Photo above: Conservation Director Maggie Triska with Taku Summer 2025 students, changing out temperature loggers in the eastern ranges of Taku River Tlingit territory.
This summer, RRCS staff Maggie Triska (Conservation Director) & Julia O’Keefe (GIS Analyst) were active in northern Canada, supporting engagement events, advancing research collaborations, and contributing to our Taku Student Program.
Julia participated in a gathering of the Youth and Elders Advisory Committee and First Nations, organized by How We Walk with the Land and Water staff, to review progress to date and envision next steps as the project moves closer to external engagement with other governments and stakeholders. Gathering on the shores of Tàkwädàdhà (Marsh Lake) on territory shared by all three nations, citizens engaged in visualization, storytelling, and mapping exercises to weave together a shared vision of stewardship for their territories—one that encompasses not only the First Nations but all people of the Yukon and anyone who travels through the land and water. Technical conversations merged with philosophical ones as participants explored how a spatial decision support tool can help achieve this vision.
Building on these efforts, Maggie took part in a follow-up How We Walk with the Land and Water engagement event. This gathering presented both finalized and in-progress maps and connected the work to next steps in the development of the decision support tool. Most of her time, however, was spent with the Taku Student Program. There, she joined field work that complemented ongoing research initiatives, such as validating potential shifts in thinhorn sheep habitat predicted by models. She also gave lectures on RRCS research—incorporating traditional knowledge and introducing statistical approaches to analysis. The experience left Maggie inspired by the students’ energy and curiosity, and she reflected that she likely learned as much from them as they did from her.
Learn more about
Our Work in Canada.