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Community-first conservation in Alaska

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet. Communities, like those in Alaska, often bear the brunt of these changes. WWF has been helping local people by supporting several Alaska Native-led initiatives through both its Arctic Community Wildlife Grants and robust youth programming that supports climate change adaptation, coastal ecology, local livelihoods, and Arctic wildlife.

BERING STRAIT

Polar bear conflict reduction

With sea ice forming later and melting earlier than it once did, polar bears are spending more time near communities around the Bering Strait, raising the risk of human-wildlife conflict. In response, WWF works with the Indigenous-led Alaska Nannut Co-Management Council to develop and fund deterrence plans that blend local knowledge with specific regional concerns—building on existing projects in Alaska’s North Slope and enabling people to feel more comfortable living alongside polar bears.

BERING STRAIT

Shipping alerts

The Bering Strait hosts over 1 million marine mammals, including whales, seals, and walruses. But as diminishing sea ice opens up new shipping channels, threats like ship strikes, oil spills, and noise pollution can harm animals and the people who rely on healthy marine resources. Now, WWF and the Arctic Watch program are broadcasting alerts to vessels, with specifics about critical wildlife habitats and speed measures, to make sea traffic safer for all.

SITKA, ST. PAUL ISLAND, AND SAVOONGA

Working with youth

Since 2021, WWF has participated in the Sitka Sound Science Center’s Scientists in the School program, which connects hundreds of students with hands-on learning opportunities and professional scientists. WWF staff also co-lead a Seabird Camp on St. Paul Island and support the Arctic Youth Ambassador program. And in 2025, WWF introduced a science camp in the Native Village of Savoonga—a multidisciplinary program combining scientific research, Indigenous knowledge, and art for Alaska Native youth.

PAIMIUT VILLAGE AND HOOPER BAY

Shorebird monitoring

Arctic shorebirds have long flocked to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, but their numbers are shrinking as erosion and habitat loss alter this low-lying tundra region. With WWF’s support, Paimiut community members are pairing Indigenous knowledge with radio telemetry to better understand the birds’ movements, habitat use, and breeding success—data that will help fill critical knowledge gaps and inform conservation strategies.

YUKON-KUSKOWKIM DELTA

Beluga monitoring

Belugas are culturally important to Alaska’s Yup’ik communities and are a vital subsistence food source. To study how these whales use the lower Yukon River, Alaska Native hunters worked with WWF and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to deploy hydrophones along stretches of the waterway. Two listening stations recorded their presence; this intel will help guide the co-management of subsistence hunting protocols and ensure that beluga populations remain in balance.

Beluga whale against dark green waters looking at the camera

Supporting Indigenous artists

Walrus ivory is economically important for local communities in Alaska and, unlike elephant ivory, poses no conservation threats. That’s why WWF supported the ARTIST Act—a bill passed by the US Senate in 2025—to protect Alaska Native artists’ enduring rights to continue creating authentic walrus ivory handicrafts and bringing them to market.