The Mission of the Yakutat Nature Society is to Protect, Conserve, and Enhance the populations and habitat of resident and migratory birds and other wildlife and fish throughout the Yakutat region.
About YNS
Mission & History
Our History
The Yakutat Nature Society was founded in 2020 under the direction of Susan Oehlers, Teresa Swanson, and Mary Glaves, with input by current YNS board members. Special thanks to Samantha Lobdell for working through the administrative process to get us up and running!
When the 2020 Tern Festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we took the opportunity to focus on establishing a non-profit organization with the initial primary goal to house and grow the festival, while also providing an additional resource to support the community.
Our Values
Our Commitments
We are committed to:
- Conservation: preventing the decline and extinction of resident and migratory birds and other wildlife.
- Restoration Ecology: maintaining and restoring disturbed natural ecosystems.
- Biodiversity: protecting the quality of life for birds and wildlife across terrestrial, marine, and aquatic ecosystems.
- Sustainability & Community Outreach: retaining environmental health and connecting people to the outdoors, raising awareness about migratory and resident birds, other wildlife, their habitats, and conservation issues.
With Gratitude to Our Supporters
We are deeply grateful to the organizations and individuals that make the festival possible.
Get Involved
Your support makes a difference.
Join us in protecting Yakutat’s wildlife and natural heritage. You can volunteer, donate, or support local events to help fund conservation, research, and education. Every effort — big or small — strengthens our mission to keep Yakutat’s ecosystems thriving.
