Tongass Rainforest in Emerald Edge The Nature Conservancy’s Emerald Edge program seeks to protect a vast swath of the coastal-rainforest system from northern Washington to the Tongass, which includes most of Southeast Alaska. © Chris Crisman
The Emerald Edge spans over 100 million acres of lush forest, rivers, islands, and mountain streams in Washington state, Oregon, Alaska, and British Columbia. As the world’s largest coastal temperate rainforest, it sustains thousands of species—including salmon, bears, wolves, whales, and humans—and plays a critical role in regulating the global climate.
Forests and Climate Are at Risk
Forests like the Emerald Edge are the Earth's largest above-ground "pools" of carbon, helping keep excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. But the decimation of old-growth trees and other extractive commercial practices are putting these forests—and the climate—at risk.
A Partnership to Help Protect Our Forests
Members of the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership in Hoonah, Alaska. Community stewardship of the Tongass National Forest helps maintain the natural wealth of this region.
Quote: Alex Bede
At Grove we are committed to doing what we can to drive positive impact. We are thrilled to partner with The Nature Conservancy to support this incredible ecosystem and the communities leading the way for forest protection.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Grove Collaborative are partnering in support of conservation led by Indigenous First Nations, Alaska Natives, and coastal Tribes. These communities have been intimately connected to these lands and waters for millennia, and are leading efforts to support sustainable economic and community development and heal the bonds with these lands and waters so they can continue to support life for generations to come.
"Protecting our forests, in particular old-growth forests, is an absolute imperative for climate, biodiversity and the continued livelihood of Indigenous communities. While other CPG [consumer packaged goods] brands consider these forests as raw material for their single use products, at Grove we are committed to doing what we can to drive positive impact. We are thrilled to partner with The Nature Conservancy to support this incredible ecosystem and the communities leading the way for forest protection," says Alex Bede, Grove Collaborative's VP of Sustainability.
Stewarding the Land for People and Planet
Indigenous communities, whose cultures and livelihoods are deeply intertwined with the ecosystem, have for hundreds of years been shut out of land-use decision-making and the economic benefits of the region’s natural resources by governments and conservation groups alike. TNC and its Canadian affiliate Nature United are working across the region to build trust and support Indigenous Peoples in asserting their rights and authority over their lands and waters so they can protect the integrity of the landscape and sustain the cultural and economic life of their communities.
Indigenous Peoples Are Key Leaders in Conservation
- Twenty-five percent of the world’s land is managed by or designated for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
- With their territories harboring more than 17% of the world’s forest carbon, and much of global biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples and local communities are among the Earth’s most important stewards.
Two Million Acres Closer to a Sustainable Future
Grove is on a mission to transform the products you use at home into a force for good. Over an eight year partnership (January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2030), Grove will contribute $1,500,000 to the Emerald Edge to support Indigenous-led conservation across 2 million acres of the Tongass Rainforest of Southeast Alaska.
Limited Edition Collection Celebrates the Community and Conservation of the Emerald Edge
Grove's Summer 2024 Limited Edition Collection celebrated Indigenous-led conservation in the Emerald Edge with scents inspired by Southeast Alaskan summer. The collection’s upcycled seasonal fragrances, Coastal Cedar and Summer Huckleberry, pay homage to the people who care for this remarkable landscape. Cedar trees and huckleberry carry cultural significance among the Indigenous Peoples from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest.
Learn More
Emerald Edge
The Nature Conservancy is supporting conservation across 100 million acres from Alaska, through British Columbia, and to Washington.
The Emerald Edge
Alaska's Tongass National Forest is the crown of the 100-million acre Emerald Edge--the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world--and the people who call it home are working to keep it that way.
Emerald Edge Indigenous Perspective Videos
To conserve the Emerald Edge—a 100-million-acre coastal temperate rainforest across WA, BC and AK—The Nature Conservancy works directly with Indigenous and local communities to put their priorities first. Hear from some of our community partners about what it means to conserve this critical landscape.
How the Emerald Edge Rainforest Could Help Change the World
In this remarkable forest that stretches from Oregon into Alaska, Indigenous Peoples and local communities are leading the way in showing that conservation and climate action can be done differently.