It’s a cool and crisp morning on the shores of Lake Iliamna, a region with less than a thousand people, in Southwest Alaska, as Mary Hostetter, a Land Guardian, and Brandon Jensen, a drone pilot working with the Bristol Bay Guardians initiative, prepare for a drone flight. Mary and Brandon are in Pedro Bay and will drive from Brandon’s home to Knutsen Beach to survey spawning salmon.

On a cold, crisp October evening in Anchorage, the room of over 100 people fell still as Mary Hostetter, Yup’ik, shared why she believed in the power of Guardians – and why she had invited everyone to join us in learning about that power. Hostetter is one of the founders of the Bristol Bay Guardians program in southwest Alaska. She is inspired by the model of Guardians that is flourishing across Canada and hopes to see a similar movement expand across Alaska