After a massive oil spill off the California coast in 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin wanted to do something about the degradation of our environment. Impressed by the student-led anti-war movement he enlisted the young activist Denis Hayes to organize events on school campuses. In 1970, the first "Earth Day" galvanized a broader public as well as national media attention, inspiring 20 million Americans— 10% of the population of the United States at the time— to take to the streets and demonstrate against the impacts of over 100 years of industrial development and pollution.
This year, Earth Month takes on the “Our Power, Our Planet” theme, symbolizing daily progress as a collective. Honoring communities, educators, families, and individuals affirms that environmental progress is resilient and happening despite current politics and corporate interests that prioritize profits over a healthy environment. “Our Power, Our Planet” is an important reminder that environmental protections have retreated before, and localized action has been the backbone of climate justice for time immemorial.
At Braided River, Earth Month is every month! We fight for thriving communities in balance with critical ecosystems through photography and storytelling, media and alliances, building greater public awareness and inspiring action, because that’s within our power. Thank you for your continued support and for joining us in this fight.
Kicked Off Guardians of Life with a Launch at Town Hall Seattle
Last month, we celebrated the official book and outreach campaign launch of Guardians of Life: Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Wisdom, and Restoring the Planet at Town Hall Seattle!
Over 500 community members attended as author/photographer Kiliii Yüyan shared images and behind-the-scenes stories from his years capturing Indigenous wisdom, leaving the audience gasping—from his background as a traditional kayak builder turned National Geographic Explorer to his encounters with Greenland sharks below and polar bears above the ice while diving in Arctic waters. Though Kiliii shared that he never anticipated working on a book—his curiosity led him there—Guardians of Life evolved into an extraordinary visual odyssey, revealing Indigenous people as Earth’s most powerful protectors. Kiliii hopes Guardians of Life can be used as an advocacy tool for the communities highlighted, as an offering to conservation-minded people to explain the success of Indigenous practices, and as a way for young people to see themselves reflected. What a special evening of community and hope!
Could not make it to the launch at Town Hall Seattle? There’s more to come for Guardians of Life:
Save Our wild Salmon’s RENEWAL Webinar Series: May 21st at 6pm PT on Zoom
Mountaineer’s BeWild Speaker Series: July 23rd at 7pm PT at the Mountaineers Seattle Program Center
Learn more about the Guardians of Life campaign and support the campaign by purchasing your signed book and signed, limited edition print. With appreciation to 4Culture for supporting this event.
Join David Moskowitz for Save Our wild Salmon's RENEWAL Series
Through photographs and stories from his travels across the vast “BIG RIVER” Columbia River watershed, David Moskowitzwill take us on a journey exploring what “Renewal” looks like today for fish, wildlife, people, and landscapes. Even as national headlines proclaim doom, the human spirit of ingenuity, compassion, and respectful relations is flourishing in communities throughout the watershed, often inspired by the river herself and the other living creatures whom we share the world with.
From salmon streams restored, cultural practices recovered, agricultural practices remade, and visions for electrical power transformed, change is under way in how we understand and care for a river system which is so vital to the lives of so many.
Event Details:
Date/Time: Thursday, April 30 at 6pm PT
Location: Zoom
This event is co-hosted by Save Our wild Salmon, Braided River, The National Wildlife Federation, and Northwest Steelheaders.
📣 THIS JUST IN: Administration Moves Forward with Arctic Refuge Lease Sale Ignoring Public Opposition and Threatening Indigenous Communities
Washington, D.C. — Today, April 17, the Trump administration announced plans to hold a new oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, advancing efforts to industrialize one of the nation’s most iconic and ecologically significant landscapes. The coastal plain of the Refuge is the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge. It is the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd, which the Gwich’in people rely on for their culture, food security, and way of life. We'll provide updates in the weeks ahead on what you can do.
Action item of the month
protect roadless forests
The Trump administration has been working to roll back the Roadless Rule. Last fall, the administration began the process to fully rescind the Roadless Rule, opening 58 million acres of national forests to increased logging and development.
As one of the most important protections for national forests, Roadless areas protect one-third of the National Forest System from logging and development, safeguarding wildlife habitat, Indigenous cultural rights and lifeways, old-growth forests, clean drinking water, and backcountry recreational use.
The next opportunity to defend Roadless areas is anticipated in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, celebrate Earth Day by joining the Mountaineers Conservation & Advocacy team virtually on Wednesday, April 22, to hear the latest policy updates and learn how you can take action.
Looking for an in-person opportunity to learn more and advocate for Roadless forests? Attend the South Sound Community Panel on April 22 at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, hosted by the National Parks Conservation Association.