Your Bag is Empty
The confluence of our story,
our commitment and our vision
We are inextricably linked to the Copper River, its tributaries and wild salmon that connect us all, from river to sea. Without the purity and health of the Copper River Watershed, we are nothing.
Alaska Glacial Essentials Skincare began with the Copper River, and giving back has been part of our purpose from the start. We pledge 2% of annual revenue to nonprofit partners. Alongside donations, we contribute through advocacy and volunteering. Our giving supports habitat restoration, wilderness preservation, environmental education, cultural empowerment, and community well-being in Alaska. Many of our partners work in the Copper River Watershed, where wild salmon connect ecosystems, livelihoods, and generations. We invite feedback from our nonprofit partners to better understand how our contributions support their work and to guide our giving over time. You can read their answers here.
Giving Back to Alaska and the Copper River
THE ALASKA CENTER EDUCATION FUND – Anchorage, Alaska
The Alaska Center Education Fund helps Alaskans become engaged stewards of their communities and environment. Its programs connect young people and adults with opportunities to learn, lead, and support clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.
ALASKA GEOGRAPHIC – Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska Geographic connects people with Alaska’s public lands through education and partnerships with parks, forests, refuges, and conservation areas. Its work supports youth programs, stewardship projects, and opportunities to learn about Alaska’s natural and cultural heritage.
BROOKLYN TO ALASKA PROJECT – Brooklyn, New York and McCarthy, Alaska
The Brooklyn to Alaska Project brings young people from Brooklyn into Alaska’s wilderness for outdoor learning and adventure. Through experiences in the Wrangell–St. Elias region, participants build self-reliance, leadership skills, cross-cultural understanding, and a connection to the natural world.
COPPER RIVER WATERSHED PROJECT – Cordova, Alaska
The Copper River Watershed Project works with communities and partners to sustain a healthy watershed and its wild salmon. Its programs include salmon habitat restoration, watershed education, recycling, and youth stewardship, connecting environmental care with the well-being of Copper River communities.
CORDOVA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION – Cordova, Alaska
The Cordova Community Foundation strengthens community life through local giving. It connects donors with opportunities to support community needs and build lasting resources for Cordova’s future.
WRANGELL INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT (WISE) –Copper Center, Alaska
The Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment (WISE) provides science and environmental education for people of all ages in the Copper River Basin. Through learning opportunities and participation in scientific research, WISE helps people explore and understand the region’s natural world.
NATIVE CONSERVANCY – Cordova, Alaska
Native Conservancy supports Alaska Native peoples in protecting ancestral homelands and the habitats that sustain their communities. Its work connects land conservation with Indigenous sovereignty, subsistence traditions, and cultural and spiritual relationships with the land.
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND SCIENCE CENTER – Cordova, Alaska
The Prince William Sound Science Center advances understanding of the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound through scientific research and education. Its hands-on and outdoor learning programs help people build science literacy, connect with local ecosystems, and make informed decisions about natural resources.
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND STEWARDSHIP FOUNDATION – Whittier, Alaska
The Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation works to maintain and enhance the wilderness character of western Prince William Sound. Through public education, restoration, and stewardship projects, it supports the region’s ecosystems, fish, wildlife, and the people who live in and visit the Sound.
WRANGELL MOUNTAINS CENTER – McCarthy, Alaska
The Wrangell Mountains Center connects people with wildlands through art, science, and education. Based in McCarthy, Alaska, its programs invite participants to explore and learn from the landscapes of the Wrangell Mountains and surrounding Wrangell–St. Elias National Park.
The Copper River Watershed
View the larger watershed image
The Copper River and its tributaries connect a remarkable landscape of mountains, glaciers, rivers, and wetlands. The Copper River Watershed Project describes this watershed as encompassing approximately 26,500 square miles. [1]
As glaciers move across bedrock, they grind rock into fine particles known as “glacial flour.” The Copper River carries this sediment downstream toward the Gulf of Alaska. NASA describes how the sediment transports iron and other nutrients that can support phytoplankton, the tiny marine organisms at the foundation of ocean food webs. [2]
The scale of this sediment transport is extraordinary. A U.S. Geological Survey report estimated that the lower Copper River transports 69 million tons of suspended sediment annually. Over time, sediment carried downstream has helped build the Copper River Delta. [3]
For Alaska Glacial Essentials, this watershed is both the source of our glacial mineral clay and the inspiration for our giving. Supporting its habitats and communities is part of caring for the place where our story began.
Watershed Sources
The Copper River Delta
Where the Copper River meets the Gulf of Alaska, its sediment-rich waters have helped shape an expansive coastal landscape. The National Park Service describes the approximately 700,000-acre Copper River Delta as the largest contiguous wetlands complex on North America’s Pacific Coast. [1]
The Copper River system supports all five species of Pacific salmon—Chinook, coho, sockeye, pink, and chum. These fish connect freshwater and marine habitats and sustain cultural traditions and livelihoods. [2]
Much of the delta is public land managed by the Chugach National Forest. The Forest Service explains that the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act directs management of the delta primarily toward conserving fish, wildlife, and their habitats. [3]
This living landscape deserves continued care. Through our nonprofit partnerships, donations, volunteering, and advocacy, we support work that protects habitat and connects future generations with the Copper River and its wild salmon.
Explore More About Alaska Glacial Essentials
Our Story
Discover how a Copper River rafting trip inspired Lauren Padawer to create Alaska Glacial Mud Co., now Alaska Glacial Essentials Skincare.
Read our founding story >
AK-Beauty
Explore how Alaskan ingredients and Korean formulation expertise come together in our glacier-water skincare collection.
Explore AK-Beauty >
