In this month's newsletter, read about the Parade of Species, updates on our programs like our Fish to Schools Lunches, and welcoming a new member to our team!
We wanted to share with you some updates on our work, upcoming opportunities, programming, and events, and stories from across the region. We are so grateful to all of our partners and supporters who help to make these projects possible!
If you would like to support our work - Donate to SCS to become a member today!
Join the Parade of Species -
A Celebration of Earth Day!
Photo: Lee House
Come one, come all to the Parade of Species – a joyful, collaborative event in honor of Earth Day! On Monday, April 21st, we invite you to show your appreciation for the incredible diversity of life on our planet by dressing up as your favorite species — animal, plant, fungus, or anything in between.
Everyone is welcome to join the fun! Parade participants will gather at Totem Square at 3:30 PM and march together down Lincoln Street to Crescent Shelter Net Shed where we will have face painting and games! All recycled costumes can be entered for a chance to be included in a Backdoor Cafe art showcase!
This community celebration is brought to you by the Sitka Conservation Society, University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, and the Sitka Sound Science Center. For more details, contact [email protected].
SCS, Skipper Science Sitka Tells Tales on April 22nd
In celebration of Earth Day, SCS is partnering with Skipper Science Partnership, Artchange Inc., and Raven Radio for a Sitka Tells Tales event about seeing and celebrating the incredible environment around us with a line up of storytellers including Dan Evans, Jacquie Foss, Naomi Jones, Mitchell Feske and Selena Zhao!
This event will be held Tuesday April 22nd, 7pm, at the Harbor Mountain Brewery. Doors open at 6pm and suggested donations are $15. For more information, call 907-738-2174.
Interested in telling a story? Contact Ellen at [email protected].
Fish to Schools – We Love Our Fishermen Lunch
A Heartfelt Thank You to Sitka’s Fishing Community
Photo: James Poulson
This week, we gathered to celebrate the incredible partnership between Sitka Conservation Society and Sitka’s local fishing community with the Fish to Schools program – We Love Our Fishermen Lunch at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary. It was a special moment to share a delicious, local seafood meal with students and honor the fishermen whose generosity makes this program possible.
Thanks to the continued donations of the program’s supporters, students in the Sitka School District and Mt. Edgecumbe High School enjoy access to wild, nutritious, locally caught seafood throughout the year. And the impact goes beyond the lunch table — through culinary classes at Pacific High School and Sitka High School, students are gaining hands-on experience preparing wholesome meals with local resources.
We are deeply grateful to each fisherman who contributes to this program, and to our partners at Seafood Producers Cooperative, North Pacific Seafoods, and the amazing school chefs who make it all happen.
This week we also welcomed food service directors from NMS, an Alaskan food services company, to Sitka to learn more about the Fish to Schools program. NMS provides services at Pioneer homes, healthcare institutions, and schools across the state. Together, we met with Fish to Schools partners and local food system advocates to explore ways to increase access to healthy, Alaskan-caught seafood in institutions throughout the state.
Looking ahead:
Our Fish to Schools donation drive will return in August 2025. Stay tuned for more details — we can’t wait to partner with you again to bring the next wave of healthy, local meals to Sitka’s students!
Welcome Caitlin Blaisdell – Communications Director
Starting this month, you may recognize a new (yet familiar) face in the SCS office! We are so excited to welcome Caitlin Blaisdell to our team as the new Communications Director. Caitlin brings with her over a decade of experience in creative storytelling, marketing, and deep community engagement.
Raised in the farm country of Illinois, Caitlin became a guest in Sheet’ká Ḵwáan in 2014 when she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Hames Center, and immediately felt a connection to the community and the wild landscapes of Southeast Alaska. Her professional journey evolved into founding her own successful photography and marketing business, where she worked with families, artists, small businesses, and organizations across Alaska.
“Being surrounded by the beauty of the Tongass on Lingít Aaní, my desire to learn, appreciate, share, and protect this place is strong—and raising a child here has deepened the way I experience this home,” Caitlin shares, “I'm so excited to bring my love of storytelling and commitment to conservation and community to amplify the voices and stories that make Southeast Alaska—and the Tongass—so extraordinary.”
Welcome aboard, Caitlin! We're thrilled to have you part of the team.
You can contact Caitlin at [email protected]
Snow Camp 2025
Photo: Lee House
The sun was shining and the snow balls were flying! Last month, we traveled to Juneau with a group of 9 kids for our annual snow camp weekend getaway through the Alaska Way of Life 4-H project.
We rode sleds, played in the snow, hiked at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, toured the Alaska State Capitol building, and spent a full day at Eaglecrest Ski Area learning how to ski and snowboard. This was a great opportunity for youth to get outside, have fun, slide on snow, and challenge themselves to learn new skills.
We want to express gratitude to the RurAL CAP Foundation for making this opportunity possible. Thank you to Eaglecrest Snowsports School for providing the lessons, gear rentals, and accommodating our group. Thank you also to Benson Bullock for his continued support to getting our youth out on the slopes and outfitting the group with donated hats and socks.
If you are interested in supporting or participating in experiences like this, please email us at [email protected]
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Sign-Up for Alaska Way of Life 4-H Summer Camps!Summer is on the horizon! This summer, the Sitka Conservation Society, through its Alaska Way of Life 4-H Project, will offer camps in collaboration with partners to connect youth to the land and sea. Activities include hiking, backpacking, kayaking, bikepacking, and food harvesting and processing. See more in the flyer attached below. Register for Summer Camps here! If you need help registering, don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you all out on the trails and sea! |
Employment Opportunities
Summer Energy Internship
Are you or someone you know looking for work this summer? The Sitka Electric Utility, in collaboration with Sitka Conservation Society, is offering paid summer jobs for youth ages 16-24! Get hands-on experience and build your resume, while learning about high-paid and in-demand career opportunities. You’ll be a great fit if you are interested in mechanical systems, electrical engineering, tech, environmental science or renewable energy. Applications are opening soon at www.cityofsitka.com/careers/sitka.
Photo: Lee House
Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter, and for your support of our work at SCS. If you have any feedback or there is anything specific you would like to see more of in our newsletters in the coming year, please reach out to us at [email protected].