YELLOWKNIFE - Some forms of pollution are easy to see -- like an old paint can thrown in a ditch, or the rainbow shimmer of gasoline on water.

But sometimes, said instructor Keith Hartery, it's not so obvious.

While the naked eye sees nothing wrong, the microscope sees trouble.

Where are we going? Wayne Goose and Sally Esau use a GPS device during a class in Sachs Harbour. About 60 people have taken the Environmental Monitor Training program since it started in March. - photo courtesy of Keith Hartery

This is why environmental monitors are important, and why more such specialists are being trained across the North, he said.

A Parks Canada employee from Fort Smith, Hartery teaches a five-week program for environmental monitors.

The course has been taught since March 2006 in the Deh Cho, Fort Providence, Hay River and Aklavik, with Yellowknife and Gameti scheduled next.

Hartery said being a monitor is a challenging job, which offers a look into environmental science.

"There is more to it than just collecting water samples. There is also follow-up work," he said.

Thanks to a government-funded organization called Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources (BEAHR) Aurora College, community corporations and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, he said the course can travel to different communities, which is easier on students.

Plus, since permits to use Inuvialuit private land usually require environmental monitors, Hartery said, there are plenty of jobs available.

"In this sector, in the North, there's going to be an enormous need for people in the environmental field," he said.

Environmental monitors work mainly on the land and for that reason Hartery said he teaches the course outdoors.

Graduates learn to use scientific equipment like sampling kits first-hand, as well as Global Positioning Systems.

"It's not just me talking," said Hartery.

Thankfully, he added most people who take the course have traditional knowledge, which helps them understand the subject matter.

In teaching the course, he said he encourages students to use their instincts and traditional knowledge.

"By and large, the people who want to take this course love the environment," he said.