Sitka Conservation Society Summer Boat Cruises to the Tongass Temperate Rainforest
Throughout the summer, the Sitka Conservation Society sponsors summer boat cruises with local boat builders and tour guides, Allen Marine. During the cruises, we visit the places that are on the frontlines of the conservation issues that we work on. The goal of these trips are both to educate the public and discuss the issues as well as seeing the places first hand. Of course, because it is Southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest, we usually can't help but see spectacular scenery, amazing natural phenomenon, and marvelous wildlife such as the coastal brown bear, humpback whales, seabirds, and endangered Steller's sea lions. Last summer we visited places throughout the Sitka Community Use Area (SCUA) and discussed future Forest Service management of these areas. This summer's boat cruises will visit similar areas and focus on the SCUA as well. As an organization and as a community we are seeking to figure out what kind of management would best preserve the ecological integrity of these areas while also considering Sitkan's dependence on these areas in terms of subsistence, recreation, outfitter and guiding, and traditional and customary uses. As a community surrounded by the nation's largest national forest, management of our community use areas is key to our community goal of environmental sustainability. This summer will be hosting several boat cruises focusing on themes such as Kruzof Island - Pinnacles to Peak, A Cultural History of the Sitka Community Use Area, Marine Mammals and Our Coastal Zone and more.
For more information and to see the 2010 Summer Boat Cruise schedule click here
2010 Summer Boat Trips Schedule
SCS offers a number of boat trips to local areas of the Tongass National Forest. Participants learn about the history and current uses of the areas we pass, as well as seeing first hand the wonders and the splendor of the Tongass. These trips are offered at an educational discount and all are welcome to attend. (Thanks much to Allen Marine for helping us put together the cruises and providing a generous non-profit rate.)
All boats load at Crescent Harbor 15 minutes prior to departure; this is adjacent to Centennial Hall, next to the public shelter. Tickets are available two weeks in advance of each cruise at Old Harbor Books on Lincoln Street, and are sold on board. Advance tickets are recommended as trips fill up quickly. Cash and check only. Trips may be canceled due to bad weather. Food is not provided, but hot beverages are complimentary and folks are welcome to bring aboard their own food. Binoculars are available on board for all. Schedule is Subject to change.
Call 907-747-7509 or email
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for more information
Monday, June 7, 2010
“Bears, Deer and Sedges, Oh My!” This boat cruise will head north to Nakwasina Sound to explore environments where lyngbye sedges grow, an important food source for both Brown Bear and Sitka Black-Tailed Deer. Guest speakers on board the boat trip include botanist Kitty LaBounty and local naturalist Matt Goff.
5:30 - 8:00 pm
$35
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Our Amazing Intertidal Zone --
This boat trip will focus on the coastal areas near Sitka and the creatures that live in the intertidal zone. This trip will do a boat landing on a nearby beach and explore the intertidal zone with local Marine Biologist and intertidal expert, Marnie Chapman.
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
$50
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Kruzof Island History -- A diverse trip that will bring you out into Sitka Sound along the shores of majestic Kruzof Island -- home to the volcano Mt. Edgecumbe and a visit to St. Lazaria Bird Refuge. Hears some of the traditional Tlingit stories of Kruzof Island and what role the island played during World War II.
6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
$35
Monday, July 12, 2010
Discover Redoubt Bay --The cruise will head south of Sitka venturing into Redoubt Bay and other inlets nearby. No place better exemplifies Sitka's connection to the land than Redoubt Bay and the abundant Sockeye Salmon that come back to the Bay to spawn. Hear from the biologists that live and work with the sockeye (and the bears!) all summer long.
5:30-8:00 p.m.
$35
Friday, July 23, 2010
Pinnacles to Peak -- The land and sea comprising the south Kruzof volcanic range boasts a surprisingly diverse array of habitats, resources and local uses. We will visit amazing Kruzof Island and learn more about majestic Mt. Edgecumbe and the pinnacles that lie beneath the waters.
5:30-8:30 p.m.
$40
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Sitka Seafood Festival Boat Cruise and Salmon in the Trees This boat cruise is part of the 1st annual Sitka Seafood Festival, a celebration of this wild and sustainable resource. We will head to Silver Bay and the Medivije Hatchery to learn more about the multitude of seafood available in Sitka and the role different species play in our local ecosystems. For more info on the Sitka Seafood Festival visit: http://sitkaseafoodfestival.org/
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
$45
Friday, August 27, 2010
Our Legacy - West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness -- We will explore Suloia Bay located within the Wilderness boundary as well as other areas near by. Learn about the wilderness stewardship projects SCS has been working on this summer and how SCS helped establish this amazing Wilderness area.
SCS offers a number of boat trips to local areas of the Tongass National Forest. Participants learn about the history and current uses of the areas we pass, as well as seeing first hand the wonders and the splendor of the Tongass. These trips are offered at an educational discount and all are welcome to attend. (Thanks much to Allen Marine for helping us put together the cruises and providing a generous non-profit rate.)
