Photo: Luc Mehl

Most people think of the Winter Solstice as the darkest day of the year. We like to think of it as the first day of winter, when light ushers in a new season. This year, we’re also welcoming a new decade. As we approach the Winter Solstice, consider joining the movement to Keep Winter Wild.

At Winter Wildlands Alliance, our mission is to protect and preserve winter landscapes as they are: raw, vast, quiet. Outdoor enthusiasts value winter for both conservation and recreation. A snow-covered skin track zig-zagging through the trees offers skiers reprieve during a busy time of year. A sled hill is a chance to spend time with loved ones. When dark days push us indoors, winter’s beauty beckons us to come outside and breathe in the cold air. Far away, up in the mountains, wildlife settles in for a long rest. 

Winter Wildlands Alliance depends on donations and members like you for more reasons than simply keeping the lights on. Your gift will support environmental conservation, from the halls of Washington, D.C., to meetings with the U.S. Forest Service in California, to snow-capped mountains all over the United States. The work we do not only protects wild places come winter, it conserves public land year-round.

This holiday season, consider making a gift to winter. We have two ways you can give: A membership to Winter Wildlands Alliance or a donation made through our Action Works Page with Patagonia. *UPDATE: You did it! Patagonia met their goal to match $10 million in giving to grassroots organizations. While the company is no longer matching donations, you can still donate on our Action Works Page.

Patagonia Action Works:

Make a donation through Patagonia’s Action Works before December 31 and they will match it. 

Become a Member in the Winter Solstice Drive:

Celebrate the arrival of a new season, and this year, a new decade, with optimism and hope. A membership to Winter Wildlands Alliance is a way to give back to the season that gives so much to all of us. To sweeten the deal—because we still need gear to experience winter—if you sign up to become a member or renew your membership before the Winter Solstice on December 21, you will be entered for a drawing to a giveaway with a package of goods we think you’ll appreciate in the backcountry. Prizes include a Mammut beacon, Petzel headlamp, Osprey backpack, and much more.

Join us for the countdown to the Winter Solstice, and let the season begin!