The Government of the Northwest Territories censused the Bathurst herd in summer 2018, and the results are alarming: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/caribou-herds-decline-2018-1.4913934. From a half a million caribou when the population last peaked in 1986, the herd now stands at 8,200 individuals, a decline of 99.9%.
This is our first camp on the west end of Jolly Lake. Although we didn’t have twenty-four hour sunlight at this latitude, it didn’t get really dark until closer to the end of the trip. This photo was taken at 10pm.
We’ve been back for almost two months now, and data entry is underway! For my personal project, I am looking at seedling dynamics at northern treeline. More specifically, I’m looking at what makes a certain spot more favourable for a seedling to grow compared with where seedlings are not growing. While the team was up […]
It has been six weeks since we returned from fieldwork, and I am now four weeks into the first term of my PhD studies. Much personal time has been spent catching up with family and friends, and school life has occupied even more time with administration, coursework, and scholarship applications. But here and there I am […]
After 36 consecutive days in the field, we returned to Yellowknife on Monday, August 20, stepping off the plane somewhat hairier (quick, admire the guys’ neck beards before they’re gone!) and substantially grimier than when we left. But, all of us satisfied at having completed a safe and successful field season: We visited ten (10) […]
Since we are studying change, we thought it would be valuable to have a picture of our field crew before we depart for five weeks. Consider it a photo for posterity, so you can see how we undergo our own changes in the wilds of Northwest Territories!
A bit of time in Yellowknife before we depart (Monday morning is coming quickly!) and so I thought I would share our general route plans for this summer. The map below gives an idea of our research area and our planned route (red line). Our team of 6 are flying into Jolly Lake via a DHC-3T Turbo […]
Well, my clothing and gear choices are outlined below (although I did trim this a bit more after taking these photos): Amazingly it all packs down into these two bags (hoping Air Canada won’t charge me a full extra bag for a paddle…) Multiple this by 6, add three PakBoats, three tents and a kitchen/bug […]
About 10 days left to finalize everything for our trip. All of the dehydrated food has been prepared and is either already in Yellowknife or en route today (July 2) so we can pick it up, re-pack and gather fresh ingredients when we arrive. Our large gear (canoes, tents, kitchen gear,) is also prepared and […]
Food is being purchased and packed, maps are being studied, and research methods are being discussed. Our trip to MacKay Lake in the Northwest Territories is coming fast and there’s still lots to do!
