Yellowknife (Feb 18/04) - More than just socks and buttons, a number of Yellowknifers gathered over the weekend to build massive puppets destined for a life of their own.

Leah Broadhead and Jocelyn Hawkins, puppet-making instructor, add the finishing touches to the dragon puppet created during the workshop. - Dorothy Westerman/NNSL photo

A workshop held by Ecology North, the class worked on replicas of a fox, bison, raven, eagle, dragon and gargoyle.

"These are built with cardboard, tape and newspaper and then we papier-mache them," said puppet-making instructor Jocelyn Hawkins, from Calgary. "The next step is to paint them all and decorate them with fabric."

While much of her work involves helping elementary school children create puppets, those created this weekend are much bigger.

"These are giant because they are going to be used for a big purpose," she said.

First, large forms were constructed -- limited only to one's imagination -- and then the messy papier-mache fun began.

Brenda Hans of Ecology North helped organize the event.

She said several of the puppets created today, including a fox, will be used in an upcoming Ecology North's Eco-Theatre production about Tin Can Hill.

Another puppet -- a bison -- was being made by representatives from Wood Buffalo National Park.

"We're creating big puppets to draw attention to Tin Can Hill and our wishes to see parts of it preserved for public use," she said.