“The story of the Tongass is very much still being written. But you can feel something so powerful taking root in southeast Alaska — something that has significance for all of us living through this era of climate crisis and our collective prospect for climate healing.”
– Dr. Katharine Wilkinson in 'The Tongass: A Way Forward for the Forest'
Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is a bestselling author, strategist, and teacher, working to heal the planet we call home. Time magazine featured her as one of 15 “women who will save the world.” Dr. Wilkinson's books on climate include the bestselling anthology All We Can Save, The Drawdown Review, the New York Times bestseller Drawdown, and Between God & Green. She co-hosts the podcast A Matter of Degrees, telling stories for the climate curious with Dr. Leah Stokes.
In 2022, A Matter of Degrees released an episode inspired by Dr. Wilkinson's time spent at Sea Pony Farm. The episode features our friends and collaborators from the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, Marina Anderson (Deputy Director, SSP) and President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson (Tlingit & Haida). These conversations share stories of the logging history on the Tongass National Forest, the Roadless Rule, how the Tongass is an important climate solution, and what the future co-management on the Tongass looks like through the USDA Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy. You can find the episode The Tongass: A Way Forward for the Forest here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Image Credit: Rose Wong
Dr. Wilkinson also leads The All We Can Save Project, which she co-founded with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. An emergent nonprofit, the Project's mission is to nurture the leaderful climate community we need for a life-giving future, using the tools of narrative change, community building, deep learning, and tending the emotional-spiritual root from which climate leadership grows. She is the creator of All We Can Save Circles, a unique model for deep dialogue about the climate crisis and building community around solutions, and Climate Wayfinding, a program that supports people in finding or deepening their place in climate work.
After her time at Sea Pony Farm, Dr. Wilkinson spent some time in Sitka, where we organized a gathering for community members to come and share a deeper dialogue about how the climate crisis is affecting our lives, how we pursue solutions in our unique individual roles in the community, and how we express our gratitude to Lingít Aaní and the abundance that these lands and waters support. The fish began jumping as the rain fell, reminding us how fortunate we are to be in a place where intact forests and clean water supports an immense amount of life – and what our obligations are to the next generation in caring for this Earth and passing it on.
We extend gratitude to Alaska Conservation Foundation for helping support us bringing Dr. Wilkinson to Sea Pony Farm. We are currently fundraising for future residencies at Sea Pony Farm that bring partners within the All We Can Save Project for a unique retreat experience.
If you would like to support this important climate leadership work and protecting the Tongass as a climate solution, please consider donating to SCS here.