The Sitka District is part of Southeast Alaska, covering Sitka south to Ketchikan and east to the Canada border with a population of about 32,000. About a quarter of the residents across the district are Alaska Native, mostly Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian, although the population of some smaller communities such as Kake, Klawock, and Hydaburg is more than 80 percent Alaska Native. Tourism, mining and fisheries, including mariculture, and a diminishing timber industry drive the local economy. The region is accessible only by boat and plane.
The district offers outreach programs in health, home and family development; and
4-H and youth development.
Looking for a summer camp?
Sitka 4-H has you covered
The ҹɫ¸£Àû Cooperative Extension Service office in Sitka is planning several youth 4-H camps this summer, as well as some that are open to all. Registration and more information for all camps at . For more information, contact Jasmine Shaw at jdshaw2@alaska.edu or 907-747-9440.
4-H True Leaders: May 27-28, 1-6 p.m.; ages 7-12th grade. True Leaders is a training/camp for teens who are interested in becoming camp counselors and youth leaders at Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H camps. Free.
Muddy Buddies: June 1-5, 9 a.m.-noon; 5-8 year olds. Campers are encouraged to play in the mud while gardening, working on trails, making mud pies and playing mud ball, among other activities. $30.
SCS x SAIL 4-H Kayak Adventure Camp: June 8-11, 1-5 p.m.; ages 10 and older. Partnership between the Sitka Conservation
Society’s 4-H Project and Southeast Alaska Independent Living. Participants will grow
community, have fun, work together and learn safety skills while exploring Sitka Sound
in kayaks. $30
Sitka Tuesday Bike Club: Six-week camp that meets 3-4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons beginning June 23; 4th grade and older. This is a biking program that helps youth become more confident in their biking skills and gives them a chance to learn in a fun environment. Free.
Cloverbuds Summer Harvest Days: June 29-30, 9 a.m.-noon; ages 5-8. Cloverbuds will harvest berries and seaweed for the Jr. Farmers Marketers to turn into products the following week. $10.
4-H Jr. Farmers Market: July 7-11, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; ages 6th grade and older. Youth will develop food and art products using local ingredients from the forest and garden, and sell them at the farmers market. They will also get visits and tips from local vendors. $30.
Bikepacking: July 16, noon to 11 a.m. July 17; ages 6th grade and older. A fun overnight camp with a bike ride on the Sitka Cross Trail from Starrigavan. Activities include biking, setting up camp, cooking, sleeping (!) and possibly swimming or fishing. $35
4-H Splash Mountain Camp: July 20-24, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; grades 6 and up. Youth will learn to safely recreate, harvest and live on the water and land through outdoor experiences with a focus on water and survival skills. Free.
4-H Art of Nature Camp: Aug. 3-7, 1-5 p.m.; ages K-5. This camp features a mash-up of art and environmental science that encourages creativity and science exploration. Taught by adults and teen leaders from Purdue University. $30.
4-H End of Summer Activity Days: Aug. 10, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for grades 1-5; Aug. 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. grades 6 and up. Daylong adventure with Sitka 4-H at the end of the summer. Location and details TBA. There are two age groups for this all-day camp; make sure you register for the correct one. $35.
Upcoming events
Events
May 06
UAF online/virtual event
Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 12 – 1pm
Note: Dates have changed on some talks.
Celebrate Alaska Native Plant Month with a free webinar series dedicated to native plants and how they relate to and affect the environment and humans. Where: Zoom. or visit .
May 6 - Our Plant Neighbors with Lisa Strecker (UAF Ethnobotany Program), Jessica Newton (Kenaitze Tribe): Some plants tend to grow well in places modified by humans. And, over time, people have developed relationships with their common plant neighbors. Our panel will introduce common Alaska plant neighbors and how we can interact with them for our holistic well-being through the lens of Alaska Native plant traditions and ethnobotany.
May 13 - Hummingbirds and Native Plants with Todd Eskelin (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service): The key to saving rufous hummingbirds, an important pollinator species, may lie with native plants. We will talk about the decline of rufous hummingbirds. The discussion will focus on which native plants are needed and how we might encourage range expansion. Bring your thinking caps.
May 20 - Pollinator Planting Guides with Maddie Dong (Pollinator Partnership): Pollinator Partnership recently released two new ecoregional planting guides covering Alaska, divided into Temperate Continental and Temperate Coastal regions. In this talk, Maddie Dong will share how these guides were developed in collaboration with Alaska-based plant and pollinator experts, and how they provide targeted native plant recommendations that support pollinators throughout the growing season.
May 27 - The Bad Seed: Unwanted Varieties in Wildflower Seed Mixes with Gino Graziano (Cooperative Extension Service): Wildflower seed mixes are sought after to add beauty to landscapes and provide habitat for a variety of pollinating insects. Some of the plants in wildflower seed mixes can be weedy, spreading beyond where they were planted, and in some instances become invasive. We will review wildflower species that have become invasive, and weedy species to look out for when you purchase a wildflower mix.
For more information, contact Molly Johansson at 907-786-6313 or mjohansson@alaska.edu.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture&/ces/districts/sitka/8217;s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Public events calendar - Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension calendar, Anchorage CES calendar, Bethel CES calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham CES calendar, Delta Junction CES calendar, Southeast CES calendar, Kenai/Soldotna CES calendar, Kodiak CES calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River CES calendar, Northwest/Nome CES calendar, Sitka CES calendar, Fairbanks/Tanana CES calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
May 09
Contact organizer
Friday, May 8, 2026, 5 – 6:30pm
Join the new Sitka Rimfire 4-H shooting project!
Introduction to Rifle will be taught Fridays and Sundays in April and May (nine meetings total), beginning April 10. Fridays 5-6:30 p.m., Sundays 3:30-5 p.m. Youth only need to sign up for one group. Sessions will be the same on both days. Cost $40. No experience needed. All materials and equipment provided. Open to ages 8 and up.
Location: Sitka Sportsman Association, 5211 Halibut Point Road
Register at .
For more information, contact Jasmine Shaw at jdshaw2@alaska.edu or 907-747-9440.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at&/ces/districts/sitka/160;amnorris2@alaska.edu&/ces/districts/sitka/160;or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to&/ces/districts/sitka/160;amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture&/ces/districts/sitka/39;s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Statewide 4-H calendar, Sitka 4-H calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
May 10
Contact organizer
Sunday, May 10, 2026, 3:30 – 5pm
Join the new Sitka Rimfire 4-H shooting project!
Introduction to Rifle will be taught Fridays and Sundays in April and May (nine meetings total), beginning April 10. Fridays 5-6:30 p.m., Sundays 3:30-5 p.m. Youth only need to sign up for one group. Sessions will be the same on both days. Cost $40. No experience needed. All materials and equipment provided. Open to ages 8 and up.
Location: Sitka Sportsman Association, 5211 Halibut Point Road
Register at .
For more information, contact Jasmine Shaw at jdshaw2@alaska.edu or 907-747-9440.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at&/ces/districts/sitka/160;amnorris2@alaska.edu&/ces/districts/sitka/160;or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to&/ces/districts/sitka/160;amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture&/ces/districts/sitka/39;s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Statewide 4-H calendar, Sitka 4-H calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Events
Phone: 907-747-9440
Email: sitka.ces@alaska.edu
Our office is located in the UAS Sitka campus building in room 211.