government. “One of the best ways I’ve found to combat the overwhelming nature of the climate crisis is to act locally, to help the communities we live in plan for and adapt to a changing climate in ways that support both people and the planet,” says Elizabeth. Southeast Alaska needs leadership committed to the health of our communities, economies, and environment. If these values and ideals speak to you – run for something!

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December 2023

Nestled between the towering mountains and stormy seas, Sheet'ká Kwáan embraces us with safe harbor.

Above: Sitka harbor (© Transition Lens Photography). Below: youth at Hoonah Culture Camp (© Bethany Goodrich), foggy Sitka morning (© Transition Lens Photography), scenes from SSP retreat (© Bethany Goodrich), cedar with frost (© Bethany Goodrich), youth and father harvesting clams (© Bethany Goodrich), pink mountain sunset (© Lee House), aerial of Wrangell (© Lione Clare). Translation in New Partnerships with Communities (below): Daasdiyáa Ethel Makinen.

Working Together to Create Change Diana Portner Facilitator and Policy Advisor At the local and regional level, Alaskans have been working together across identities and party lines to achieve the best outcomes for their forests and communities. As the 2020 presidential election drew nearer, the Sitka Conservation Society explored the different scenarios that would shape the future of the Tongass and Southeast Alaska, including the potential for an administrative transition. With the outsized role that national politics plays on the Tongass, and thus the local and regional work of SCS and the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, we had to be ready for the opportunities or challenges that would come our way. Through conversations, it became clear that it was time to tell a new story – one based not on divisiveness and stagnation but collaboration and growth. The unfolding election offered the space for individuals across the region to communicate their priorities for how national leaders can support their home. Many were not new ideas – for years, groups around the region have been putting forward recommendations for change. We compiled these voices into a Blueprint for Southeast Alaska, a set of recommendations for investment, policy change, and decision making. In 2021, we presented the Blueprint to the Biden-Harris Administration’s USDA Transition Team – and they listened! That July, the USDA announced the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy, a new management paradigm for the region, supported through a $25 million dollar investment in economic diversification efforts. This strategy recognized the importance of protecting old growth forests, diversifying our economy, meaningful consultation with tribes, and prioritizing management actions to address local needs. This felt like a reflection of the Blueprint, and was solidified by the direct nod to many local partners like SSP. The implementation of the strategy has not been seamless, of course, but this is the first time that many of us have seen the USDA prioritize the voices and needs of local communities on the Tongass. The Blueprint’s role in the creation of this new Sustainability Strategy demonstrates the power of collaboration, collective voice, and the future that we can reimagine when we work together.

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West ChichagofYakobi and South Baranof WIlderness Areas est. 1980

Hanukkah Begins

Hanukkah Ends

First Day of Winter Yule

Christmas Day

Kwanzaa Begins

31 New Year's Eve

New Partnerships with Communities SCS began working with the USFS Wrangell District in 2020 to help with public use cabin repairs. This partnership led to many new projects with the community of Wrangell, including hosting a youth intern to research the Lingít history and historical usages of the area, and learning from the Wrangell Cooperative Association about their food security efforts to support similar projects in Sitka. SCS works to create new community tie-ins by working together for the benefit of all; haa shukaadéi wóoch.een yagaxtookoox. Sitka Conservation Society | 31

Sitka Conservation Society is... The Sitka Conservation Society is strong because of the community of volunteers, staff, board, partners, and supporters who dedicate their time and resources to our collective efforts. Want to get more involved? Reach out to us at info@sitkawild.org, visit our website at www.sitkawild.org and follow us on our social media: • • •

Instagram: @Sitkawild Facebook: @SitkaWild1 Twitter: @Sitka_Wild

Marian Allen

Heather Bauscher

Debra Brushafer

Lione Clare

Asa Dow

Cora Dow

Board Secretary

Fisheries Community Engagement Specialist (SCS & SHIP)

Board President

Wilderness & Community Engagement Coordinator

Renewable Energy Intern

Wilderness Stewardship and Art Team

Steve Fish

Andrea Fraga

Bethany Goodrich

Shaelene Grace Moler

Lee House

Adelaide (Di) Johnson

Board Member

Pacific High School Garden Program Coordinator

SSP Director of Storytelling

SSP Storytelling and Engagement Intern

SASS Storytelling Specialist

Research and Education Community Collaboration

Khaasda Tláa Edith Johnson

Kylee Jones

Lauryn Nanouk Jones

Brendan Jones

Patricia Kehoe

Nellie Lipscomb

Systems Administrator

Environmental Policy Intern

Board Member

Ryan Morse

Zia Noisecat

Keith Nyitray

Chandler O'Connell

Maureen O’Hanlon

Diana Portner

Communications and Outreach Coordinator

Indigenous Advocacy and Environmental Policy Intern

Board Member

SSP Community Catalyst

Logistics, Construction, and Design Team

Facilitator and Policy Advisor

Emily Pound

Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid

Tristan Rhodes

Katie Riley

Andrew Roseman

Krystina Scheller

Remote Construction Team

Deputy Director

Living with the Land and Building Community JV

Board Vice President

Yeíl Dlaak’ Mia Wiederspohn

Adrienne Wilber

Board Member

Community Sustainability Organizer

SSP Storytelling and Engagement Intern

Anna Schumacher

Jasmine Shaw

Andrew Thoms

Jake Wade

Living with the Land and Building Community JV

Board Member

Executive Director

Environmental Policy Coordinator

A heartfelt thank you to all of the many incredible photographers who donated photos to this year's calendar.

Board Member

Living Heritage and Communications Intern

Calendar designed by Ryan Morse. Historical topographic maps courtesy of the United States Geological Survey. Sitka Conservation Society | 33

The Sitka Conservation Society, Alaska’s oldest conservation organization, works to protect the natural environment of the Tongass, the nation’s largest National Forest, while supporting the development of economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable communities within Southeast Alaska. This calendar and annual report is full of beautiful images of the Tongass and stories of what your support has helped us accomplish – together.

Sitka Conservation Society 201 Lincoln Street Ste. 4 Sitka, Alaska 99835 info@sitkawild.org (907) 747-7509