Henshaw Creek Wier Science Camp students and staff, July 26, 2007.

Student Tiffany Bergman makes wolf track casts with Kanuti Refuge Interpretive Park Ranger Kristin Reakoff, July 26, 2007.

Henshaw Creek Wier Science Camp students watch a dragonfly eat a mosquito, July 25, 2007.

Have you ever watched a dragonfly dine on a fine mosquito dinner under the Alaskan midnight sun? That's just one of many experiences kids recently had at the first Henshaw Creek Weir Science Camp during the third week of July.  Sponsored and staffed by Tanana Chiefs’ Conference, Kanuti Refuge and the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges, the camp was held at the Henshaw Fish Wier on Kanuti Refuge where annual runs of chum salmon are counted at their spawning grounds. 

The event was attended by five junior high and high school-aged youth from local villages. "Our goal was to teach these young people about fish identification and anatomy, stream ecology, aquatic insects, stream physics and chemistry. We also wanted to do some fun things like traditional native beading and fish printing," said Carla Stanley, Friends Group Education Chair and a retired science teacher.  Kanuti Refuge staff provided activities to help students learn more about the Refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System. "The kids really learned a lot and developed a real sense of stewardship for the Refuge because of this camp," said Kanuti Refuge Interpretive Park Ranger Kristin Reakoff.

Two long-time residents of Allakaket, a village within the Kanuti Refuge also participated in the camp.  Elders Kitty and David David, both knowledgeable in traditional native techniques, spent all week at the camp teaching fish cutting and smoking, building a smoke rack without nails or ropes, making fish nets out of willows, and beading. Their Native traditional stories in the evenings were a big hit with the kids. The Refuge is inspired to expand the camp next summer because of this year’s success.