We have added Keta Legacy Foundation to our name though our focus and programs remain unchanged. This name embodies our core values of conservation and connection using a metaphor from salmon life cycles. Keta is the Latin name for chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), which need healthy ecosystems from the mountains, through forests and streams, and throughout the marine environment. These natural systems also support communities of people with a vested interest in the health and wellbeing of all the residents of our region – people and wildlife That’s why this simple word – keta – captures what we have done as an independent organization since 1968.
Our numerous longtime supporters continue to know us as the Mountaineers Foundation, which has been our legal name since 1968 and remains so today. We are proud of the legacy we built over 50 years as the Mountaineers Foundation, the many supporters who have supported us under that banner, and the work we will continue to do under these names.
While the Foundation sometimes partners with The Mountaineers, a recreation-focused alpine club, and has even contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to support some conservation programs of their organization over the past few decades, we have always been separate and independent from one another. Today, more than ever, we remain deeply committed to conservation for everyone, including people fortunate enough to enjoy the mountains and waters of the Salish Sea region.