INUVIK
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is making sure territorial parks in the Inuvik region are receiving their fair share of public attention.

Donald Prince, an expert in traditional lifestyles, shares survival and botany skills with a small group of spectators during Jak Park Day July 27. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

That's thanks to a new program being launched that will see events being held at the region's parks to raise their public profile and remind people of what they have to offer.

"The whole idea behind Jak Park Day is to increase awareness of our territorial parks," said Wendy Brake, a parks interpreter and events planner with ITI. "Each park in the Western Arctic will have a day and receive a celebration."

The first park on the list was Nitainlaii Territorial Park near Fort McPherson, Brake said.

"That was on July 24 and it went really well. We had people just coming in off the highway."

Held in cool, gloomy weather, Jak Park Day didn't attract quite as much attention from the public, with only a handful of people showing up. Luckily, though, the rain held off long enough to finish the festivities.

None of the days are to mark any kind of "birthday for the parks," Brake explained. Each is simply a day to celebrate the individual park.

"What it is is to increase the knowledge and awareness of (each) park. So Jak Park Day today is simply a day to get out and explore the park, become familiar with it, and see what it has to offer."

Jak Park, located five kilometres outside of Inuvik on Airport Road, is one of the more popular parks for camping in the area. It features 37 campsites, an observation tower with a magnificent view over the delta, walking trails, geocaches and good berry picking.

The name is derived from its traditional usage as a prime berry-picking location. The park is well-known for its cranberries, and other berries can be found as well, including cloud berries.

"It's been established as part of the Gwich'in land claim, so we're trying to partner with the Gwich'in council for these days, especially to get their input and participation during the activities."

Gwich'in people often come to the park for on-the-land activities, to harvest country food such as berries, and to hold festivities, Brake said.

"It's a beautiful park, with great lookouts, and it's one of the only parks with walking trails."

Donald Prince, an expert in traditional lifestyles, was invited to speak about traditional uses of the natural resources and basic survival skills.

Prince, originally from Fort St. James in British Columbia, delved into several topics including botany.

He highlighted several plants that grow in profusion in the immediate area of the park, including Labrador tea, yarrow and rosehips, each with their own particular use and benefit.

Yarrow, he said, is a very effective insect repellent. It can be crushed up quickly and spread on the skin, or it can be burned, providing effective airborne protection in its smoke.

Labrador tea is a tasty and effective cleanser and tonic for various body systems, including the kidneys.

Rosehips are rich in vitamins, he added, although you eat only the outer part of the fruit and not the seeds.

Several people, including Mike Carruthers, joined Brake on a short hike to locate one of the two geocaches placed in the park recently.

Carruthers was learning how to do geocaching and taking some tips from Brake on how to use and program his GPS device.

The group passed a patch of cloud berries that weren't quite ripe yet on the way to the cache, which is located on an observation platform overlooking Airport Road.

It's part of a relatively little -known and little-used trail network built about two years ago, Carruthers said, leading five kilometres back into town.