ALPAR Awards recognize litter prevention & recycling champions!

ALPAR awards based on calendar year 2025 have closed – winners announced below. Nominations will re-open in the fall of 2026.

2.5.2026 – Anchorage, AK: ALPAR is proud to announce this year’s winners. This year marked the first time ALPAR partnered with the Alaska Forum with the goal of casting a wider net to not only collect nominations but also recognize the unsung heroes in our vast state.

ALPAR’s Community Awards build community support and capacity in our existing service areas and programs, allowing us to look outside our board and organizational supporters for grass roots success and leaders. There are four Community Awards, and each was provided $500 to dedicate to either their nonprofit or a nonprofit associated with their work in litter prevention or recycling. In all, 28 nominations were submitted, with the ALPAR Board of Directors casting votes to narrow it down to our four winners announced at the Alaska Forum conference in Anchorage, AK.

Outstanding Education or Outreach: Bettye Davis East High School Environmental Club

From youth to adults, an informed and supportive public is crucial. This award recognizes an individual or group for their commitment to educating others about the need for, and benefits of recycling or litter prevention.

The Bettye Davis East High School Environmental Club is making significant strides in reducing campus waste and promoting sustainability. Through various initiatives, the club has successfully decreased solid waste by an impressive 25%. Here are just a few ways the Club has succeeded:

• First was to reduce cafeteria food waste: In an innovative approach to tackle food waste, the club introduced a “share table” in the cafeteria. Instead of discarding unwanted food items directly into the waste bin, students can place them on the designated share table. This initiative encourages sharing among students and ensures that edible food is not wasted, contributing to a more sustainable and resource-conscious school environment.
• Second on the list were campus-wide recycling efforts: The club placed collection bins across campus, specifically targeting the reduction of plastic bottle waste. By encouraging students and staff to use these bins, the club effectively diverts a significant amount of plastic from ending up in the landfill. In addition to plastic, the club also focuses on preparing cardboard for recycling, ensuring that as much material as possible is recycled properly.
• And finally, the Club has an over-arching commitment to environmental stewardship: These initiatives are deeply rooted in the school’s ethos of being responsible stewards of the land. The Environmental Club’s efforts are part of a broader institutional commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness. The school integrates these values into its interdisciplinary programs, emphasizing the importance of understanding human impact on the environment and inspiring students to engage in real-world change through actionable initiatives.

By fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and encouraging active participation, the Environmental Club is not only reducing its ecological footprint but also empowering students to become conscientious global citizens.

New or Enhanced Recycling Program: Cook Inletkeeper

A thriving recycling system in Alaska starts with access to recycling programs at a community level. This award seeks to highlight a new or enhanced recycling program that has made strides in recycling access in their community during the past 12 months.

Cook Inletkeeper held its 20th Annual Electronics Recycling Event in Homer last year and coordinated with Regroup in Soldotna to successfully divert more than 12 tons of electronic waste from local landfills. And though weather delayed a village haul out, Cook Inlet Keeper is committed to return to Seldovia, Nanwalek and Port Graham this summer to remove the final load.

Here are just a few of the accomplishments of Cook Inletkeeper in 2025:
• they drew attention to the hazards posed by electronic waste and the benefits of recycling through editorials, newspaper ads, and social media posts;
• they recruited 15 safety-conscious volunteers to help with the collection of electronic waste during the Homer and Soldotna events;
• they coordinated storage of e-waste from two remote villages with significant assistance from village members and rescheduled a village haul out for 2026 through assistance from Zender Environmental’s  Backhaul Alaska.
• they partner with Ninilchik Village Tribe Health and Wellness Club to host a Ninilchik drop off location;
• they collaborated with partners in Soldotna and Seward to run community electronics recycling events;
• and they recycled 24,846 pounds of electronics from the Central Peninsula, Ninilchik, and Homer.

Through their electronic recycling efforts, Cook Inletkeeper highlights the threats of e-waste to our water and local citizens and leads community efforts to make smart choices about e-waste disposal. Since Cook Inletkeeper began the program in 2006, they have diverted more than 317 tons of electronic waste from local landfills. They are currently preparing for their next event and will travel across Kachemak Bay in May to do so.

Litter Prevention: Rachel Dewan and the Skagway Planet Protectors

Litter is more than a mark on our landscape – it is costly to clean up, impacts our quality of life and economic development. This award recognizes those who are committed to changing attitudes and behaviors to end littering in their communities.

Skagway’s Planet Protectors is an outstanding example of a successful, community-centered litter prevention program driven by youth leadership and education. This inspiring group of 3^rd through 7th graders is led by Dr. Rachel Dewan, Director for the Skagway Public Library, who volunteers her time to shepherd this group of tiny titans. Their mission is to clean, protect, and conserve Skagway’s beautiful valley, demonstrating that meaningful environmental stewardship can begin at a young age. 

As a program of the Skagway Public Library, Planet Protectors provides young people with structured, hands-on opportunities to care for their community. Members regularly conduct outdoor sweeps throughout Skagway, picking up litter from public spaces and helping ensure that trash does not accumulate or enter local waterways. Their consistent presence in the community reinforces the importance of personal responsibility and collective action in keeping Skagway clean. 

In addition to litter cleanups, the Planet Protectors run the Skagway School recycling program, giving students direct responsibility for waste diversion and reinforcing daily habits that reduce litter at its source. The group also monitors local streams for trash, helping protect aquatic habitats and wildlife while teaching participants how litter impacts ecosystems. 

Education and outreach are central to the Planet Protectors’ mission. Through community awareness events and educational activities, these young leaders share what they’ve learned with residents and visitors alike, fostering a culture of environmental respect and prevention throughout Skagway Village. 

Volunteerism or Service: Holland America Skagway Inn & Bus Division

It is often the volunteer effort of individuals or groups that fill the gaps allowing the greater society to enjoy a better quality of life. This award recognizes those who serve as examples for other to emulate. Recognition is based on the number of hours of volunteer service, events or activities that support litter prevention and recycling.

Holland America Line’s Skagway Inn and Bus Division, led by Jim Sager and Amber Koelsch, demonstrates exceptional volunteerism and community service through its sustained commitment to Skagway’s annual Spring Clean Sweep. Year after year, the company actively incentivizes participation among its Hotel and Bus Division staff, reinforcing a strong culture of environmental responsibility and community pride. 

In 2025, Holland America went above and beyond by paying 26 staff members to participate in the Spring Clean Sweep. This action reflects meaningful corporate responsibility and a clear understanding that caring for Skagway’s public spaces is essential to the health and wellbeing of the community. By investing paid time in community service, Holland America sends a powerful message that environmental stewardship is a shared priority—not an afterthought. 

This commitment is especially impactful for seasonal employees who are new to Skagway. Participation in the Clean Sweep introduces these workers to local expectations around caring for Skagway Village and demonstrates that living and working here comes with responsibility to the community and the environment. Through hands-on involvement, employees learn what it means to be good stewards of the place they temporarily call home. 

In addition to their Clean Sweep participation, Holland America’s Skagway operations are active members of Skagway’s Tourism Best Management Practices program, embracing sustainable practices such as food composting and waste reduction to support responsible tourism into the future.  Through consistent service, leadership by example, and tangible investment in environmental care, Holland America’s Skagway Inn and Bus Division sets a high standard for corporate volunteerism. Their efforts contribute directly to a cleaner, healthier community while helping build a culture of stewardship that extends beyond the worksite.

Honorable mention/others nominated:

• James Lamont Jr (Newhalen)
• Residents of Scammon Bay
• Kathy M Klos, Adopt-a-pathway volunteer (Anchorage)
• Morgan Saiget & Pheobe Tschappat, Copper River Watershed Project
• Dive Alaska, harbor cleanups
• Native Village of Diomede Youth Litter Patrol
• City of Newhalen
• Skagway School District
• Skagway Solid Waste Advisory Committee (Annmarie Hasskamp, Chair)
• Green Star of Interior Alaska
• Curyung Tribal Council
• Native Village of Goodnews Bay
• Kenai Peninsula Borough and Hopkins Company (Operators)
• Pitka’s Point Traditional Council
• Patty Buholm, Curyung Tribal Council
• Alaska Military Youth Academy
• Tali Pohl, Can Do Kids (Anchorage)
• Valley Community for Recycling Services (VCRS)
• Kotlik Community (Kotlik Tribe, Bill Moore Slough, Hamilton)
• Trina Nation (Posthumous)
• Homer Wilderness Leaders (HoWL) Inc.
• Alakanuk IGAP
• Anchorage Waterways Council
• Haines Friends of Recycling