The Taku River watershed, located in the far northwest corner of British Columbia, is a place of great beauty and ecological significance. This landscape and the people of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation have taught us much about how to integrate field research with the needs of first peoples. Since 2003, our students have been a vital part of Round River’s conservation work in the Taku that has culminated in over 7 million acres of protected land. Students have contributed to research projects with grizzly bear, wolf, woodland caribou, and all five species of Pacific Salmon. Early programs focused on wildlife surveys, documenting Tlingit oral histories and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and habitat studies and mapping. We have continued to evolve over a generation of time spent on the land, and today students explore the immense wilderness surrounding Atlin, B.C., trekking into remote alpine and subalpine areas to monitor critical habitat, wildlife populations, and vegetation in the face of climate change. A highlight of the summer is a 9-day backpacking trip into the Taku Watershed along a traditional Tlingit trail used for fishing and trade. Together we study and celebrate the natural history of an intact northern wilderness.
To learn more about our British Columbia program and other programs we offer, click here.