On June 28, 2016, six veterans and two guides—one of whom is a military family member—set out to explore America’s last truly wild frontier, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Over the course of two weeks, the group canoed the Canning River for 100+ river miles to the Beaufort Sea, stopping along the way to explore the refuge’s wildlife and natural wonders while learning about the many issues still threatening the area’s ecosystem.
(Photo credit: Julia Marshall)
The expedition was part of the We Are the Arctic campaign, which is a coalition between Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors program, Vet Voices Foundation, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, among other environmental and community organizers focused on protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Following their Arctic adventure, the veterans will use their unique voice to share their experiences broadly via various media outlets. In September, they will also travel to Washington, DC to speak with their state representatives about the importance of preserving the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
(Photo credit: Lindsey McNamara)
(Photo credit: Lindsey McNamara)
We will be sharing updates of the We Are the Arctic campaign along with the veterans’ experiences in their own words, so stay tuned! You can also follow the campaign on social media by searching for #wearethearctic.
(Photo credit: Julia Marshall)