Earth Day travel contest

Earth Day travel contest: Choose a favorite conservation project for a chance to win a trip to a dude ranch. Alaska Airlines and The Nature Conservancy are celebrating Earth Day by inviting conservation-minded travelers to vote for one of six conservtion projects in the American West.

Every voter is automatically entered for a chance to win a seven-night trip for two to Montana’s Pine Butte Guest Ranch. The Nature Conservancy and the winning project will receive a $60,000 donation from Alaska Airlines. Enter to vote  by midnight on May 31. A winner will be selected at random and the project that receives the most votes will be announced three days later.  Both the voting and the announcement are on Alaska Airlines’ Facebook page.

Here are the six Nature Conservancy projects you can choose, alphabetically by state:

Alaska: The Nature Conservancy is protecting places in Alaska where nature and everything else runs on wild salmon. When these fish journey home, they bring an incredible pulse of life to places where dozens of animals — bears, orca whales and bald eagles — rely on them. The Nature Conservancy is protecting the full range of wild salmon habitat across Alaska with science and hands-on projects.

California: The Nature Conservancy is using the power of big data and market forces to create temporary “Pop-up Habitats” for millions of migrating birds running out of places to stopover on their epic annual journey. In California’s Central Valley, where 90 percent of land has been converted to farm land and wetlands are scarce, The Nature Conservancy has developed a market-driven, science-based solution for nature to thrive and people to prosper.

Hawaii: Using innovative underwater vacuums called “Super Suckers,” The Nature Conservancy is removing the scourge of invasive algae from O’ahu’s largest and most beautiful bay, Kanaohe Bay. Scientists using the “Super Suckers”  are clearing the coral reefs of invasive algae, and then seeding the reefs with native sea urchins that feed on the algae and keep it from growing back.

Montana: Along the Rocky Mountain Range, The Nature Conservancy is ensuring the future for two of the West’s most enduring icons, grizzly bears and cowboys. The Crown of the Continent is where grizzly bears, lynx, wolves, elk and moose still roam free and wild, and is home to generations of ranching families who have nurtured and protected the land and water. In fact, no plant or animal is known to have gone extinct here in recorded history.

Utah: One of The Nature Conservancy in Utah’s most significant conservation targets, the Great Salt Lake, is home to more than 250 species of migratory birds — one of the world’s largest gatherings of wildlife. The lake is also home to the Conservancy’s Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, an educational visitor center and one-mile wetland boardwalk.

Washington: Puget Sound’s glacier-carved peaks, lush river valleys and rich marine waters are home to orcas, salmon, eagles, crabs, oysters and more than 7,000 species of wildlife. The Nature Conservancy is working to restore the health of Puget Sound for fish, wildlife and people through high-impact projects while supporting recreation, agriculture and local communities.

Nestled between mountains and prairie lands, Pine Butte Guest Ranch, owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy, offers visitors all the tradition and charm of a classic ranch experience, including horseback rides, cookouts and experienced wranglers, plus the oppportunity to learn about the nature around them. How are you celebrating Earth Day and Earth Month?