Issues: Community Sustainability
SCS originally formed because Sitka residents were outraged at the large scale clearcutting occurring around their home. They were also very concerned about pollution emitted from the Sitka pulp mill. As SCS has grown, our primary focus has remained on Wilderness and public land protection. However, as residents of Sitka we are obviously very concerned about community issues. In fact, our Community Outreach Coordinator and Community Sustainability Organizer positions were added to help us work in our community, SCS sponsors a Backwoods Lecture Series to help Sitkans learn more about the wildlife and resources of the Tongass. See Our Events Calendar at the bottom of the page for a schedule of SCS events.
Climate Change and Energy
Just because Sitka is a small town, the Sitka Conservation Society does not believe that means it can’t be a national leader in taking on climate change. The idea is that if little Sitka can take progressive steps, why can’t any other community? To help address climate change in Sitka, SCS has advocated for increasing the city’s hydroelectric capacity and organized energy conservation programs to help individuals improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Local Foods
At the Sitka Conservation Society we are working towards creating a more resilient food system by supporting local efforts to protect the habitat of wild foods, support traditional harvest/subsistence lifestyles, increase local food production, create access to wild seafood, reform the school lunch program to include local foods, and increase awareness of local fishing culture.
Environmental Education
The Sitka Conservation Society provides diverse environmental education programs, which reach hundreds of people from preschool age through retirement age every year. Some of these programs are actually done in the classrooms of local schools, while other programs include public lectures and boat trips for the community at large.
Recent Posts:
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The R Value of Insulation
As Junior Girl Scout Troop 4140 continues to press on with the Get Moving Energy Journey, the scouts learn the value of good insulation in homes and buildings. The troop had the opportunity to see four different types of common insulation and test their knowledge of R Value. The results surprised the girls as they [...]
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Stewardship in Action: Involving local students in restoration monitoring studies
At SCS, we know that getting people outside and participating in the stewardship of our environment is the single best way to realize our vision of a sustainable community living within the Tongass National Forest. Last summer, SCS, the Sitka Ranger District, and Sitka High School established a long-term monitoring study that will evaluate the [...]
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How Does SCS “Develop Sustainable Communities” and Conserve the Tongass? Here is how we try to do it with the Fish to Schools program
The Sitka Conservation Society strives to blend sustainable community development with policy advocacy through projects and initiatives that demonstrate our ideals while building community and community assets. Along the way, we organize stakeholders to work together with a commonly shared vision. The ideal projects are those that bring people together working face-to-face/shoulder-to-shoulder to jointly and [...]
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The Better Bargain
Months have passed with hydroelectric shortage and the City of Sitka Electric Department has warned the community that the risk of having to use supplemental diesel fuel to run the town’s functions is high. In order to let this message sink in a bit further, Utility Director, Christopher Brewton, made this graphic meant to encourage electric users [...]
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Girl Scouts Shed the Light on Energy Efficiency
This year, Girl Scout troop 4140 is working to become more energy efficient. The troop decided to take on the task of completing a comprehensive energy journey that will teach them about energy use in their homes and school, how to conduct an energy audit, the importance of weatherization, energy efficiency, and more! As part of the Investigate portion of [...]
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We Love our Fishermen!
Check out this incredible video created by our good friend and local filmmaker, Hannah Guggenheim, documenting the “We Love our Fishermen Lunch” on 2/8/2012. WE LOVE OUR FISHERMEN! The Fish to Schools Program began as a vision at the 2010 Sitka Health Summit and with community support and leadership from the Sitka Conservation Society, we [...]
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The Tongass is America’s Salmon Forest
The Tongass produces more salmon than all other National Forests combined. These salmon are a keystone species in the temperate rainforest ecosystems and hundreds of species depend on them– including humans. Salmon have been a food source in Southeast Alaska for thousands of years and continue to be the backbone of the economy. The salmon [...]
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Follow our Progress – Student Mentor Program
Winter doesn’t slow down field science in Sitka! The four Sitka High School students and their mentors in the Science Mentor Program are in the full swing of their projects. In the photo at left, Justine is measuring tree diameters to quantify the forest stand where she is collecting soil samples. She will then conduct [...]
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Fish to Schools live on KCAW with three Sitka students!
Listen to a live radio broadcast of the Sitka Conservation Society’s Fish to Schools Program. This program exemplifies our commitment to community sustainability by connecting students to local, healthy, and affordable seafood. Twice a month students are served local fish for lunch at Keet Gooshi Heen, Blatchley Middle School, and now Pacific High. To supplement [...]
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Thank you Fish to Schools, Sincerely Pacific High
Dear Sitka Conservation Society, Thank you for bringing fish into our school, Pacific High School. You are not only forging a new path in the National School Lunch Program, you are changing the system. Each fish you provide to the schools in the district enriches our student’s nutrient profile as well as connecting them to [...]
