Community engagement and outreach were prioritized throughout the year. KLRS met with local First Nation governments (KFN, CAFN, WRFN) and participated in many community events to foster relationships and listen to feedback. Many initiatives at KLRS were continued in response to the feedback, including community nights, education and outreach collaborations, schedule and season updates, and creating a researcher expectation document and fieldwork map.
May 10, 2025
KLRS kicked off the 2025 season with a Community BBQ. KLRS Station Manager Kim Hatcher gave a season overview, glaciologist Dr. Brittany Main and CAFN storyteller John Fingland presented glacier science and stories, and Yukon University’s Youth STEAM team provided science activities for kids. Dr. Main also led an art activity to model the flow of surging glaciers.
September 13, 2025
The KLRS annual open house was held in September. Researchers provided posters for their 2025 fieldwork, KLRS Station Manager Kim Hatcher presented a summary of the 2025 season, Juliette Joe (CAFN) led a beading workshop, Sandra Yaacoub (Queen’s University) gave a research talk on mapping forests in Kluane, and the Ag1054 project team led tours of the hydroponics unit and gave away free lettuce. The St. Elias Lions Club prepared a BBQ dinner with KLRS’ Chef, and Capital Helicopters donated a scenic flight door prize.
KLRS hosted weekly community nights in the summer months to help bridge the gap between researchers and surrounding communities, including research talks and hiring local Indigenous artists, interpreters, and storytellers. Highlights are included below.
KLRS staff were happy to participate in many events hosted in nearby communities (Haines Junction, Burwash Landing, and Destruction Bay) throughout the year, as well as a conference in Calgary in December.
KLRS had a table at several local events:
KLRS presented at the following meetings:
KLRS attended many First Nation events, including:
KLRS Station Manager Kim Hatcher visited the St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction in January to teach students about the earth’s layers and magnetic field, different states of matter, and how to use a compass.
KLRS partnered with CAFN, BGC Yukon, and Yukon University, to bring STEM programming to local youth at the Ända Tà Youth Centre during spring break. Activities included compass work, map making, and an engineering challenges (bridge and boat construction).
KLRS and glaciologists from the University of Ottawa joined John Fingland at the St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction. The group taught students about glacial travel and science andd John told southern tutchone oral stories about Nàłùdäy (Lowell Glacier).
KLRS station manager joined John Fingland at the Shawkwunlee Daycare at the Da Kų Cultural Centre in Haines Junction to tell oral stories and make “glacier goo” with young kids.
KLRS, ÉTS Montreal, UOttawa, and UWaterloo sponsored a community dinner at Jacquot Hall in Burwash Landing. Each university gave a short summary of their research and answered questions/comments. Feedback from community members about perspectives on glacier or water research in Kluane was received.
In September, PhD student Sandra Yaacoub (Queen’s University) and Kim Hatcher (KLRS) visited the Kluane Lake School in Destruction Bay and the St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction. They taught elementary and secondary students how to make forest measurements with field equipment provided by Parks.
CAFN invited KLRS Station Manager Kim Hatcher to be on the organizing team for their Dakwäkäda Mountain Festival at Da Kų Cultural Centre in November. The community event was full of workshops, art, science, and stories about CAFN’s beautiful mountainous land. KLRS helped coordinate:
The Ag1054 Project had surveys available to citizens for feedback on the hydroponics project and donated prime rib for the community dinner.
The University of Calgary held a Field Station Discovery Session in December with KLRS and the Biogeoscience Institute (BGI). Over lunch, staff from both UCalgary-affiliated stations shared presentations about their facilities, logistical support, and collaborative opportunities. The session aimed to provide information to researchers and professors on how the stations can support research and education. Both KLRS and BGI emphasized the importance of researchers prioritizing meaningful consultation and engagement with local First Nations.
December 15–18, 2025
The 2025 ArcticNet Scientific Meeting was held in December in Calgary. KLRS co-hosted a session with KFN and CAFN on research in southwestern Yukon, with a strong emphasis on the importance of community and collaboration. The session was chaired by Gùdia - Mary Jane Johnson (KFN), Trish Hume (CAFN), Kim Hatcher (KLRS) and Brent Else (KLRS/AINA).
Presentations were given by researchers and community members:
Several students who base at KLRS had posters in the poster session. The Ag1054 project had a productive meeting with KFN and CAFN on the direction of the hydroponics project for 2026.
The Arctic Institute of North America (which operates KLRS) celebrated their 80th anniversary during the conference, showcasing KLRS during the reception.
