YELLOWKNIFE - The Department of Fisheries and Oceans will host "Rivers to Oceans" on Friday, June 8, at the Yellowknife River campground to celebrate this year's Oceans Day.

Jerry Antoine, a Dene storyteller, washes his hands at the water's edge. He will serve up stories and fresh-cooked fish on June 8 at the Ocean's Day event at the Yellowknife River campground. - Karen Mackenzie/NNSL photo

The community can try out a slew of eco-inspired activities at various stations around the park. Children can capture and identify bugs in a "critter dip," explore the river bottom with an underwater camera and learn about fish anatomy.

A number of schools are invited to attend, but the event is open to the public, said Ginger Arnold, a fish habitat biologist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

This is the first time Yellowknife has hosted an Oceans Day event, and the venue is perfect for the theme of "Rivers to Oceans," according to Arnold.

"At this site, you can see the Great Slave Lake. You can actually see the estuary between the river and the lake, so kids can see the whole ecosystem," Arnold said.

Jerry Antoine, a Dene storyteller, will also be on hand to give attendees his perspective on the rivers and oceans theme.

"I'll be talking about the water and relationships to the land. For us here, the water comes from the headwaters, and also is in human beings. Eighty per cent of our body is water, so water is very sacred to us," he said.

"At this day and age, with all the pressure of the industrial revolution, it is essential that we take care of the water. Water also provides food to us. It provides fish... and if we do something to the water, it affects the fish, and it affects us. We have to keep the land and the water healthy."

Antoine said he will prepare some fish for people to taste at the event. "That way people won't have to go running back to town to get some fast food.... It's going to be delicious."

Fisheries and Oceans is also holding an art competition on the theme for participating schools. It will announce the winner at the event.

People are encouraged to bring bagged lunches and spend the whole day.