Excursions
The Communities of Change – Building an IPY Legacy Conference is pleased to offer participants with the following opportunities to experience a glimpse of the Yukon following the conference proceedings.
Kluane National Park and Reserve Guided Tour
Monday, October 5, 2009
12:30 to 8:00 pm
Meet in the Yukon College main entrance foyer by 12:15 pm.
Guided motor coach tour to Haines Junction and Kluane National Park and Reserve.
A gem in the family of Parks Canada's national treasures, Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada covers an area of 21,980 square kilometres.
It is a land of precipitous, high mountains, immense ice fields and lush valleys that yield a diverse array of plant and wildlife species and provides for a host of outdoor activities.
Kluane National Park and Reserve is also home to Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak.
You will tour the main park Visitor Information Centre. Enjoy a slide show and presentation on cooperative management by one of the park's First Nation partners and embark on a guided walk on the Dezadeash Trail.
The motor coach will leave Haines Junction at 5:15 pm for the approximately two-hour scenic drive back to Whitehorse. Participants will be dropped off at their respective hotels.
There is no cost, however space is limited to 45 people and sign-up is mandatory.
Sign-up will take place at early Registration on Thursday, October 1 and Registration on Friday, October 2 at Yukon College on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Guided Interpretive Nature Encounter with Naturalist
Monday, October 5, 2009
1:30 pm to 4 pm
Meet in the Yukon College main entrance foyer by 1:30 pm.
Embark on a 2 ½-hour guided interpretive journey through forest trails.
Experience the magnificent boreal forest, a wetland, animal signs, bird watching, local First Nations history and marvel at the flora and fauna in its full autumn splendour.
Appropriate footwear is essential to truly enjoy your nature encounter. A rain jacket, fleece jacket and drinking water are also recommended.
There is no cost, however space is limited to 20 people and sign-up is mandatory.
Sign-up will take place at early Registration on Thursday, October 1 and Registration on Friday, October 2 at Yukon College.
Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre & Whitehorse City Tour
Monday, October 5, 2009
12:30 to 3:30 pm
Meet in the Yukon College Gym foyer by 12:30 pm.
Embark on a prehistoric journey with a tour of the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre - a voyage into the past when woolly mammoths and scimitar cats used to roam Beringia. These large mammals of an age long ago are recalled in the First Nations legends of gigantic animals and the creation of the world from a flooded land.
During the Klondike Gold Rush, word got out that there was more than just gold in “them there hills!” and soon scientists from around the world came to the Yukon to record and collect spectacular ice age fossils. In the 60s and 70s another wave of scientists arrived in the territory to document fossils and artefacts from the Old Crow area, including the famous Bluefish Caves. What they found set the scientific world on its head and challenged entrenched ideas about the peopling of the New World.
Enjoy the Centre's interpretive information, murals, dioramas, original works of art and interactive multi-media presentations.
Your guided City Tour will also include the Yukon Artists @ Work Gallery and guided stops at significant Whitehorse landmarks and scenic viewing points.
There is no cost, however space is limited to 12 people and sign up is mandatory.
Sign-up will take place at early Registration on Thursday, October 1 and Registration on Friday, October 2 at Yukon College.
Yukon Wildlife Preserve – Guided Tour
Monday, October 5, 2009
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Meet in the Yukon College Gym foyer by 12:45 pm.
Enjoy a guided bus tour through the 750-acre Yukon Wildlife Preserve with a knowledgeable interpreter.
The Yukon Wildlife Preserve flatlands, rolling hills, wetlands and rocky cliffs make this the perfect home to elk, woodland caribou, mule deer, wood bison, muskoxen, thin horn sheep and mountain goats.
Stops along the way will let you disembark the vehicle for a closer look.
Tour includes coffee, tea, cookies and a Q&A.
The Yukon Wildlife Preserve is a non-profit organizations dedicated to promoting knowledge and fostering appreciation for arctic and boreal ecology through the creation of a centre of northern education, conservation and research excellence.
There is no cost, however space is limited to 24 people (with a minimum of 10) and sign up is mandatory.
Sign-up will take place at early Registration on Thursday, October 1 and Registration on Friday, October 2 at Yukon College.
If you prefer to explore Whitehorse and its vicinity on your own, the following websites can act as your guide:
Visit the Yukon – it's Larger Than Life
“Close your eyes and breathe in crisp Yukon air. Smell spruce sap and the earthy scents of tundra and listen for the excited howls of sled dogs. Open your eyes and drink in the Yukon landscape. Stay awhile – you won't want to leave.”