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SANDY LAKE
A group of young people from two NWT schools had the opportunity to learn more about forests this past month, particularly the impact of forest fires.

Peter Snowshoe of Fort McPherson rolling up a hose after a fire-fighting demonstration at Sandy Lake, 100 km east of Hay River. - Photo courtesy of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources -

The seven students from Deh Gah School in Fort Providence and two more from Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson were at Sandy Lake, about 90 kilometres east of Hay River, for a Forest Ecology Camp presented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR).

"These youth live in an area where fire is an important part of our landscape," said Stephanie Yuill, a public education specialist with ENR and one of the co-ordinators of the camp.

She said the camp particularly showed the young people the good that forest fires can do.

"We need fire to regenerate our forests ... Fire is a natural part of the landscape," she said, adding the students were also told why some fires are fought and some aren't.

The five-day camp, which was held from June 10 to 14, is part of the Keepers Program for youth aged 14 to 17.

Fort McPherson's Peter Snowshoe said the camp was a good experience.

"I learned about trees," he said. "How old they are and what kind they are."

For one thing, Snowshoe said he didn't know that the roots of a tree could burn first in a forest fire.

The 16-year-old also said he enjoyed taking a ride in a helicopter.

Overall, Snowshoe said the camp was fun, and he would recommend it to other young people.

In all, 10 employees of ENR participated in the camp at various times.

The two-year Keepers Program was created by Deh Gah School in Fort Providence.

"We're hoping that we can create an environmental stewardship within our students," said Lois Philipp, the principal of Deh Gah School.

Phillip explained the program is designed to encourage students to look at the places where they live, and to see both the opportunities and the challenges.

In the first year of the program, the youth go on a winter hunt and a canoe trip. In the second year, they attend the Forest Ecology Camp, tour a college and go on another canoe trip.

Yuill said the ENR's Forest Ecology Camp is just one component of the Keepers Program.

"One of the ways that we look at stewardship is looking at it through the lens of forests and fire because it's so important in the neck of the woods where those kids live," she said.

This is the third year the camp has been held. The first camp was near Fort Providence, while the last two were at Sandy Lake.

Yuill said ENR has hosted students from a number of other communities at the ecology camp over the past three years, including Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Kakisa and Nahanni Butte.

This year's camp covered diverse topics such as maps and compasses, GPS technology, basic tree identification, fire history, fire suppression, the economic and career opportunities from forestry, and information about the Environment and Natural Resources Technology Program at Aurora College in Fort Smith.

The students were also taken up in a helicopter and told about an aerial attack on a forest fire, Yuill said.

"They also learn how the ground crews attack it, so we bring in the fire crews."

That includes learning how fire crews pump water from lakes.

The students were also taken to look at a recent forest fire and burnout operation along Highway 5 in Wood Buffalo National Park.

One day was dedicated to learning about the FireSmart program, which is designed to help protect houses from wildfires that may enter communities.

"We jam them full of stuff," said Yuill of all the knowledge instilled in the students.

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