4-H Funding Freeze
Help Us Keep 4-H Alaska Way of Life Alive
A federal grant that has supported our 4-H Alaska Way of Life project for the past 3 years has been terminated.
This is a major blow to our programs that teach Sitka’s youth how to survive, thrive and live reciprocally with our unique, island home.
Unlike traditional 4-H projects focused on agriculture, our 4-H Alaska Way of Life project—run by the Sitka Conservation Society in partnership with UAF and many other community organizations—connects youth (ages 5–18) to essential, Alaskan skills, such as: boating & water safety, fish and deer processing, bicycling, wild edible harvesting, and leadership development.
Despite this callous funding cut, we are working hard to secure funding to keep these programs going with potential resources for matching funding and your donations to our 4-H Alaska Way of Life project are critical to moving us forward.
But there’s good news: Thanks to community support, our 2025 Summer Camps are still on. We’re actively working to replace the lost funding and keep these vital programs running.
See what happens when passion meets purpose—Click HERE to watch a powerful and beautifully told story of community at Sheet'ká Splash Mountain Camp, captured by the talented Lee House. It's an inspiring glimpse into our 4-H Program in action—you won’t want to miss it. (Photo by Lee House)
📖 More on this story in the Sitka Sentinel
Sea Pony Farm is Open for the Season!
Sea Pony Farm is officially open for 2025! On April 27th, our team and volunteers arrived with building supplies in tow: roofing, solar panels, batteries, insulation—you name it.
This season's goals:
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Replace two roofs
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Expand our solar system
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Install a dormer in the upper barn
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Finish interior insulation and paneling
With support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and our Living Wilderness Fund, we're grateful for the crew of skilled builders and volunteers bringing this vision to life! Special thanks to Coastal Transport SE for getting all of these supplies up there! Read More about the Sea Pony Farm Project HERE.
Thank You for Supporting the Pacific High Plant Sale
Huge thanks & happy gardening to everyone who came out to the Pacific High Plant Sale on May 8th and 9th! Your support helped raise vital funds for Pacific High's Edible Garden Program, which teaches students how to grow, harvest, and prepare local foods for their school meals.
Since 2022, the Sitka Conservation Society has proudly partnered with Pacific High School to grow this program—through fundraising, project coordination, and support for our amazing School Garden Coordinator, Andrea Fraga. In 2023, the program expanded with the addition of a greenhouse, made possible with additional support from the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and generous community donations. This new space allows students and staff to cultivate a wider variety of foods year-round.
Thanks to your purchases and enthusiasm, we’re continuing to strengthen hands-on education and build a more resilient local food system for Sitka youth!
Summer Cruise Season - Save the Dates
🌊 Save the Dates! Summer Boat Cruise Tours 🌿
Join us for our annual Summer boat tours exploring the natural wonders surrounding Sitka. Cruise with us as we explore low tides, experience the spectacular St. Lazaria and Kruzof Island, and learn about the Tongass National Forest. Mark your calendars:
📅 Sunday, June 29
Intertidal to Pt. Brown
Departing at 9:30 AM – Returning around 1:00 PM
Explore vibrant intertidal zones and the scenic shores of Pt. Brown.
📅 Sunday, July 6
Kruzof Birds
Departing at 9:00 AM – Returning around 12:30 PM
A bird-lover’s delight! Spot seabirds and explore the rugged beauty of Kruzof Island.
📅 Saturday, July 26
Intertidal to Pt. Brown
Departing at 8:30 AM – Returning around 12:00 PM
A second chance to dive into the intertidal magic and coastal life.
📅 Saturday, August 16
Wilderness Cruise
Departing at 5:00 PM – Returning around 8:00 PM
An evening tour into wild landscapes, perfect for soaking in the serenity of Southeast Alaska.
Tickets will be available beginning two weeks prior to each cruise at Old Harbor Books.
Reflecting on many moments of partnerships and community that took place in April…
🌍 Parade of Species
Sitka’s creativity was on full display as the streets came alive with sea creatures, forest spirits, and feathered friends! Huge thanks to our partners—Sitka Sound Science Center and UAF Cooperative Extension—and everyone who helped make this magical event happen. We are keeping the spirit alive by sharing some of these home-made costumes that you can find on display at….
🖼️ Parade Costumes on Display:
📍Sitka Public Library (Children’s Room): April 29–May 8
📍Backdoor Café: May 24–31
A Night to Remember at Sitka Tells Tales: About Place
Six incredible storytellers, a packed house, and a rollercoaster of emotion—About Place: Stories of Seeing & Celebrating the Tongass brought tears, laughter, and powerful moments to the Earth Day edition of Sitka Tells Tales.
📻 Missed it live? Tune in to @kcawradio on May 20 at 7 PM AKST to hear the full broadcast!
SNEP 50th Anniversary
A heartfelt congratulations to the Sitka Native Education Program on 50 years of powerful cultural revitalization! Since 1974, SNEP has been a guiding force in Southeast Alaska—uplifting Lingít yoo x̱’atángi and haa ḵusteeyí (our language and way of life), and ensuring that traditional knowledge lives on through generations.
Sitka’s youth have had the opportunity to learn, through experience, how to live reciprocally with the land and sea - through responsible salmon and deer harvesting classes, to wild edible foraging. We are grateful for all of your cultural educators’ generosity in sharing their knowledge with our community.
We were proud to have our youth team recognized during this anniversary celebration. Our work together with SNEP and Sitka Trail Works has served to more than double the number of youth enrolled in SNEP’s 2nd-5th grade traditional arts studio class. In partnership, our youth team works to expand access to cultural programs and develop meaningful opportunities that help young people build confidence in skills that will continue to support them and our community into the future.
Here’s to SNEP’s past, present, and future. We are proud to partner with you!
SSP Retreat Recap
We can hardly believe the Sustainable Southeast Partnership’s 2025 Spring Retreat has already come and gone! Over the course of three days in Sitka, 138 dedicated partners from across Southeast Alaska—and beyond—came together to build relationships, share wisdom, and deepen our commitment to the collective impact work that defines SSP.
Hosted at Harrigan Centennial Hall, the retreat featured field trips to local organizations like the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Lab and the Sitka Sound Science Center, small group sessions on topics such as climate adaptation and community healing, and meaningful one-on-one connections. We were especially moved by the thoughtful conversations that took place around food security, energy resilience, and Indigenous knowledge.
SSP has grown from just ten participants over a decade ago to a thriving network of more than 50 organizations. We are proud to be a part of this journey and deeply inspired by the energy and insight each partner brings to this work.
Gunalchéesh, háw'aa, t'oyaxsn to everyone who made this gathering so impactful. Our partnership grows stronger every time we come together—in good ways, with good hearts—for the future of our region.
To stay connected with SSP, sign up for their monthly newsletter here and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. (Photo by James Poulson, Sitka Sentinel)
🛠️ Upcoming Workshops, Events & Opportunities
🌲 Wood Science & Lumber Drying Workshop
📍Ketchikan | 🗓️ May 14th–15th
Learn essential skills for sustainable timber use in Southeast Alaska - More information HERE.
🗳️ Southeast Regional Citizens Advisory Board
📅 Applications due May 15th
Bring your voice to regional resource management. Apply now!
🎶 Porch Fest – Music & Community on the Block!
📍Lincoln Street, Sitka, Alaska | 🗓️ May 24th 11am - 4pm
Join us for this community celebration - come learn about our SCS projects and make buttons!
🐻 Community Bear Awareness Day!
📍Fortress of the Bear, Sitka, Alaska | 🗓️ May 17th 9am - 1pm
Join us for this Free community event to learn all about how you can help keep bears wild and safe!
Thank you for being part of our wild community. Whether you give your time, your voice, or your support—you help keep Sitka resilient, creative, and thriving. 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].