Dear Friend,

Where do you go when you think of your favorite place?
Is it the cabin you share with your family on long weekends in the summer, where you can get away from distractions and be present with your loved ones? Is it the calm bay up near Haines where you like to set anchor, listen to the rain, and rest your eyes awhile? Maybe it’s the lake where you swam in the summer, caught Dollys with your cousins, and learned to tie knots. Perhaps it’s your grandmother’s kitchen, filled with jars of salmonberry jam, lids popping as they seal.

Southeast Alaska gives more than it takes.
If you stand on the wetlands on a quiet fall morning, you will hear the geese call out and the rush of water as it moves between soil and sedge now tinged with gold and gray. You will smell the sweet grasses drying and changing as the tide goes out, the clean wash of salt on the breeze. You will feel the crisp Southeast wind pushing at the back of your hood as you turn to hear the laugh of a child, running with their dog more than a mile away. There is a splash, and more joyful laughter, and you know they took the jump over the little stream. The sounds and sensations of the wetlands carry over our landscape, holding us close.

Southeast Alaska holds us close.
When I think about what matters most in our work to conserve land, it is honoring how this land embraces us, and nurtures us with such great care. We wander in the wide wetlands, we play in ancient forests, and we stretch ourselves up into the mountains, seeking an uncommon view. There is both sustenance and peace of mind in this extraordinary place, and for those of us who understand this blessing, we have what we need.

And we have each other.

Caring for Southeast Alaska is what we do.
When the Southeast Alaska Land Trust conserves land, we take on the responsibility to care for it forever, stewarding our lands to the end of time. We do this through monitoring, long-term property management, and thoughtful engagement with neighbors and community members to protect the places that mean so much to us.

This care is not possible without you.

If you have not already renewed your membership, I encourage you to do so today.

I hope you will renew your membership at a level that is meaningful to you.

- The Evergreen Society
- Champion: $1,000
- Guardian: $500
- Steward: $250
- Advocate: $100
- Friend: $75

The Evergreen Society is a collection of major supporters of the Southeast Alaska Land Trust, providing operating resources that are almost impossible to find through grants. Donate at the Champion level for three or more years, or make a single commitment of $5,000 or greater, and you will automatically join our circle with the Evergreen Society.

Make a greater impact by giving to The Acquisition Fund.

Designated specifically for new conservation projects, The Acquisition Fund is designed to speed up the pace of land conservation by cutting through the red tape. The Acquisition Fund allows SEALT to act quickly when good opportunities come up. Much of the other funding that SEALT currently utilizes for land purchases is so restricted that projects can often take up to two years to complete, or worse - can’t be utilized at all. The Acquisition Fund puts control of conservation outcomes in Southeast Alaska where it belongs – with the community.

Your gift safeguards our irreplaceable lands and waters.

The communities of Southeast Alaska will someday be home to our grandchildren’s grandchildren.

Home – for each of us – is a place of permanence, of safety, of connection.

The Southeast Alaska Land Trust, through carefully selected conservation properties, is securing the way for future generations to chat over the campfire about how deep the water is in the creek, to take the kids into the alpine to pick berries, to have a heated discussion about whose smoked salmon dip is the best.

This work is about so much more than land.

It always has been.

Warmest regards,
Margaret Custer, Executive Director

P.S. Would you like to visit a conservation property with us, volunteer as a Land Steward, or learn more about conserving land? Contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to connecting with you outside soon!

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