Born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Salmon Beyond Borders campaign advisor Heather Hardcastle grew up commercial salmon fishing with her family at the mouth of the Taku River. Driven by curiosity and a love of wild places and creatures, Heather guided tour boat trips and studied whale behavior in Alaska, Mexico, and Hawai'i before earning a Master of Environmental Management degree at Duke University and then operating the sustainable fish company Taku River Reds with family and friends for 15 years. Heather helped to found Salmon Beyond Borders in 2013, and directed the campaign for five years. In 2020, Heather was honored to receive the Conservation Leadership Award from the Wilburforce Foundation, and to work as a project leader on the When the Salmon Spoke digital production. Heather serves on the board of Audubon Alaska and on the Alaska Mining Impacts Network Council, and she most enjoys open-water swims, skiff rides, and alpine hikes. She and her husband, young daughter, and two border collies migrate between a home on Southern Pomo lands (Sonoma County, California) and a cabin in Lingít Aaní (Taku Harbor, Southeast Alaska).

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

To somehow be in my favorite places — the alpine and where a river meets the ocean — at the same time.

What’s your favorite wild Alaskan food?

“Taku Tacos:”  Taku River Reds sockeye tenderloin sautéed with sweet potatoes, black beans, and taco seasonings, served in a warm corn tortilla, and topped with Barnacle Foods kelp salsa and wild beach asparagus.