Salmon in the Trees in Alaska

Photographer Amy Gulick spent months trekking through the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the US, to photograph the incredible array of wildlife there. Her book, Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska’s Tongass Rain Forest, describes the intricate connections between the salmon, bears, eagles and trees in the Tongass. Through her images and essays, Amy describes how all life in the rain forest is dependent on the health of the trees and salmon streams, including the people who call Southeast Alaska home.

This summer, Amy had the chance to bring the story of Salmon in the Trees back to Southeast Alaskan communities, at the heart of the Tongass. In celebration of United Nations International Year of Forests, we are partnering with the US Forest Service, Alaska Wilderness League, and the National Forest Foundation to bring the Salmon in the Trees photography exhibit to five communities in Southeast Alaska.

We have been thrilled by the warm reception Amy Gulick and Salmon in the Trees have received from the people of Southeast Alaska! In Amy’s words:

“One of the most gratifying achievements for me of Salmon in the Trees has been the overwhelming positive response from people who live in Southeast Alaska. Many local people have thanked me for making a book that celebrates their home and their special way of life. The book has given people a sense of pride for where they live. The 2011 collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service to tour the Salmon in the Trees exhibit throughout Southeast Alaska is an astounding step in the right direction that the Tongass will be viewed and managed as a forest that grows salmon.”