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From the Deepest Night, a Spark of Light: Celebrating a Decade of Impact on the Central Peninsula
This time of year is also often difficult. Winter blues and darkness nip at all of our heels. Yet, even in this deep shadow, a spark of light persists—a promise of the returning sun, of renewed growth and energy. This year, as we mark the solstice, Cook Inletkeeper also celebrates another kind of light: the enduring impact of the work we have been able to do with and because of YOU over the past decade in the Central Peninsula. Just as the sun’s return brings life back to the land, your support has fueled our efforts to safeguard our waters, promote clean energy, and empower our communities.

From the Deepest Night, a Spark of Light: Celebrating a Decade of Impact on the Central Peninsula

— Kaitlin Vadla

In Alaska, the winter solstice is a powerful reminder of the cyclical nature of life. We stand at the edge of the longest night, embraced by a profound darkness that seems to hold the world in quiet anticipation. We are about to cross the threshold, from the heart of winter to the yawning spring; solstice is a fulcrum, hinging us toward the returning light. 

Solstice is a turning point, to be sure, and turning points are powerful–in seasons as in our own lives. Perhaps that’s why we mark them with rituals and celebrations. Winter Solstice is one of my favorite celebrations. For one, I love winter–I love the snow, skiing, how the whole world glitters. I love seeing the stars so sharp and bright, the Milky Way a bash of splattered white overhead. After a summer of midnight sun, seeing them feels like greeting old friends and brings to mind Martin Luther King Jr.’s words, “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” 

This time of year is also often difficult. Winter blues and darkness nip at all of our heels. Yet, even in this deep shadow, a spark of light persists—a promise of the returning sun, of renewed growth and energy. This year, as we mark the solstice, Cook Inletkeeper also celebrates another kind of light: the enduring impact of the work we have been able to do with and because of YOU over the past decade in the Central Peninsula. Just as the sun’s return brings life back to the land, your support has fueled our efforts to safeguard our waters, promote clean energy, and empower our communities. 

Humble Beginnings:

Eleven years ago, Inletkeeper hired me as a community organizer to help educate and engage Central Peninsula residents on HB77, a bill proposed by then Governor Sean Parnell to “streamline the permitting process,” i.e., cut the public out of the process. From there, we advocated on issues ranging from preventing the Pebble Mine to keeping the Chuitna River a river instead of a coal mine. I learned from the community. So many of the issues had the same flavor as issues in decades past: greed and short-sightedness blinding us from what really matters–healthy communities and the clean lands and waters that people depend on for good quality of life. 

A Growing Presence:

From sharing a basement office in the Kenai Watershed Forum for five years, Inletkeeper’s presence in the Central Peninsula shifted to the Map Shop for several years before moving to its present location on the Spur Highway in Soldotna. Instead of setting up a traditional office, the space opened as a “Community Action Studio” where the community could come together to make the Central Peninsula more sustainable and vibrant. The Studio is small but mighty. It is a flexible space that can accommodate large and small community gatherings, a co-working space, and a community kitchen. It features a gallery where multiple artists have hung shows on themes related to clean watersheds. It also helps incubate small businesses and entrepreneurs, serving as a nexus for nonprofit and for-profit collaboration. 

The Studio serves as a hub for community engagement, education, and collaboration on climate solutions. We host workshops, presentations, and community events at the Studio, providing a space for residents to learn about issues, share ideas, and take action. For example, we’ve held workshops on home energy efficiency, community composting, rooftop solar, and so much more. It also serves as a meeting place for local groups working on environmental initiatives.

Championing Clean Energy & Addressing Climate Change:

  • Local Solutions: Recognizing the urgent need to address climate change to protect coldwater fisheries, we created the Local Solutions programming in the Central Peninsula in 2019. This initiative focuses on implementing tangible projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build community resilience. This includes promoting energy efficiency and conservation, supporting renewable energy development, and advocating for policies that advance climate action at the local level. This program has allowed us to engage community members in developing and implementing specific solutions relevant to our region.
  • Promoting Energy Efficiency: Through our Drawdown work and activities at the Community Action Studio, we’ve worked tirelessly to promote energy efficiency and conservation throughout the region. We’ve partnered with local organizations to promote energy audits for homeowners and businesses, helping them identify opportunities to save energy and money. This not only reduces energy costs but also lowers greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Supporting Renewable Energy Development: We believe in a future powered by clean, renewable energy sources. We’ve actively supported the development of renewable energy projects in the Central Peninsula, advocating for policies that encourage their growth and working to educate the community about their benefits. For instance, through discussions and presentations at the Community Action Studio, we’ve explored the feasibility of community solar projects in the region.

Engaging the Community through Events and Action:

  • Mouth to Mouth Wild Run & Ride: For 11 years, Cook Inletkeeper has organized the Mouth to Mouth Wild Run & Ride, a popular community event that promotes healthy lifestyles and celebrates our connection to our Cook Inlet home. This event brings together hundreds of participants each year for a scenic run and fat bike ride along the shores of Cook Inlet. The event not only fosters community spirit but also raises awareness about our work to protect the local environment and how healthy people and communities are dependent upon healthy lands and waters. 
  • Engaging Youth: We believe that the next generation is key to protecting our environment. From mentoring students in Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, to uplifting teen organizers in climate action, to hosting teen summer workshops on healthy watersheds, engaging youth is at the heart of our effort in the Central Peninsula. Last year, the teens in our summer camp partnered with the Salamatof Youth group to help transplant hundreds of “baby” (2-3 year old saplings) as part of our RE-Tree project to Restore and Enhance Treecover in Neighborhoods & Public Spaces. 
  • Building Partnerships: We know that we can’t do this work alone. We’ve built strong partnerships with local communities, organizations, agencies, and Tribes, working together to achieve shared goals and maximize our impact. For instance, we’ve collaborated with Trout Unlimited and the Kenai Watershed Forum on habitat restoration projects, with ReGroup to host electronics recycling to keep toxic metals out of our groundwater, and with the Kenai Peninsula Borough on various initiatives, including championing the 50ft riparian buffer to protect anadromous waterways. We also helped update the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s Comprehensive Plan to create a new Resilience & Security Advisory Commission that helps find sustainability solutions for the borough.

Looking Ahead:

We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past 11 years, but we know there’s still much work to be done. As we look to the future, we remain committed to protecting the waters, promoting clean energy, addressing climate change through initiatives like Local Solutions, incubating entrepreneurs and events at the Community Action Studio, engaging the community through events like Electronics Recycling, and empowering communities throughout the Central Peninsula to use their voice to protect what we all depend upon, the source of life: clean water.

Your Support Makes a Difference:

We rely on the generosity of our community to continue this important work. As the year comes to a close, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Cook Inletkeeper. Your support will help us:

  • Continue our vital stream temperature monitoring and clean water advocacy 
  • Expand our efforts to ensure access to clean, affordable energy for area residents
  • Advance climate solutions through our Local Solutions program 
  • Incubate more clean-water friendly businesses 
  • Host more activities and educational events on clean water, energy & food security
  • Engage the community and empower the next generation of environmental stewards.

Together, we can ensure a healthy and vibrant future for the Central Peninsula and all of the Cook Inlet Watershed.

Thank you for being a part of the Cook Inletkeeper family!