Sitka Conservation Society

Last week, we learned the sad news of Marcel LaPerriere’s passing to ALS. Marcel was a fiercely passionate conservationist who advocated for the Tongass for decades, even at a time when environmentalism was deeply unpopular in Southeast Alaska. He had a great love for Karst landscapes and was interested in how those ecosystems interacted with its surrounding Tongass environments. His enthusiasm for these areas was so deep that he participated in several expeditions sponsored by the Forest Service, where he helped document caves to preserve those areas as part of the Cave Resources Protection Act.

Serving as the Sitka Conservation Society Board President for nearly five years, Marcel served as a grounding influence for SCS. His balance of conservationist values with using our natural resources sustainably is exemplified in the homes that he built and the work that SCS does with young growth today. His professional background in hydroelectric power continues to influence SCS’s work towards sustainable, climate-friendly energy. Even after leaving the board, Marcel continued to work with SCS and advocate for the Tongass National Forest for his grandchildren, Alaska’s salmon forests, and a better future for Southeast Alaska.

As our Executive Director Andrew Thoms puts it, "to say it simply, Marcel Laperiere is a legend. Physically he was a very big man; but his heart was thousands of times bigger than he was. Throughout his entire life, he was a positive influence on everything around him and always found ways to make the world a better place. His impact has and will continue to ripple out into the world far and wide. Marcel gave me stalwart guidance and support when he was board president and my supervisor, and I am forever grateful to him. I will honor him by continuing to do things in the ways he taught me and how I saw him live his life."

Thank you, Marcel, for your dedication to Southeast Alaska and your community. You can read Marcel’s obituary, published in the Sitka Sentinel, here: https://www.sitkasentinel.com/2012-05-10-22-08-43/obituaries/24291-marcel-laperriere-dies-after-battle-with-als

SCS honors the life and contributions of Marcel through our Living Wilderness Fund endowment. Gifts can be made to the Living Wilderness Fund in honor of Marcel at www.sitkawild.org/donate.

Summer is here at last – and so are the salmonberries! Here's to a bountiful harvest for our families, our neighbors, our friends, and all the animals who enjoy them here on the Tongass.

📸: Maia Mareš

We still have tickets available for our Kruzof Bird Cruise this Saturday! Tickets are $65 at Old Harbor Books, cruise is from 9:00-12:30. Thank you to our partners at Allen Marine Tours, supporting Southeast Alaska through tourism.

Our Alaska Way of Life 4-H Project kicked off the summer with a three day kayak experience with our friends at SAIL – Southeast Alaska Independent Living. Kayakers had the opportunity to utilize their communication, teamworking, and problem solving skills as we took to the water with SAIL consumers. Exploring the waters of Swan Lake, Silver Bay, and Gájaa Héen (Starrigavan), we worked in teams to navigate against strong winds and ocean currents.

Regardless of experience, whether 4-Hers had never kayaked before or had years of experience, there were lots of skill learning and sharing that occurred safely outside and out on the water. Kayakers learned skills on how to paddle a kayak, prepare and equip their kayak for the day, and about water safety. One kayaker even chose to join an instructor in a wet exit! We had lots of fun together playing games on and off the water and feel grateful for the new friendships and connections made. Some other highlights include traversing up the creek in our kayaks, SAIL bus singalongs, and together becoming stronger kayakers through sometimes adverse conditions. We are so grateful for Southeast Alaska Independent Living for sharing their resources and time - and for the chance to connect with more Sitka community members.

Stay tuned for more summer updates from the Alaska Way of Life 4-H Project!

📸: Ryan Morse, Allie Prokosch, Aukema Fuller Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H

Sitka Conservation Society is excited to be sponsoring two healthy meal services for youth this summer: Sitka Public Library’s Summer Snack Grab N Go Program and City of Sitka Parks and Recreation’s summer lunch program.

Now in its fifth year, Sitka Public Library’s Summer Snack Grab N Go Program is available for youth of all ages Wednesdays through August 7th from 10 am to 11:30 am. Youth and families can swing by the library’s windows and ask for a free to-go bag with snacks. This program is for children, tweens, and teens and snacks are available on a first come, first served basis, with no restrictions on family income.

Sitka Parks and Recreation camp season is being complemented this year by their Brown Bag Lunch Club for campers ages 6 through 12, Monday through Friday. Summer lunch program snacks and lunches will be provided for free to all participating youth; no participant will be charged money for food and no participant will have to prove eligibility to access food. We are supporting Parks and Rec’s lunch program using funds from the Sitka Mutual Aid - Covid19 initiative to build Sitka’s resilience and community health in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At SCS, we recognize that our ability to live sustainably within the natural environment goes hand in hand with people’s health and well-being. Through programs like these, SCS helps reduce barriers to assistance and increases access to food. You can help support SCS's programs and efforts tackling food insecurity in Sitka by donating here: https://bit.ly/scsfoodsecurity

Read more about these programs in this Daily Sitka Sentinel story here: https://www.sitkasentinel.com/2012-05-10-22-08-10/local-news/24244-snack

📸: Sitka Library snack program by Ryan Morse, Parks and Rec lunch program courtesty of Klas Stolphe/Daily Sitka Sentinel.

Thanks to everyone for joining us on our first boat cruise of the season! It was a beautiful day to travel with Allen Marine Tours to Starfish Beach and discover and learn about intertidal life, and we also saw humpback whales. Special thanks to our friends Ian and Mathias of the Sitka Sound Science Center for sharing their knowledge and leading an awesome game of trivia on the ride back!

Join us for our next intertidal cruise to Pt. Brown on Kruzof Island this coming Sunday, June 23rd 8:30-12. Limited tickets still available at Old Harbor Books! For more information call 907-747-7509.
These events are sponsored by Allen Marine Tours, Supporting Southeast Alaska through Tourism!

Photos by Lione Clare

We are excited to be hosting two upcoming cruises this month! Locals and visitors alike can join Sitka Conservation Society and partners on an intertidal cruise this Sunday and a bird cruise next Saturday.

- Intertidal Cruise | Sunday June 23rd – 8:30am to 12pm, boarding at Crescent Harbor, begins at 8:15am.

- Kruzof Bird Cruise | Satuday June 29th – 9am to 12:30pm, boarding at Crescent Harbor, begins at 8:45am.

Tickets are $65 dollars and on sale at Old Harbor Books now. Please be sure to bring a snack or water if desired, and wear weather-appropriate clothing. You can contact [email protected] or call 907-747-7509 for more information.

“I like imagining, creating, restoring old things, building new things, just for the joy of the materials you’re working with.”

Check out this story on Raven Radio - KCAW, Sitka featuring stone mason, carpenter, and sculpture and visual artist Randy Bollinger, who is currently restoring stonework on St Peter's by the Sea Episcopal Church.

In May 2023, Sitka Conservation Society had the pleasure of hosting Randy Bollinger at the Sea Pony Farm property left to us by Eric and Pam Bealer. Randy was close friends and roommates with Eric Bealer, and remembers encouraging Eric to pursue his dreams of being a homesteader in Alaska. During his time there, Randy was inspired to build a table out of a spruce burl and recreated an aged gate, naturally carrying forward a similar aesthetic and way that Eric built things mostly by hand and sourcing from the surrounding natural environment. He appreciated the opportunity to see what his friend had built and created, and said he is "happy to be promoting what Eric did."

Randy is excited to come back someday and do a stone masonry project. If you would like to sponsor a future creative retreat at this property, donations can be made here: https://www.sitkawild.org/support_sea_pony_farm

KCAW story here: https://www.kcaw.org/2024/06/12/pennsylvania-craftsman-restores-stonework-at-st-peters-by-the-sea/

Pennsylvania craftsman restores stonework at St. Peter's by the Sea - KCAW Randy Bollinger grew up in rural Pennsylvania surrounded by centuries-old stone walls and buildings. "I like imagining, creating, restoring old things, building new things. Just for the joy of the materials you’re working with."

Our June cruise tickets are on sale now at Old Harbor Books! Join Sitka Conservation Society and partners as we travel around Kruzof to explore the intertidal wonders and view incredible birds that make the natural environment of Southeast Alaska so special.

Our Intertidal Cruise is happening on Sunday, June 23rd from 8:30am to 12:30pm and our Kruzof Bird is on Saturday, June 29th from 9am to 12:30pm. Please be sure to bring weather-appropriate clothing and personal water and snacks if desired. Tickets are $65 dollars and available at Old Harbor Books. Space is limited, so book your tickets today! Special thanks to our friends at Allen Marine Tours for their partnership. For more information, contact [email protected] or call us at 907-747-7509.

We hope to see you out on the water! 🌊 🦀 🦅

Sitka Conservation Society SCS works to protect the natural environment of the Tongass while supporting the development of sust

Here in Southeast Alaska, salmon fill our rivers, our freezers, our bellies, and our economies, feeding us in every sense of the word. Our local small boat fishermen understand that salmon from the Tongass National Forest keep our forests and communities strong, and that we in turn are all responsible for its health. These fishermen and fishing families have shown up and advocated time and time again to protect our lands, waters, and resources – speaking out to ensure that our public lands and fisheries are sustainable managed, so that this way of life continues for generations to come.

We want to take a moment to express our to Seafood Producers Cooperative and Alaska Gold Seafood for their ongoing support of Sitka Conservation Society and our work. We are proud and thankful to be supported by small boat fishers who respect and care so deeply for the natural environment of the Tongass – and hope you have a successful salmon fishing season starting next month!

📸: Lione Clare, Bethany Goodrich

Check out this community event on June 15th! Learn with local experts about living with bears.

We’ll be hosting a collaborative community bear awareness day on Saturday June 15th! Join us for bear-proof trash can and campsite demos in the morning, followed by presentations and information from our amazing partners - the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Defenders of Wildlife, the National Park Service and the Forest Service! As this is an educational event, we’ll be offering FREE admission to all who attend! Donations are always welcome to support the work we do.

If you’re visiting the SCS office or have family attending Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H, you may recognize a new face this summer! We are thrilled to welcome Aukema Fuller, our Alaska Way of Life Youth Development Fellow, to the summer youth team. This position is supported by Alaska Conservation Foundation’s Ted Smith internship program.

Aukema (she/her/hers) is originally from northern Virginia. Currently attending the illustrious Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia as a Comparative Women’s Studies major, Aukema has a strong passion for the equitable representation of women and other marginalized communities through education and liberation. In her free time you can often find Aukema attending concerts, hanging out with friends and family, binge watching shows and movies, and traveling the world. If you see Aukema, please be sure to give her a friendly Sitka welcome!

📸: Ryan Morse

CALLING ENCOUNTERS FANS!! The bears are all around and it's time again for... yes! The BEAR SAFETY episode! Tune in THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 9th at 2 pm AKDT on Raven Radio or stream the show at www.kcaw.org with fans from all over. See ya there!

Only three tickets left at Old Harbor Books!

To celebrate Pride Month, we have a special limited edition rainbow print of Dale DeArmond’s hummingbird prints in stock available at the SCS office! Come swing by the SCS office or contact [email protected] to purchase yours today.

You can also win some of these shirts at Sitka Pride's Trivia Night at the Mean Queen – happening tonight at 6pm!

Sitka Public Library’s Summer Snack Grab N Go Program is available for youth of all ages Wednesdays through August 7th from 10 am to 11:30 am. Stop by the library’s windows and ask for a free to-go bag with snacks. This program is for children, tweens, and teens and are available on a first come, first served basis. No restrictions on family income.

It’s a soft raining morning, and we are getting ready to give your kid a free grab-and-go breakfast bag!
Youth of all ages are welcome, and number of bag are limited. Starts at 10:00 a.m.

This program is a collaboration between Sitka Conservation Society
and Sitka Public Library

🌈 As we enter Pride Month, we celebrate not just who we are, but the rich tapestry of experiences that make us and our communities unique. We honor and uplift our LGBTQ2S+ community members, acknowledging their invaluable contributions to our collective efforts in this region and beyond. From protecting our ecosystems to fostering inclusive communities, every individual brings a unique perspective and strength to the table.

Let's continue to cultivate spaces where everyone feels seen, heard and empowered. Together, we can create a more inclusive and sustainable world for all! 🌈

Photo by Bethany Sonsini Goodrich

We are thrilled to be partnering with Sitka Public Library to support the summer snack program!

Join Sitka Conservation Society and partners this weekend on a cruise to Starfish Beach to explore the tide pools and discover its many intertidal wonders!

This cruise will take place on Saturday, June 8th from 8:30 to noon. Boarding is at Crescent Harbor and will begin at 8:15am. We will be disembarking from the boat, so please be sure to bring or wear weather appropriate clothing, as well personal water and snacks if desired.

Tickets are $65 and available at Old Harbor Books now! Special thank you to our partners at Allen Marine and the Sitka Sound Science Center for their support. Contact [email protected] or call us at 907-747-7509 for more information.

📸: Maia Mareš, Bethany Goodrich, Ryan Morse

Always a profound presence, the coastal brown bear swaggers, swims, climbs, runs, sneaks, and splashes across any terrain on the Tongass.

📸: Don Kluting

We want to take a moment to share Alice Johnstone's obituary that was written by her family and published in the Sitka Sentinel yesterday:

Alice Johnstone was born Jan. 19, 1925, in Pasadena, California, to dairy milk retailers Curtis and Gladys Isabelle (Happy) Sherwood, nee Rolfe. She was named Alice Cassandra Sherwood.

In December 1940 the family moved to Juneau, Alaska, to a dairy farm with 25 dairy stock, a home with a single cold water tap and no electricity, and a 12-mile school bus ride to the local high school.

Alice met Chuck Johnstone on her first bus ride to school. On June 15, 1942, the two were married at the Chapel by the Lake in Auke Bay, north of Juneau, and immediately moved to Sitka, where Chuck was working on the construction of the Japonski Island Naval facility. She attended Sitka High School to complete her senior year in 1943.

Over the years they had and raised four children in Sitka. And despite her antipathy for the role of the traditional wife in her early marriage, she was awarded the 1995 Homemaker of the Year Award from the Southeast Alaska Fair with multiple first place awards for preserving foods, spinning, dyeing, and weaving.

When the children were in school, she found work outside the home and joined an early woman’s organization, the Beta Sigma Phi, as well as the Parent Teacher Association. She became an avid self-taught botanist. She patronized the library, and found women who knit, spun, and wove; she patronized the White Elephant Shop where she volunteered and found clothes and kitchen equipment.

She became part of a vibrant local business community, eventually joining the Sears Roebuck catalog office as a freight clerk, ultimately working her way up to store manager. She was known to occasionally open the store very early on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning so parents could pick up their orders delayed by the weather to make sure that “Santa” could put those gifts under the Christmas tree. She retired from Sears after serving 33 years. Additionally, she, along with seven other local partners, established Old Harbor Books, a business that has served the community’s needs for decades.

As her children grew, Alice became more involved in the community. She was active as an election worker and later was elected to three terms on the Borough Assembly. She served on the board of the local credit union for many years. She became concerned about the alcoholism rate in Sitka, and Alaska, and served 17 years on the Sitka Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board, and eight years on the Alaska Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, endeavoring to educate communities and their policy makers about the issues and potential policy options.

Alice was a lifelong learner. She appreciated the music, news, and educational programs on KCAW Raven Radio and served on their board. She joined a women’s book group and served on the Kettleson Library Board.

Concerned about equity for women (and others), she became an early member of the Sitka Women’s Commission. She had planned to go to college as a teen, but she was not able to do so until 1965, when she enrolled at the University of Alaska Community College campus in Sitka and earned her AA degree there. She continued taking classes there into her 90s, and also served on the UA Community College Advisory Board.

It’s fair to say, however, that Alice was best known for her interests in sustainability and conservation. She, Chuck, and several like-minded friends founded the Sitka Conservation Society, which has grown into not only an area-wide conservation organization but an entity that supports local industries, the school lunch program, youth recreation programs and internships, the arts, and is a member of a regional organization which works to support and protect the entire Tongass National Forest.

Some of her individual volunteer activities included organizing many Christmas Bird Counts and helping with the Bat Survey. She is best known for advocating, with others, for the formation of the first national citizen-initiated wilderness area, the West Chichagof-Yakobi Island Wilderness Area. She was one of four local people to be awarded the U.S. Forest Service Bob Marshall Champions of Wilderness award in Washington, D.C., for those efforts.

Community was very important to Alice. Sitka recognized that by naming her Sitka Woman of the Year in 2015; Alaska recognized that by naming her the 2015 Alaska Woman of the Year for Conservation.

Alice lived in Sitka for 77 years. It was her home even though she passed on April 28, 2024, in Santa Rosa, where she moved to be closer to family and to enjoy the warmer weather. She continued to be involved there, making many new friends and working with the Environmental Committee at her senior living community to convince the local garbage company to provide compost containers to serve more than 300 households, with weekly compost pickups. She also provided informational sessions about spinning and weaving, and made presentations about living in Alaska. She was well known for her smile and was nick-named “Alice from Alaska.”

Alice is survived by her daughter, Gale Johnstone Brownell (Phillip) of Sebastopol, California; her sons, Brian (Pamela) Johnstone of Arlington, Washington, and Gregory (Cynthia) Johnstone of Hoquiam, Washington; nine grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

Her husband, Charles Johnstone, her sister, Beth Lever, her brother, Rolfe Sherwood, and her son, Jay Johnstone, predeceased her.

Alice would recommend donations to KCAW, Sitka Public Library, or Sitka Conservation Society in her name. She personally strongly supported The Living Wilderness Fund of the Sitka Conservation Society, an endowment fund, to ensure that their work continues in perpetuity: www.sitkawild.org/living_wilderness_fund

A celebration of her life is scheduled at Spring Lake Village in Santa Rosa 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 1; and at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp 2-4 p.m. Saturday, September 7, at the Odess Theater. All are invited.

Starfish Beach Intertidal Cruise on June 8th! Tickets available at Old Harbor Books now. Contact [email protected] or call us at 907-747-7509 for more information.

Join Sitka Conservation Society staff with Allen Marine and community partners as we travel to Starfish Beach and explore the tide pools during minus tide. This cruise will be happening on Saturday, June 8th from 8:30 to noon. Boarding is at Crescent Harbor and will begin at 8:15am. We will be disembarking from the boat, so please be sure to bring or wear weather appropriate clothing, as well personal water and snacks if desired.

The Tongass rainforest awakes in the spring. Water trickles down the mountains, ferns unravel, flowers bloom, and the birds return and begin to sing.

📸: Eric Lock

We would like to express our to The Sustainable Southeast Partnership for a grant award of project funds to Sitka Conservation Society to purchase groceries for Sitka’s 2023 Indigenous People’s Day Celebration. Thanks to the hard work of event organizers and volunteers and contributions from many local organizations, over 400 community members were able to come together to enjoy a nourishing meal and experience a meaningful program based on the theme Haa Shagóon Kasneixí (Healing all Generations).

Thank you SSP for helping feed our community! And special thank you to the Indigenous People’s Day Celebration food committee and the Mount Edgecumbe High School students who volunteered to cook.

📸: Lione Clare

We're thrilled to share the news of the completed new utility and drainage work for Pacific High School's Farm to Table Program. This is a major site improvement, which will support Pacific High's agricultural and culinary education and hands-on learning for students in Sitka for years to come.

A heartfelt thank you to Pacific High School for their dedication and creativity, K&E and Sitka Electric for their work (and embracing the rain!), and an extra special thanks to AgWest Farm Credit for generously funding this project. Together, we're cultivating a brighter, greener future for Sitka's youth.

📸: Ryan Morse, Lione Clare

SCS is at Porch Fest until 4pm! Come swing by to buy some T-shirts and merchandise, renew your membership and enter a drawing to win an Eric Bealer print, and make your own button!

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Alice Johnstone, one our founding members, has passed away. Alice was an incredible and inspiring woman, who has shaped so many of our lives here in Sitka, across Southeast Alaska, and beyond. She was a passionate community leader, a dedicated conservationist, and a powerful advocate for the Tongass National Forest.

In 2019, Alice left Sitka to be closer to family. Reflecting on her time in Sitka and what she had accomplished at SCS, Alice said "Our dream was to get West Chichagof designated a wilderness area before the mill turned all our trees to pulp. We hoped that future generations could hunt, fish, and explore the island as we did, rather than see it devastated by logging. I could have never guessed what our small movement would become. Not only was the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness area designated, but our actions resulted in the designation of South Baranof Island as a wilderness area. We laid the foundation for what SCS is today: an organization dedicated to sustaining cultural, ecological, and economic prosperity in this region. I am humbled, grateful, and proud."

A celebration of life for Alice held by her family in Sitka is planned for this fall shortly after Labor Day.

Thank you, Alice, for everything.

We honor the legacy of SCS's founders in all that we do, and through our Living Wilderness Fund endowment. We wanted to share the following, which was written by SCS members to honor Alice for the work she did for Sitka, the Tongass, and SCS.

The only challenging thing about honoring Alice Johnstone is deciding on which of her many accomplishments to focus on. From co-founding the Sitka Conservation Society to being the second woman to serve on the Sitka Assembly to serving stints on numerous non-profit boards around town, Alice’s contributions to the community of Sitka – and beyond – have not been inconsequential. The Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame, to which Alice was inducted this year, may have put it best by writing: “Alice Johnstone’s many accomplishments are best characterized as enlightened activism: environmental, societal, and political.” Indeed, if the sum of Alice’s actions and endeavors should remind us of one thing, it’s that the many fights for justice are all intertwined. Healthy environments and healthy communities exist hand-in-hand. We are lucky in Sitka to have had an advocate for both in Alice.

Among Alice’s many contributions to the community life, cultural vibrancy, and overall health of Sitka include when she helped co-found the Sitka Conservation Society in 1967. For the next thirteen years, she assisted in the eventually successful fight to have parts of West Chichagof and Yakobi Island protected as a federally designated Wilderness. In the midst of all of this, she also co-founded Old Harbor Books, a fixture still in Sitka today. Impressive as these accomplishments were, what perhaps is most remarkable about Alice’s work is that it retains its cultural and environmental relevance to this day. The bookstore she helped found and the Wilderness area she helped protect are continually loved and cherished by both local families and visitors.

In addition to her work in the environmental sphere, Alice also became engaged in politics, community health initiatives, and social justice work. Despite her reputation as a conservationist in a pulp-mill town, she won election to the Sitka Assembly three times, serving a total of seven years, and forming during this time the Sitka Women’s Commission. But her commitment to healthy and safe communities did not end there. Alice carved out a name for herself as a staunch soldier against substance abuse, serving prolonged terms on both the Sitka and State of Alaska treatment and prevention boards, working to educate public and lawmakers alike. At the same time as all these public service activities, Alice was taking one college course a semester for her own enjoyment. Having been married at 17 and a mother at 19 she had had no opportunity to attend college. But as a result of her hard work, after many years of classes, she was awarded an associate in arts degree.

In 2010, the environmental work Alice had begun over thirty years before was recognized by what at one time would have been the most unlikely of allies: the U.S. Forest Service. When the Conservation Society and Wilderness proposal were launched in the 1960s, the environmental ethic of Alice and friends put them in the minority in an overwhelmingly pro-timber town. As Alice said upon receiving the Bob Marshall Champions of Wilderness Act from the Forest Service, “It’s a wonderful milestone in Sitka and within the Forest Service. Forty years ago, when we started our work, we never dreamed we’d see a day like this, when the Forest Service and our group would be standing together to celebrate the beauty and wilderness of the Tongass National Forest.”

Thanks to the work of Alice, the beauty and wilderness of which she spoke remains preserved for future generations. At the Sitka Conservation Society we thank and salute Alice for the many ways in which the community and environment surrounding Sitka have benefitted from her tireless advocacy efforts. Alice’s many achievements serve as a reminder that individuals can be powerful implements of change, and at the Sitka Conservation Society we pledge to continue to fight for the healthy environment and vibrant community for which she did so much.

If you would like to make a gift to the Living Wilderness Fund in honor of Alice Johnstone, or to learn more about the Living Wilderness Fund, you can visit the homepage here: www.sitkawild.org/living_wilderness_fund