On June 16, 2026, a unique partnership brought together the Skagway Visitor Department, Tribal environmental staff, and visiting cruise ship crew members for a hands-on demonstration of regenerative tourism in action.
Twenty-five crew members from Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady volunteered their time alongside Rueben and Maren of the Skagway Traditional Council Environmental Department to support a community science and environmental stewardship project in Skagway. Beginning at the Tribal Community Center, HÉEN AGUNATÁANI HÍT, volunteers received training on mobile mapping technology before heading into neighborhoods throughout town to collect environmental data and help improve the community they were visiting.
Using ArcGIS-based citizen science tools, teams mapped and documented discarded tobacco waste, observed stormwater drain catchment basins, and identified areas of environmental concern throughout the community. Volunteers also removed cigarette butts and other litter from public spaces, helping protect local waterways and wildlife while creating a cleaner environment for residents and visitors alike.
While a cigarette butt may seem insignificant, tobacco waste is one of the most common forms of litter worldwide. Filters contain plastic fibers that can persist in the environment for years, eventually breaking down into microplastics that impact fish, birds, and marine ecosystems. By collecting location-specific data while removing waste from the landscape, volunteers contributed information that can help guide future environmental education and cleanup efforts.
For the Skagway Traditional Council Environmental Department, the project represents an innovative approach to community stewardship. Citizen science empowers people to actively participate in caring for the environment while creating valuable datasets that support long-term planning and conservation efforts.
The project also reflects values that have guided stewardship of this place for countless generations. Environmental responsibility is deeply rooted in Lingít culture, emphasizing respect for the land, waters, plants, animals, and future generations. As visitors and residents work together to care for the community, those values continue to shape how Skagway approaches sustainable tourism and environmental management.
This collaboration demonstrates how tourism can be more than simply visiting a destination. Through regenerative tourism, travelers and industry partners can contribute positively to the places they experience, leaving communities stronger than they found them.
The crew members of Brilliant Lady arrived prepared with smartphones, rain gear, walking shoes, and a willingness to help. Divided into teams across Skagway, they spent the afternoon collecting data, removing litter, and learning about the environmental challenges and opportunities facing the community. Their efforts provided immediate benefits while contributing information that may support future stewardship initiatives.Together we pulled almost a thousand cigarette butts off the streets of Skagway and discovered some good spots where receptacles could be deployed. Attached is a map of the effort.
Explore Skagway is grateful to the Skagway Traditional Council Environmental Department for leading this important work and to Virgin Voyages for embracing the opportunity to give back during their visit. Partnerships like these demonstrate what is possible when tourism organizations, Indigenous communities, local governments, businesses, and visitors work together toward shared goals.
On the traditional lands of the Chilkoot Lingít People, stewardship is not simply about today—it is about ensuring that our children, grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren can continue to enjoy healthy ecosystems, thriving communities, and meaningful connections to place.
Gunalchéesh to everyone who participated in this inspiring day of service. Together, we are proving that tourism can be a force for positive change.
