TETLIT'ZHEH/FORT MCPHERSON
An environmental group in Fort McPherson is raising money for an exchange trip to Germany to highlight the importance of wilderness conservation, says one of the trip's organizers.

Participants in Wilderness International's exchange trip to Germany pose in Dresden, Germany in 2008. The organization aims to bring Fort McPherson residents to Germany this June to raise awareness about the Peel Watershed and the importance of wilderness conservation. The German participants will travel to Fort McPherson next July to paddle the Snake River. Front row from left is Daniel Robert, Jeffrey Robert, Tony McDonald and Gladys Alexie. Back row from left is Wade Vaneltsi, Ashtyn McLeod, Jocelyn Blake, Shayla Snowshoe, Janelle Wilson, Jennifer Greenland, Jaksun Grice and Judith Gehm. - photo courtesy of Henriette Wessel

Henriette Wessel is a German volunteer with the environmental organization Wilderness International. Since December, she's been living in Fort McPherson to help fundraise and increase awareness about the exchange trip with Germany.

"We wanted to have a really cool project where we have cultural exchange, environmental action and get youth involved," she said.

This is the second trip of its kind to take place with participants from Fort McPherson. Wilderness International did something similar in 2008.

The goal is to raise awareness about the Peel Watershed, which has been the subject of debate between the Yukon Government, environmental groups and First Nations for years.

The Peel River Watershed Planning Commission had developed a Final Recommended Plan for the area after years of consultations with First Nations, environmental groups and the public. The plan would have protected 80 per cent of the watershed, 25 per cent of which would have been reviewed periodically.

But in January 2014, the Yukon Government released its own plan, which protected only 29 per cent and left the remaining 71 per cent open to development. Environmental and First Nations groups in both the NWT and Yukon launched a lawsuit against the Yukon Government, saying the territorial government had abandoned the plan and violated the Umbrella Final Agreement between the government and First Nations.

The Supreme Court of Canada is now deciding whether it will hear an appeal.

In the meantime, Wessel said this year's exchange trip will begin in June when participants from Fort McPherson travel to Germany, where they'll take tours of development projects. Wessel said the trip will show participants firsthand how landscapes and environments are impacted by development.

"It's really important to show the students what pristine nature and wilderness they have up here," Wessel said. "We (Germany) used to have it, too, but how we lost it through development."

She said the trip aims to give the Peel Watershed case international attention, as well as to underline the significance of conservation - but participants will also get a chance to simply be tourists.

"They'll get to see Germany," Wessel said. "They'll stay with a host family and they'll hopefully learn lots and lots of culture and the daily life."

Keefer Francis, 19, was selected for the trip. He said he's looking forward to seeing Germany's historic places.

"I want to go and see what it's like in Germany," he said. "I want to meet new people and learn new things. I think it will be a great experience."

Fort McPherson resident Shayla Snowshoe participated in the exchange trip in 2008. She said she was shocked at how much human disturbance there was in areas Germans considered "wilderness", especially compared to the NWT.

"I guess to them it was untouched, but to us it wasn't really, because they had bridges and people made trails. It was obvious there had been people there before," she said. "It's not like here where it's completely untouched. You don't know if a person has ever stepped foot on that land before you."

Snowshoe said that's what makes the exchange so special. Next July, participants from Germany will arrive in Fort McPherson to paddle the Snake River, a journey she says is like no other.

"There is nothing harming it, it's just so amazing," she said. "Just waking up every single day in the morning and the sun is shining and the river is flowing and it's clear. We go and we paddle each day and we meet the goal that we set for ourselves, I just can't even put it into words."

Travelling through her ancestral homeland is a special experience, Snowshoe said.

"That was the most amazing trip of my life, nothing compares to going down the Snake River," she said. "That was the land where my ancestors were born, where they were buried, where they raised their families. There is so much history there."

Francis said he hopes to help the German participants understand that history.

"I want to show them the landscapes and what we all do for a living up here," he said. "How we use the land to help us out in our daily lives."

He also hopes the trip will help raise awareness about the importance of protecting areas such as the Peel Watershed from development.

"There is not much fresh water in the world and if this happens, it's going to pollute our river and all our animals will be polluted as well," he said. "It will affect the whole ecosystem, not just the river."

While the group is also hoping to hold local fundraisers, Wilderness International has established a GoFundMe campaign to help raise the $150,000 needed for the trip.