Greetings!

The 2021 season proved to be another incredibly productive and fun adventure for volunteers at Cape Decision Lighthouse. A HUGE thank you goes out to all of you who have supported us in so many different ways this year. Read on to learn more about our summer work parties and check out some really cool historical documents and photos recently unearthed from the Cape Decision Lighthouse Society archives.

And....consider making a year-end donation. As you know, our organization is 100% volunteer based and every dollar of your tax-deductible contribution directly supports preserving the lighthouse and marine reserve for future generations. We know it has been a challenging year. However, we do depend on you. Your donation paints walls, repairs concrete, improves access, and enables us to keep the doors open and the lights on at Cape Decision Lighthouse. Because of you, we can continue to provide the public a pathway to the wilderness and a connection to our maritime heritage.

Thanks for sharing our vision for the preservation of Cape Decision Lighthouse, and have a warm and healthy holiday season!

Chris Brooks
President, Cape Decision Lighthouse Society
Supporting our Maritime Heritage
The Construction of Cape Decision
It took over three years of backbreaking labor in an unforgiving wilderness. CLICK HERE to see early photos and learn more about the construction of Cape Decision Lighthouse.
The 1929 Census Visits Cape Decision Construction Camp
"When taking the census at various lightstations in SE Alaska I was unable to land at Cape Decision where the US lighthouse is building a large Lightstation. I delegated Michael Harris, Foreman,to take the enumeration and this is a copy of his report."
Supporting Education and Positive Land Stewardship
Wilderness Beach Clean-up with The Ikkatsu Project
For 4 consecutive years CDLS has partnered with the Ikkatsu Project to support efforts to clean plastics and marine debris from the remote beaches of southern Kuiu Island. The Ikkatsu Project documents marine debris using surveys and water sampling, then removes the trash from the beaches. Read on to learn more about the Ikkatsu Project's work at Cape Decision, the amount of debris collected by beach combers this year, and plans for the upcoming 2022 Volunteer season.
Supporting Public Recreation
Cape Decision is a world class destination for sea kayaking and wild-land exploration. This summer the weather cooperated and volunteers explored the coastlines from Coronation and the Spanish Islands north to Howard Cove, Affleck Canal and beyond.

Providing a pathway to connect people to the wilderness is a pillar of our organization's mission. Supporting public recreation strengthens our efforts to preserve these precious ecosystems.
Summer 2021: CDLS Volunteer Work Projects
LUSH Cosmetics Supports Critical Infrastructure at Cape Decision
This year we are incredibly grateful for the generous support from LUSH cosmetics. The LUSH Charity Pot was responsible for critical infrastructure and operational upgrades such as a two-way radio network that ranges over the entire lighthouse reserve, a new water pumping and purification system, and much needed improvements to our renewable energy system. Wow. Thanks LUSH!!
Major Campsite trail and sanitary improvements!
Major access and sanitary improvements were made this year in 'tent city' -- the historic site of the Cape Decision Light Station construction camp. Volunteers constructed a beautiful new outhouse for the campground and built and improved trails, stairs and bridges. There is no better place to work than in the lush rain forests that border the windswept coastline of southern Kuiu
Northern elevation of the lighthouse circa 1938 showing the original coal chutes. As part of a series of renovations in the late 1950s the coal chutes were cemented over.
Bringing Back the Coal Chutes
These days 'bringing back' and 'coal' are rarely used in the same sentence. However, it was the talk of Kuiu Island when volunteers uncovered and restored the coal-chutes -- these were two openings in the exterior walls that were originally used to drop coal into a storage room inside the lighthouse where it was burned in a large boiler. The coal chutes were part of the original lighthouse design and remained until the late 1950s when the boiler was converted to fuel-oil and the coal room transformed into a lighthouse crew recreation area. During the renovation, nearly 75 years ago, the chutes were cemented over, the coal swept away, and a full size billiards table was brought in. CDLS's historical committee agreed to 'bring back the coal chutes' in an effort to bring more natural light and ventilation into the rec room and provide historical context and interest.

Part II of 'Let the Light In' project involves the removal of the generator vent hoods and their replacement with new, custom built, historic-replica wooden windows on the Lighthouse's south side. Progress has already been made on this project -- stay tuned for updates.
Left to right: Chris does some exploratory probing, Ian finds a bigger hammer, Lucas fine-tunes and patches the new concrete openings. After re-framing the chutes with wood,Tonya, paintress extraordinaire, touches up the concrete repair. With the aid of daylight Ben pretends to know how to play pool in the former coal room. Notice the light coming in from the opening on the upper wall!
Summer 2021: Building Community-- Thanks to all of our volunteers!!
The Cape Decision Lighthouse Society (CDLS) is a 501(c)3 Alaskan non-profit corporation
(253) 678-5303