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.

Wild Coast Excursions was started when the opportunity came up for the founders to apply for bear viewing permits at the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area on Admiralty Island. They began guiding on Admiralty Island for other outfitters over 12 years ago and after their successful permit application, they are now one of the major permit holders at Pack Creek and bear viewing operators in Juneau. Their staff are a passionate and small group of guides who have been Wilderness Rangers, field scientists, and managing lead guides for other programs in the Tongass before coming together to become Wild Coast Excursions.  

While the business is relatively young, Wild Coast Excursions was built on over 20 years of professional guiding experience in Alaska. They specialize in fly-in bear viewing and wilderness trips deep in the Tongass National Forest. Wild Coast Excursions offers not only a world-class experience for their guests, but they are also leaders in regenerative tourism and responsible wilderness travel in Alaska.

Sustainable and regenerative business practices are the core of Wild Coast Excursions. They have been a carbon-negative business since the start and continue to be a 1% for the Planet business member. By being a member of 1% for the Planet, Wild Coast Excursions donates 1% of their revenue to Alaskan and international environmental partners. Their philanthropy directly supports environmental organizations creating solutions locally and globally.

Wild Coast Excursions recommends to businesses who are considering implementing sustainable practices to set your sights high and aim for real change. Prospective businesses should assess where their current negative environmental impact is and to make a plan to greatly reduce or eliminate it. Wild Coast Excursions emphasizes transparency and real changes behind sustainable messaging to avoid greenwashing.

They partner with the Alaska Carbon Reduction Fund. This organization uses donations from Wild Coast Excursions to install efficient electric heat pumps into low-income homes in Southeast Alaska. This greatly reduces the carbon footprint of these homes and saves the homeowners a significant amount of money each year! It is a real win-win for the community and environment. They calculate the carbon footprint of their entire operation, and then purchase reductions from the Carbon Fund equivalent to 125% of that footprint in order to be carbon-negative. 

With a strong commitment to transparency, environmental stewardship, and community partnerships, Wild Coast Excursions proves that memorable adventures and responsible tourism go hand in hand.

To learn more about Wild Coast Excursions, 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.

Arctic Dog Adventure Co. offers small-group dog sledding tours and expeditions in the Alaskan Interior and the Arctic. Founded in Fairbanks in 2016, Arctic Dog Adventure Co. is one of the few dog sledding companies in Alaska that operates overnight and multiday wilderness trips. Arctic Dog Adventure Co. provides guests with a deeply immersive and ethically-rooted experience of Alaskan landscapes. These experiences foster connection with nature, animals, and a slower, more intentional rhythm of travel.

They center their operations around the health and happiness of their dogs, the safety of their guests, and the preservation of the wild places they explore. Their sled dogs live with them year-round, retire on-site, and are treated as partners and companions. Arctic Dog Adventure Co. is committed to offering high-quality jobs and paying living wages, and they collaborate with local organizations to support conservation and educational efforts.

Sustainability has been foundational to Arctic Dog Adventure Co. from day one. The business was created with the explicit goal of doing things differently, from building a low-impact homestead base to choosing expedition-style trips that emphasize self-reliance, minimal resource use, and a respect for wild spaces. They’ve never seen sustainability as an add-on. Responsible tourism has been baked into their decisions since before their first guest ever stepped onto a sled.

For businesses that are just starting their sustainability journey, Arctic Dog Adventure Co. recommends starting small by .identifying the values that guide your business and then letting them shape your operations.

Arctic Dog Adventure Co. is most proud of their commitment to ethical animal care. Their dogs are the heart of the company, and they’ve built their business model around ensuring the dogs have the best possible lives, not just during their working years, but for their entire lives. They limit the number of guests they take, retire dogs on-site, and make decisions based on their dogs’ wellbeing.

By joining the Adventure Green Alaska program, Arctic Dog Adventure Co. has been provided with visibility among travelers who care about responsible tourism, and that’s exactly who they want to attract. Adventure Green Alaska certification has also given them a framework to reflect on and communicate the values that have always guided their business. Through the program, they’ve connected with like-minded businesses and found inspiration in the diverse ways other Alaskans are prioritizing sustainability. To Arctic Dog Adventure Co., Adventure Green Alaska is more than a certification, it’s a community.

To learn more about Arctic Dog Adventure Co., 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.

Kantishna Roadhouse is owned and operated by Doyon, Limited. Doyon, Limited is the for-profit Alaska Native Corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Kantishna Roadhouse is a backcountry lodge offering guests an immersive Alaskan wilderness experience. Situated along the banks of Moose Creek and deep within Denali National Park, Kantishna Roadhouse provides activities, such as gold panning, guided hiking, and cultural sharing.

In 2018, they earned gold-level LEED certification, a reflection of their longstanding efforts to operate responsibly. Kantishna Roadhouse incorporates energy-efficient lighting, low-flow fixtures, non-toxic cleaning products, and an active recycling program. They prioritize sourcing supplies from local vendors and using post-consumer recycled materials to minimize their footprint.

When the Pretty Rocks landslide in 2021 closed the Denali Park Road, they adapted by transitioning to a fly-in-only model. That change not only allowed them to continue welcoming guests – but it also enhanced the exclusivity and sustainability of the experience they offer, keeping their impact on the land as low as possible. From cultural presentations that share their Athabascan heritage to daily operational choices that protect the environment, they are deeply proud of the way their values are reflected in everything they do.

At Kantishna Roadhouse, the sustainable practice they’re most proud of is their ability to offer an immersive, low-impact wilderness experience deep in the heart of Denali National Park while protecting the environment and honoring the culture that surrounds them. They’re proud of how they’ve adapted to challenges in ways that reinforce their values. When the Pretty Rocks landslide in 2021 forced the closure of the Denali Park Road beyond mile 43, they could have seen it as a setback. Instead, they embraced it as an opportunity to deepen their commitment to sustainability by becoming a fly-in only lodge. This change dramatically reduced visitor volume in the area, helping preserve the delicate ecosystem that makes Kantishna so special. It also allowed them to provide a more intimate, intentional guest experience – one that’s rooted in nature, connection, and respect for the land. Beyond logistics, they’re proud of how they incorporate Athabascan cultural education into the guest experience. Kantishna Roadhouse believes that sustainability isn’t just environmental, it’s also about sustaining identity, language, and heritage. By sharing their stories and traditions, they’re helping guests form deeper bonds with Alaska, and supporting a tourism model that’s not only responsible, but meaningful. The combination of operational choices that reduce impact and cultural practices that foster respect is at the heart of what makes their sustainability efforts something they’re deeply proud of.

Kantishna Roadhouse aligns most closely with the Alaska History and Culture pillar of the Adventure Green Alaska program. They proudly share and celebrate Athabascan culture through educational programming, storytelling, and traditional knowledge. For them, cultural sustainability is just as important as environmental protection – it connects their guests to the land in a more meaningful way and ensures that Indigenous voices remain at the forefront of Alaska’s tourism narrative.

To learn more about Kantishna Roadhouse, 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.

Cindee Brown-Mills founded Breathe Alaska in 2023 after a 20-year corporate career. She found herself burned out, anxious, and overwhelmed by grief and panic attacks. Discovering breathwork was truly life-changing. It offered her a way to reset the nervous system, release deeply held emotions, and reconnect on a more meaningful level.

Cindee became certified as a breathwork coach and launched Breathe Alaska with the intention of helping others, especially women, who feel stuck, stressed, or emotionally exhausted. She wants to create experiences that offer a real sense of relief and reconnection.

Today, Breathe Alaska offers both in-person and virtual breathwork sessions, along with their signature Mindfulness in the Wilderness program. This one-of-a-kind experience combines guided meditation, immersive time in nature, and nourishing local meals designed to quiet the mind, restore balance, and foster a deep sense of emotional freedom. It’s wellness, Alaska-style: wild, intentional, and deeply healing.

Sustainability has been a core value of Breathe Alaska since day one. Cindee has been committed to creating experiences that not only support personal wellbeing but also respect and protect the natural environment she’s privileged to work in. Mindfulness and sustainability go hand in hand. Both are about intentional choices, presence, and long-term care. Whether it’s minimizing impact on trails, supporting local food systems, or partnering with like-minded organizations, sustainable practices are woven into everything Breathe Alaska does.

Cindee’s advice for tourism businesses starting their sustainable journey is to start simple, stay intentional, and let your values lead the way. Sustainability isn’t a checklist; it’s a mindset. She emphasizes that businesses don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. Instead, small, consistent actions make a big difference. These changes are as simple as looking at your daily operations and asking, “How can we reduce harm and increase care?” Whether it’s minimizing single-use items, choosing local suppliers, or educating guests on how to be good stewards of the land, every choice matters. Also, sustainability isn’t just about the environment; it’s about creating meaningful, respectful connections with people and place.

Cindee is most proud that sustainability has been a foundational value of Breathe Alaska from the very beginning, not an afterthought or an add-on. These practices have been woven into how she guides experiences, care for the land, and engage with their community. From minimizing environmental impact on trail to educating guests on respectful interaction with nature, every decision is made with sustainability in mind.

Breathe Alaska aligns most closely with the environment and Alaska history and culture pillars of the Adventure Green Alaska program. Their work is rooted in helping people reconnect with the natural world through breath and mindfulness, and they take great care to guide experiences in a way that honors and protects the land. Breathe Alaska also acknowledges and respects the deep cultural history of the places where they operate, especially the unceded lands of the Áakʼw Ḵwáan and they incorporate that awareness into the way they lead and speak about their experiences. For Breathe Alaska, sustainability isn’t separate from mindfulness; it’s an extension of it.

Breathe Alaska was recently awarded Adventure Green Alaska certification, and they’re honored to be recognized alongside other businesses committed to sustainable tourism. “While we’re still in the early stages of sharing this achievement, we see it as a powerful way to show visitors that they can experience Alaska in a meaningful, mindful way while also supporting sustainability. This recognition helps us communicate our values more clearly and encourages travelers to choose experiences that care for both people and place,” says owner Cindee Brown-Mills.

To learn more about Breathe Alaska, visit their Green Business profile and their website.