Learning biology on the land
Fort Resolution student to study in Ivvavik National Park in the Yukon
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Friday, June 5, 2015
DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION
Keenan Hunter says visiting Ivvavik National Park this week is going to be the best biology class he's ever had.
Keenan Hunter: Grade 11 student was scheduled to spend this week in Ivvavik National Park.
Ivvavik National Park, shown here, is west of Inuvik in the Yukon. Grade 11 student Keenan Hunter has the chance to study the Porcupine caribou herd this week as it passes through. - photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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"I'm looking forward to it," he said.
"I know for sure we're going to be studying the caribou and the plants that grow up there."
The Grade 11 student at Deninu School in Fort Resolution was scheduled to start traveling last weekend for a week-long excursion into the park, which located west of Inuvik in the Yukon, along with students from East Three Secondary School in Inuvik.
Hunter and another student participate in the Biology 20 class at East Three through the school's e-learning program.
The trip will offer a variety of unique learning experiences, such as getting a chance
to study the Porcupine caribou herd first hand, Hunter said.
"They said the caribou will be passing by when we're up there," he said.
Elders will be accompanying the group to share knowledge and stories about the area, Hunter said.
"We'll be going hiking, talking about the land," he said.
Hunter was also looking forward to seeing plants in the wild that he's been learning about in biology class.
"We studied plants, which was interesting, and how they use photosynthesis to get energy and nutrients," he said.
While Hunter said while he's been on several outdoor trips, including paddling both the Slave River and the Nahanni River, he's looking forward to a trip that is more science-focused.
"I've been on canoeing and rafting trips before, but never on a science trip," he said. Hunter was also excited about being able to visit northern Yukon, a place he said he's never been.
"I would never have thought to go up that far," he said.
Weather conditions in Ivvavik are known to change without warning, so he knows he needs to be prepared for anything, Hunter said.
"They said the weather could change radically, sunny one day and snowy the next," he said.
The trip could also help Hunter decide his future career path. He said he was considering a career in either biology or psychology. Hunter said he knows the journey will be invaluable no matter what he ends up deciding.
"I thought it was going to be a great experience," he said.
