Cape Parry Thick-billed Murres: Solving an Arctic Seabird Mystery
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Who: Stephen Insley and Rosana Paredes
What: Thick-billed murres are deep-diving, fish-eating, cliff-nesting seabirds that live most of their lives at sea in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. The Cape Parry colony, about which very little was known, is one of the smallest and most isolated and the only colony in the western Canadian Arctic (the Inuvialuit Settlement Region). We set out to fill in some of the basic gaps in what is known about these murres, such as where do they go when they are at sea especially during the winter, and are there any new risks to their survival caused by climate change and human activities. A joint presentation of the Yukon Science Institute and the Yukon Bird Club Where and When: Sunday, April 12, 7 PM, Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse |
Popular Culture, Claims and Confusion in "America's" Yukon
Who: Drew Lyness, Associater Professor , Social Science and Humanities, Yukon University
Where and When:Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 at 12:00 pm. Yukon University Lecture Hall
What: Explore the contradictory history of the Yukon as portrayed in U.S. popular culture, and the ways in which this heavy investment in the Outside identity of the territory frames debates on the inside. This research looks at the visual-political dynamics of the Yukon as reflected in tension between parks, “wilderness”, Canadian national heritage, the rights of Yukon First Nations, and mineral extraction.
Paying close attention to current debates surrounding mining legislation and land politics in the territory, this talk examines ways in which collisions between colonial visual control and Indigenous self-determination are actively creating conditions ripe for forms of artistic disruption. As Yukon society evolves and grapples with new geopolitical realities, research in the humanities helps to interrogate ways in which a commodification of place shapes life for all Yukoners.
Where and When:Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 at 12:00 pm. Yukon University Lecture Hall
What: Explore the contradictory history of the Yukon as portrayed in U.S. popular culture, and the ways in which this heavy investment in the Outside identity of the territory frames debates on the inside. This research looks at the visual-political dynamics of the Yukon as reflected in tension between parks, “wilderness”, Canadian national heritage, the rights of Yukon First Nations, and mineral extraction.
Paying close attention to current debates surrounding mining legislation and land politics in the territory, this talk examines ways in which collisions between colonial visual control and Indigenous self-determination are actively creating conditions ripe for forms of artistic disruption. As Yukon society evolves and grapples with new geopolitical realities, research in the humanities helps to interrogate ways in which a commodification of place shapes life for all Yukoners.
The Greening of the Yukon:
How shrubification is reshaping biodiversity in tundra and boreal forest ecosystems
Lori Schroeder Memorial lecture
Who: Prof. Isla Myers-Smith, Canada Excellence Research Chair
Forest & Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship https://teamshrub.com/
What: The impacts of rapid climate change are shown by the extensive greening apparent in satellite records and by vegetation change on the ground. Answering questions of when, where and why vegetation has changed is critical to predicting future change and informing wildlife management. In our research, we are finding increasing shrub cover, altered timing of plant growth and accelerating permafrost thaw, with all of these changes altering the habitat for wildlife including caribou, migratory birds and insect pollinators. I will share our research findings to date and how working collaboratively with Indigenous communities and Northern partners is strengthening our collective understanding of how Yukon biodiversity is being impacted by accelerating climate change.
Where and When: March 27th, 6:30PM Gold Rush Inn
Forest & Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship https://teamshrub.com/
What: The impacts of rapid climate change are shown by the extensive greening apparent in satellite records and by vegetation change on the ground. Answering questions of when, where and why vegetation has changed is critical to predicting future change and informing wildlife management. In our research, we are finding increasing shrub cover, altered timing of plant growth and accelerating permafrost thaw, with all of these changes altering the habitat for wildlife including caribou, migratory birds and insect pollinators. I will share our research findings to date and how working collaboratively with Indigenous communities and Northern partners is strengthening our collective understanding of how Yukon biodiversity is being impacted by accelerating climate change.
Where and When: March 27th, 6:30PM Gold Rush Inn
- This lecture was part of the 2026 Yukon Biodiversity Forum March 27 and 28, 2026 organized by Yukon University, Government of Yukon, Yukon Science Institute, and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (Yukon Chapter)
Rocking the St Elias: A Giant Earthquake, Hidden Faults, and what it means for Yukoners
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Andrew Schaeffer, Research Scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria. Delivered two presentations: Monday, March 2nd, Whitehorse, and Tuesday, March 3rd in Haines Junction.
On December 6, 2025, the largest onshore earthquake in Canada in over 75 years, a magnitude 7.0, struck the St. Elias Mountains beneath the Hubbard Glacier. The talk cover edwhat happened, what it revealed about a previously hidden fault system, why it triggered over 200 landslides near the epicentre, how scientists study earthquakes in some of Canada's most remote terrain, and what new research is revealing about how the ground beneath our feet affects the shaking we experience. Andrew also discussed what this means for earthquake preparedness in the North — especially as permafrost and climate continue to change. |
Co-hosted by YukonU and Yukon Science Institute
CBC Interview with Andrew Schaeffer - AirPlay with Dave White
Ship Noise and Arctic Marine Mammals
On January 25th at the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, local researchers presented how ship traffic is changing in the western Canadian Arctic, how marine mammals are getting exposed to and impacted by this traffic, and how we can move forward with managing this growing threat to marine mammals.
Tara Howatt, Assistant Professor at YukonU, presented her research using underwater robots to study the impacts of ocean conditions and underwater noise on marine mammals in the Arctic. Conservation Scientist William Halliday presented his underwater passive acoustic monitoring network in the eastern Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Northwest Territories and Yukon), and how he used these acoustic data to monitor marine mammals and measure underwater noise from ships. Co-hosted by YukonU and Yukon Science Institute
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Speakers: William Halliday and Tara Howatt
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Microplastics in the Yukon
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Local Raven ReCentre sponsored our microplastics event in December at Yukonstruct in Whitehorse. Yukon research scientists presented their findings and preliminary observations regarding the breadth of cumulative effects of plastics growing saturation on human and wildlife health. One of the presenters, Dr. Tara Stehelin, discusses what this means for the future of humankind in the clip above.
Presenters:
Mary Gamberg (she/her) is a research scientist, based in Whitehorse, specializing in contaminants in the Arctic Environment. She will discuss two long-term monitoring programs in the Yukon measuring contaminants in the Porcupine caribou and Lake Trout in Lake Laberge and Kusawa Lake. Tara Stehelin (she/her) is a researcher and faculty member at YukonU with a long history of research and field work focused on biodiversity and conservation in the North. With students helping, she has a long-term project investigating microplastics in Yukon snow.
Paul McCarney (he/him) is an conservation scientist working at Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and YukonU. He will talk about research monitoring plastics in wild food in Nunatsiavut, a project which is co-led by Inuit. Questions? Contact The Research Services Office at [email protected] |
Co-hosted by YukonU and Yukon Science Institute, and sponsored by the Raven ReCentre. Click on Raven's logo below to see the special presentation made by the staff at Raven for the event.
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Adapting Southern Bioengineering for Northern Rivers
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YSI and YukonU provided a free lecture to the public at this year's Yukon GeoScience Forum!
Dr. Paul Villard discussed how fluvial bioengineering concepts proven in southern regions translate (or don’t) when we move north. The talk was about how Dr. Villard and his team apply design concepts from the south to the north, and what that really means for channel-bank stabilization with plant material. Featuring field observations from various Yukon watercourses, Villard's discussion included vegetation dynamics in cold climates, the key climatic and geomorphic constraints that affect plant-based bank stabilization in northern rivers, when southern bioengineering techniques transfer well, when they need modification, and when hybridization is preferable. Co-hosted by YukonU, Yukon Science Institute, and the Yukon GeoScience Forum |
Power System Impact Studies in Remote Communities
On October 28, 2025, YukonU's Northern Energy Innovation presented their research on advancing community-led energy projects in remote regions.
Speakers were: Erika Tizya-Tramm; Simon Kerkhof; and Simon Geoffroy-Gagnon.
NEI applies industry-driven research in partnerships with First Nations, Utilities, and Government Agencies to develop energy solutions that address local priorities and operational realities. Researchers discussed Community Relationship Building, Local Capacity Building, Power System Impact Studies, and how these analyses support assessments of reliability, adequacy, and security for energy systems.
Co-hosted by YukonU and Yukon Science Institute.
Protecting HEÉN/TŪ Together: Community-based Water Monitoring
Through the Indigenous Observation Network, carried out with the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, the Carcross/Tagish First Nation Water Team has been collecting multi-year water quality data across the Southern Lakes. These community-based monitoring efforts provide baseline conditions, track long-term trends, and provide insight into watershed wellbeing.
In parallel, Carcross/Tagish First Nation is partnering with Yukon University on the Yukon River Headwaters Project, which expands this work by examining water quantity, chemistry, contaminants, and aquatic ecology in greater detail, from glacial melt and watershed processes to sediment cores and aquatic communities. Together, these initiatives bring Indigenous knowledge, community-based monitoring, and scientific research into one conversation, helping us understand how changing landscapes and climate will affect the headwaters and guide decision-making for water protection across the Yukon River Basin.
In parallel, Carcross/Tagish First Nation is partnering with Yukon University on the Yukon River Headwaters Project, which expands this work by examining water quantity, chemistry, contaminants, and aquatic ecology in greater detail, from glacial melt and watershed processes to sediment cores and aquatic communities. Together, these initiatives bring Indigenous knowledge, community-based monitoring, and scientific research into one conversation, helping us understand how changing landscapes and climate will affect the headwaters and guide decision-making for water protection across the Yukon River Basin.
The Taku River Tlingit First Nation Salmon Resiliency Project
The first lecture of Yukon University and the Yukon Science Institute's exciting new partnership, the Research in Progress Series— students, faculty and the public attended a lecture on the Taku River Tlingit First Nation Salmon Resiliency Project at Yukon University over a lunch hour in September.
The Research in Progress Series will spotlight ongoing research by YukonU faculty and students, alongside other northern projects in both the sciences and social sciences.
Groundwater Quality in Whitehorse and the Southern Lakes
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On June 26th the public heard presentations made by groundwater scientists for the Assessing Groundwater in the greater Whitehorse Area (AGWA) project.
Speaking at the Beringia Centre on behalf of this project were: Yukon government’s Cole Fischer, and Dr. Elliott Skierszkan (Carlton University), and Dr. Matthew Lindsay (University of Saskatchewan). The panel of researchers presented what they have been learning about groundwater quality and quantity in the Greater Whitehorse Area, particularly the levels of naturally-occurring metals and metalloids including uranium and arsenic. The project involves sampling both private domestic water wells and environmental monitoring wells. The panel was joined by Dr. Jeffrey McKenzie who presented his own research on groundwater movement in the Southern Lakes and Northern Canada. If you would like to be part of the AGWA testing which is looking at metals content in groundwater wells (arsenic and uranium, for example), please contact: [email protected] or [email protected] Fact sheet: Water Testing – Private Well Owners |
A special presentation on the craft and science of making glass
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Leading the discussion at Lumel Studios on June 4th, 2025, about glassblowing, and its intersections within craft, science, and social sciences (and stardust), were Mireille Perron, Professor Emeritus at Alberta University of the Arts, and Luann Baker-Johnson, the founder of Lumel Studios. Mel Johnson, Natali Rodrigues, and Sheila Mahut also spoke. |
