When I first visited Alaska’s Prince William Sound, I was awestruck by the beauty of this untamed land and seascape. The wildlife we saw on that trip — the sea otters and seals, breaching whales and wild salmon — amazed us, as did the warmhearted fishermen who offered us all the crab and halibut we could eat. I had never before experienced anything like the beauty and abundance of this remarkable, untouched place.

That all changed twenty-five years ago today, when the Exxon Valdez oil tanker struck Bligh Reef, spilling at least 11 million gallons of crude oil and fouling approximately 1,300 miles of coastline. Hundreds of thousands of birds and marine mammals were affected, and the environmental damage was devastating.

This manmade — and senseless — disaster is a vivid reminder that we must be vigilant in the fight to protect our nation’s wildlands. Because once they’re gone, they will be gone forever.

That’s why I hope you will support the critical work of The Wilderness Society by making a contribution to the 2014 Annual Fund today.

We have only estimates for the total number of animals affected or killed by the Exxon Valdez spill, because the bodies of thousands of dead fish, birds, and mammals sank under the weight of the oil, making them impossible to count.

And the devastation didn’t stop there. The spill all but destroyed the local economy, affecting commercial fishing as well as recreational and subsistence uses of the Sound. The commercial herring fishery still hasn’t recovered, and there’s no assurance that it ever will. To this day, oil can still be found on some beaches.

For someone like me who was lucky enough to experience the wonder of Prince William Sound before the disaster, the lessons of the Exxon Valdez are obvious. But that’s not true for everyone. I’ve been shocked to find that many people under the age of 30 have heard little about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, their knowledge often limited to commercials for a dishwashing liquid that was used to clean the feathers of oil-soaked birds.

Here at The Wilderness Society, we work every day to ensure that people of all ages understand the urgency of protecting our wildlands. Whether we’re on the ground here in Alaska, developing partnerships in communities across the country, or fighting for proactive legislation on Capitol Hill, we’re rallying support for the lands that are our legacy.

But we can’t succeed without you. That’s why I hope you’ll make a contribution to The Wilderness Society’s 2014 Annual Fund today.

With you by our side we will stop the attacks on Capitol Hill and push for legislation that protects our wilderness, not plunders it. Just as important, with your help we will revitalize the environmental movement and galvanize the public in support of our urgent mission.

Thank you so much for your support,

Nicole Whittington-Evans

Alaska Director

P.S. I know you agree that the lessons of the Exxon Valdez disaster are as relevant today as they were 25 years ago, especially now with Shell and other companies wanting to drill in the pristine waters of the Arctic Ocean. Please support our work to protect the wild places we love. Please contribute to The Wilderness Society’s 2014 Annual Fund today.