Our Sustainability Spotlight series is aimed at broadening the conversation surrounding sustainable tourism for visitors and businesses by sharing the stories of our Adventure Green Alaska certified businesses. To learn more about Adventure Green Alaska certification please visit our about page.

Two Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) staff members had the opportunity recently to spend time with Adventure Green Alaska certified Kayak Adventures Worldwide (KAW). Lea Olson, ATIA’s Sales Manager and Graphic Designer, and Emma Waters, ATIA’s Sustainable Tourism Manager, joined KAW staff and guests on their wonderful half-day trip on Resurrection Bay.

Kayak Adventures Worldwide is a small, family-run company that offers kayaking tours in Resurrection Bay. Groups meet at their shop in Downtown Seward before heading off on expeditions around Resurrection Bay. Adventures vary from 3-hour daytrips to multi-day cabin or camping based trips. Kayak Adventures Worldwide is one of the original members of Adventure Green Alaska, first certified in 2010 and continuing to honor their commitment to sustainability to this day!

Staff members attend a three-week orientation before the start of the summer season. This orientation dives into safety procedures, emergency rescue protocols, and a breadth of education on Alaska history, ecology, and culture. Part of this training involves each staff member selecting a topic to delve into and teach the rest of the staff about. This knowledge is built upon year after year as returning staff undergo this training annually. KAW’s thorough orientation results in interpretation delivered to guests that is rooted in place-based knowledge about Resurrection Bay.

Kayak Adventures Worldwide guide, Abby Lang, had arrived in Alaska in May, two months before guiding ATIA staff. Her narrative invoked local wisdom effortlessly by engaging in groups’ points of interest and being up to the challenge of answering any question that came her way. Resurrection Bay’s history is steeped in World War II history, which she was able to educate the group about, even on the three-hour half day trip. Due to her KAW training, Abby had learned about Indigenous knowledge of the area, resulting in her being able to point out edible kelp and sea greens that the group was able to enjoy.

This hands-on experience made the half day trip feel like nothing but fun, while guests came away from the experience as if they had spent the day in a classroom. Abby’s knowledge is indicative of the thought and care put into staff orientation at KAW that directly improves the guest experience.

“Paddling in one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, we have a responsibility to steward this place and teach others how to do the same all over the world. That is exactly what I get to do every day, and as a result, it’s the most rewarding job I have ever had.” – Abby Lang

Community involvement is an integral part of Kayak Adventures Worldwide. KAW is a member of 1% for the Planet. This pledge commits at least 1% of their annual sales to nonprofit environmental organizations. Involvement in this initiative is part of the guest experience, as each guest learns about their choice of three environmental nonprofits in Alaska and “votes” with a wood token for the nonprofit they would like 1% of the cost of their trip to go towards. In 2025, KAW is working to support Native Conservancy, Alaska Conservation Foundation, and North Gulf Oceanic Society. Since the start of this initiative Kayak Adventures Worldwide has donated over $90,000 to their nonprofit partners.

The Alaska Travel Industry Association is proud to certify and continue to support Kayak Adventures Worldwide. Kayak Adventures Worldwide’s business practices are a model for the tourism industry in Alaska through their emphasis on place-based learning, preservation, and low-impact activities in Resurrection Bay.

To learn more about Kayak Adventures Worldwide, visit their Green Business Profile and their website.

Our Sustainability Spotlight series is aimed at broadening the conversation surrounding sustainable tourism for visitors and businesses by sharing the stories of our Adventure Green Alaska certified businesses. To learn more about Adventure Green Alaska certification please visit our about page.

Seldovia is home to three Adventure Green Alaska certified businesses! Located on the south shore of Kachemak Bay across from Homer, Seldovia is off the beaten path, and accessible only by boat or plane.

Seldovia Nature Tours

Cindy Mom’s background as a land steward and ecologist gives her a unique perspective on how important it is to have a diverse ecosystem, and that tourism can support – rather than detract from – the protection of wild places. She started Seldovia Nature Tours in 2018, and offers a variety of walks and activities: a 1-hour cultural and history stroll of town and the boardwalk, hikes on the Otterbahn and Rocky Ridge Trails, and adventures further afield up to the alpine zone, down into the Barabara Creek Valley, or out to Red Mountain.

Birding, botany, and tidepooling are Cindy’s specialties, but she is an experienced naturalist and can focus on a variety of topics. Seldovia’s rich biodiversity and the cultural heritage of its Indigenous and settler peoples also make for fascinating storytelling.

“Having access to a healthy and intact ecosystem is absolutely vital to the success of my tours. People come to Alaska to experience wild places, and it’s my delight to share Seldovia with them through direct experience. The most satisfying part of my work is when I see people, especially kids, get a look of wonder in their eyes when they learn something new, taste a wild berry, or find an interesting sea creature under a rock. Learning leads to love, and you need to love something before you get interested in protecting it. People write to me, sometimes months after their tour, to tell me how their experience here changed their lives. Seldovia becomes a touchstone for what truly matters.”

-Cindy Mom, Seldovia Nature Tours

Between Beaches Alaska

Between Beaches Alaska is located on MacDonald Spit, about seven miles from downtown Seldovia. Surrounded by water, Between Beaches’ seven comfortable rental cabins offer guests the opportunity to experience the true quiet and beauty of remote Alaska.

Guests take a water taxi from Homer and get dropped off on the property, or at Nubble Point, depending on the tide. Every cabin has access to the beaches, along with the art gallery, sauna, hot tub, kayaks, paddle boards, rowboat, halibut fishing float, and fishing gear. Owner Kristi McLean grew up spending every summer on MacDonald Spit, digging clams, and catching Dungeness crab, shrimp, and silver salmon.

“It’s changed a lot since I was a kid. I want to protect the Spit and the ocean, so I’m continually trying to become more sustainably focused. We get our fresh water directly from the mountain. We clean up plastic and rubbish that washes up on shore. We make sure to properly dispose of what we find, and also love to up-cycle some things into treasures to display on the property. Our landscaping uses local native plants like beach grass, devil’s club, and pushki instead of creating a green lawn, so we don’t need herbicides or fertilizers. The purpose of sharing the experience of this property with our guests is to share the rugged wilderness and beautiful landscapes away from the hustle and bustle of normal life on the road system.”

–Kristi McLean, Between Beaches Alaska

Tutka Tours

Based in Homer, Captain Scott McEwen started his marine tour company in January 2023. Silver Wake, his 30-foot C-Dory catamaran, has efficient twin Honda outboards and is a comfortable and stable platform for exploring the wonders of Kachemak Bay. Scott keeps high-quality 7×50 marine binoculars on board for clients’ use, and has an array of interpretive information, field guides, and tools to assist in encouraging citizen science and understanding of the natural and cultural environment. Scott’s natural teaching ability helps guests delve into history, archaeology, geology, mariculture, and the climate of Kachemak Bay.

While aboard, guests can even use a parabolic dish and professional headphones to listen closely to wildlife, or do a phytoplankton tow to see what kinds of creatures inhabit the ocean water column.

“When my wife and I decided to make our home along the Alaskan coast, we realized that our oceanic expeditions were more than mere recreation. These journeys were a treasure trove of knowledge, waiting to be shared.”

-Scott McEwen, Tutka Tours

Collaborative and Community-oriented

Seldovia Nature Tours and Tutka Tours have partnered for over three season have been working together to help guests explore Kachemak Bay and Seldovia. Both businesses operate under the premise that every tour is a custom tour, and tailor their guided experiences to best fit with the interests and abilities of each client. Sustainability and ecotourism are important values to both companies.

Cindy Mom explains, “We work to be sustainable by minimizing impacts and food waste, practicing leave no trace and responsible wildlife viewing ethics, and engaging clients in education and citizen science. Ecotourism takes it a step further, with the understanding that you give something back to the community.”

Seldovia Nature Tours collaborates with local nonprofits like Kachemak Heritage Land Trust and Cook Inletkeeper. Tutka Tours donates a portion of their proceeds to nonprofit organizations focused on educational and environmental initiatives. Between Beaches works to manage their oceanfront property with an eye toward protecting water quality and marine habitats. A key philosophy for all three of these businesses is the stewardship, protection, and support of Seldovia’s wild character and tight-knit community.