Protecting Wild Salmon: The summer issue of Nature Conservancy magazine explores important salmon ecosystem science in Bristol Bay. 

Rat Island Shows Signs of New Life

On Rat Island, the 2009 nesting season showed a sea change in bird life. Invasive rats have pillaged seabird nests here since they first spilled from a 1780's shipwreck that — except for the stowaway rats — left no survivors. Thanks to a restoration effort on this island in the Aleutians, birds are returning! View a slide show of new bird life at Rat Island.

View New Alaska ShoreZone Images

Estuaries offer an ecological bridge where freshwater meets the saltwater of the sea. These shallow and less saline waters shelter salmon and other marine species from the oceanic extremes of the North Pacific. The Conservancy and its ShoreZone partners are helping to protect these habitats. View images from the Southeast Alaska ShoreZone habitat inventory.

Report: 'Why the Arctic Matters'

A 2009 report from Commonwealth North, "Why the Arctic Matters: America's Responsibilities as an Arctic Nation," calls for an Arctic agenda for Alaska and the nation. The 52-page report includes a recommendation that the "approach of The Nature Conservancy may be an excellent example" of how policy makers can achieve a balance between economy and environment in the Arctic.

Wildlife Wednesdays: Free Lecture Series

Join us for a series of seven Wildlife Wednesdays lectures. November 11 features “Adventures in Churchill: A Photo Diary of Life with Polar Bears." Stephanie Hartman, a polar bear zookeeper at the Alaska Zoo, will share photos from her trip to the Polar Bears International Leadership Camp near Churchill, Manitoba.  All presentations begin at 7 pm at the Alaska Zoo Gateway Education Building at 4731 O'Malley Road in Anchorage. This free monthly series continues through April.

Alaska Staff Win for Green Commute

Two Conservancy staffers in Juneau impressed the judges with five days of sea kayak commuting in a friendly competition between Nature Conservancy chapters. While most employees chose to bicycle or walk, Laura Baker and Colin Shanley paddled alongside fishing boats and barges, and encountered curious harbor seals along their daily commute. Read about their green commute across Gastineau Channel.

A Discovery of Salmon in Bristol Bay

The Conservancy's field crews are surveying for wild salmon in the headwaters of the Nushagak-Mulchatna and Kvichak rivers -- with results. The discovery of wild salmon where they had never before been documented ensures that this remote Bristol Bay habitat receives the most stringent protections available under Alaska state law.

Conservancy Shares Two New Awards

The Nature Conservancy in Alaska shared in two Partners in Conservation Awards presented by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in Washington, D.C. on May 7. The Conservancy and its partners were honored for their roles in the Rat Island Seabird Restoration Project as well as the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership.

New Field Office on Prince of Wales Island

Michael Kampnich of Craig is Prince of Wales Field Representative for The Nature Conservancy in Alaska. Kampnich is a commercial fisherman and is the former harbormaster in Craig. Contact the field office in Craig at 907-826-2100.

Tongass: From Conflict to Conservation

In the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining in the world, the Tongass Futures Roundtable is charting a sustainable future. Learn how the roundtable is building fresh relationships where there was once only bitter conflict.

Alaska and the Campaign for a Sustainable Planet

Alaska has a vital role in the Campaign for
a Sustainable Planet, the most ambitious
conservation effort ever undertaken. Fifty years ago, Alaska sought statehood in
large part to protect its extraordinary salmon fisheries. As we celebrate our state’s golden anniversary, what legacy will we leave for the next 50 years?
View the Alaska Campaign for a Sustainable Planet booklet.

Growing the Green Restoration
Economy in Alaska's Tongass

Restoring the forests and streams of the Tongass National Forest ensures healthy salmon and wildlife habitat for the future while providing jobs in rural communities. A new study commissioned by The Nature Conservancy, "An Assessment of the Economic Impact of Forest Restoration Efforts in Southeast Alaska," reports that Tongass National Forest restoration projects employed more than 150 workers in 2007.

Salmon Country

Watch a showcase of videos featuring Conservancy work from Alaska to California to revive threatened salmon.
Dive In

In the News

The Juneau Empire reports on the Conservancy's efforts to assist the U.S. Coast Guard in its transition to local biomass energy.

Read about how the Conservancy is helping the Tongass transition to a green, restoration economy in the Seattle Times.

An op-ed submitted to the Ketchikan Daily News updates readers on Harris River salmon habitat restoration.

A new Klawock River salmon passage and restoration project brings jobs to Prince of Wales Island.

A July 1 press release announces updated findings from Rat Island.

Reuters reports that early field investigations show no signs of invasive rats on Rat Island. A joint press release announces early findings and concerns at Rat Island.

Nature Conservancy magazine reports on salmon ecosystem science in Bristol Bay.

The Dutch Harbor Fisherman reported news of the recent Partners in Conservation Award presented by the U.S. Secretery of the Interior.

Nature Conservancy magazine features the Aleutian seabird habitat restoration project.

Photos from the Field

See the Conservancy and its partners in action across Alaska in this slideshow.

The success of the Conservancy relies on the support of people like you. Also, consider contributing to The Nature Conservancy in Alaska by signing up for monthly giving.

Places We Conserve

Protecting wild salmon habitat. Restoring seabird habitat. Sustaining forests and estuaries. Get details about conservation in Alaska.

Monthly News

Join the Conservancy's Great Places Network, an e-newsletter, and receive monthly updates on our work in Alaska and througout the world. It's just that simple!

The Alaska chapter of The Nature Conservancy celebrates 20 years of conservation!

Learn more about our conservation successes and read stories from members!

 

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