Hello Braided River Community!
It’s the month of love, and the Braided River team has a lot to love! In times of celebration, like the launch of our newest title and media campaign, Guardians of Life, and urgency with climate action in America’s Arctic, our love for community and wild places grows.
People protect what they love, and ultimately, that’s why we do what we do. Through exquisite photography and moving storytelling, our work evokes a sense of awe and love for the living Earth, encouraging our audience to raise their voices for lands, waters, wildlife, and the people who depend on them.
Available Now: Guardians of Life
Why are Indigenous communities so often so good at conservation? Guardians of Life highlights the collective wisdom of over 2-dozen Indigenous voices, revealing Indigenous knowledge and practices as central to conservation and protecting biological and cultural diversity. Packed with stunning photography by National Geographic Explorer and photographer Kiliii Yüyan, and stories by Quannah Chasinghorse, Charles Mann, and Gleb Raygorodetsky, Guardians of Life provides a global perspective on recognizing the power of Indigenous knowledge and practices, from whaling in Alaska to cool fire in Australia.
Kirkus Reviews describes the book as a “perfectly balanced combination of photos and text [that] makes for a breathtaking expression of awe for the beautiful planet we call home. A visually dazzling and deeply informative collection that will linger with readers long after the last page.” Read the full reviews from Kirkus Reviews andPublisher’s Weekly.
It's a book and a media campaign with a mission! Mark your calendar for upcoming Guardians of Life events near you, and order your copy or pick up at your local bookstore today! Stay on top of this campaign and learn more at www.guardians-of-life-org.
Get Your Copy:
Upcoming Events:
February 25 at 7:00 PM | Powells Books, Portland, OR
April 1 at 7:30 PM | Town Hall Seattle, Seattle, WA
Action Item of the Month
Protect the Arctic—Call for Comments for the 2026 Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Lease Sale
At the beginning of the month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) took steps toward holding a lease sale in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The sale responds to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed in July, which requires the BLM to hold at least 4 lease sales totaling at least 400,000 acres each by 2035. The Department of the Interior announced the reopening of the 1.56 million-acre Coast Plain to oil and gas, following Trump's priority to "unleash Alaska's extraordinary resource potential" under Executive Order 14153. A call for nominations and comments is open for 30 days, ending March 5, 2026.
The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, natural disasters are worsening, oil and gas profits are already at record highs, and Alaska Native communities bear the burden of our actions. Read the BLM's press release and let representatives know you care about America’s Arctic though Protect the Arctic, by emailing comments to BLM_AKSO_AK932_AKLeasesales@blm.gov, or mailing to the following address:
State Director, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office
222 West 7th Ave #13
Anchorage, AK 99513-7504
Photo Credits
Top Photo: Robin Falck, Icelandic horses befriend photographer Kiliii Yüyan while on assignment in southern Iceland
Cover Photo: Kiliii Yüyan, Guardians of Life author and photographer