By Jordan Turner (Westminster College)
Written August 4, 2016
As the program wraps up, and all academic work is finally finished, there is lots of room for thought and reflection on the past month of our time here in British Columbia, Canada. It seems like just yesterday we were driving down the Alaska highway on our way to this isolated and curious place called Atlin. Exactly what past Round River students said would happen, happened. The program was over in the blink of an eye. It’s funny how that sometimes occurs. When it does, it generally means you were having so much fun and being so busy, that time goes by just a little bit faster. That was definitely the case this summer.
We’ve met plenty of interesting people during our time here and some slightly eccentric ones, in the best possible way, as well. All were incredibly friendly and each had so much to share with us. Together they had something in common, all were excited that we had taken an interest in this special place. To everyone we met during our time in Atlin, you have really made our experience special. All of us are so grateful that you took the time to meet and share your knowledge with us, it means a great deal.
All of us have gotten a little out of our comfort zone in one way or another during this program, some more than others but all in a positive way. For me, “the walk” was the most memorable experience of the entire program and I’m willing to bet the other students feel the same way. Not to say there weren’t other moments that stand out. Getting to talk and listen to people from the Atlin community was also one of my favorite parts of the summer.
The group at the Smudge Spot, along the Tlingit trail to the Nakina River
Grizzly bear at the confluence of the Nakina and Sloko Rivers. Photo by Susie Dain-Owens.
During the last weeks of our time here we were able to talk with a few people from the Tlingit community. TJ Esquiro told us about how the Tlingit have completely distanced themselves from conventional ways of power generation and how it’s important to approach things from a traditionalist mindset. The First Nation recently installed a micro-hydro plant that generates power using a small amount of water from a local river. It is 100% sustainable and has brought stability to the power grid and cheaper energy costs to the town of Atlin. Other communities should take notes, they could learn a lot from this lakeside town.
Arguably the most impactful encounter of our entire time here, at least for me, was having the opportunity to talk to a man named Ed Anderson. He is one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met, and went out of his way to come talk to us amidst a period of turmoil in the community. What he had to say cannot be summed up in one blog post and I know former round river Taku students can relate. Listening to Mr. Anderson and hearing his experiences will be one of the most memorable experiences for me from my time in Atlin.
We want to thank everyone who came to talk to us over the course of these six weeks. A huge thank you to John Ward for coming to talk to us with Peter Kirby. We appreciate your incredibly hard work keeping the trail open for us and others, without you, we wouldn’t have been able to experience the incredible beauty and wonder of the Nakina River. Another special thank you to Trevor Williams, who went out of his way to show us Atlin Lake by boat. It was easily one of the coolest days of the summer.
With all of our academics out of the way, we had the opportunity to do some camping sans the note taking and projects constantly on our mind. We saw lots of Caribou at Consolation Creek, where we stayed for two nights. The second day, I saw the largest Caribou I’ve ever seen. We chased the northern lights high upon a beautiful lookout in McDonnell Lake valley but sadly, no lights showed themselves. I guess that means we’ll just have to come back to Atlin sometime in the future. The last week of our stay was different from the rest of the program. Being in this place and not having tons of work on our minds really altered the relationship between person and place. Not to say I didn’t enjoy Atlin when I had work to do but being able to really relax with nothing on your mind allows you to truly enjoy the place you’re in.
Camping in the subalpine.
We’ve all learned a lot during our time here. Whether that’s how to identify certain plants and animals, how to properly do field work, or how to shoot the moon is irrelevant. I think we’ve all grown in one way or another and have learned some things about ourselves. I certainly have. Without our three instructors, this experience wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun. I wouldn’t want anybody other than Will Tyson, Susie Dain-Owens, and Kaggie Orrick leading this program. They really made our time here in Atlin.
Round Rivers operations in Atlin are so unique because of how established in and connected to this community they are. Not many conservation organizations can call themselves truly part of the community they work in. Seeing this connection between the Taku River Tlingit, community members of Atlin, and Round River truly made me feel like I made the right decision when choosing a summer academic program. I write this as we are driving away from Atlin towards Whitehorse, where all of us will part ways and move on to more familiar parts of our lives. I want to wish the rest of the students, as well as our amazing program leaders, the very best in whatever you end up doing these coming years. I feel very fortunate to have met all of you and feel truly happy with my decision to apply to this program. Till next time Atlin, I have a feeling I’ll be back.
Our home base for the summer, in Atlin BC.