Meet The North: The Gift that Keeps Giving!

Meet The North: The Gift that Keeps Giving!

Meet The North: The Gift that Keeps Giving!

Each of the last 2 years we have had the immense pleasure of connecting with northerners passionate about promoting local, connecting people and place and supporting the Yukon Wildlife Preserve and Yukon’s wildlife.  The team is back again this year with new, special and very limited edition Yukon-inspired and Yukon-made wool wear.  

Only 3 hats available!

Birds Eye View small batch dye by Crux Fibres with pattern, Autumn Weaves beanie by Lindsay Faciane; hand knitted especially for the Yukon Wildlife Preserve by Liz Sutton adorned with indigenous Yukon-run trapline, sustainably trapped lynx fur pom.

SOLD!

The one-of-a-kind Borealis Hat and Mitt pattern by Liz Sutton can be found on Ravelry if you wish to do your own pattern yourself but the particular Aurora and Blue Lagoon hand-dye from Crux Fibre is one of a kind, especially for the Preserve adorned with sustainably and ethically Yukon trapped coyote fur pom!

The partnerships of these unique businesses and people have continued to grow and we’re really excited to release a limited edition toque and special toque and mitt combo for this holiday season – gift giving that keeps giving! These beautiful wool items were made exclusively in the north, inspired by the north and are entwined with passions and care throughout the entire process. The Yukon is home to incredible people who love to celebrate and honour the uniqueness of this land. These knitting wonders directly support the diverse community that makes this place and its people so unique!

These limited edition hats go on sale at the Preserve only on Saturday November 13.

Hand-knitted in Whitehorse

For the 3rd year in a row we are working with the ever-expanding knitting talent, Liz Sutton of Treeline Knits located right here in Whitehorse. Liz has been the cornerstone of this annual project. Year after year, despite a full time job, dog-momming, life duties and personal outdoor passion and pursuits, Liz is eager to weave through it all and dedicate time and energy into lovingly producing one-of-a-kind hand knitted and fashioned wool products, especially for the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.

Northern Inspiration in Hand Dyed 100% Merino Wool

Crux Fibres is a truly northern inspired product of born and raised Yukoner, Brittany Vogt. Her knitting hobby and desire to create her own spectrum of colours inspired by Yukon places close to her heart quickly turned into a business for Brittany. 

“The art of dyeing yarn has become a great avenue to continue my creative expression” and this particular small-batch dye was influenced by a place that holds an extra special connection for Brittany. The “Birds Eye View” she called this small-batch dye, in which Liz used to make the 3 toques, was inspired by place and time. Atop Caribou Mountain overlooking Bennett Lake, on the traditional territory of the Carcross Tagish First Nation,  Brittany realized she was going crazy for John, her now husband. Indeed, intertwined in love, years later a few pictures would further inspire the beauty and colour of this yarn. 

Brittany’s inspiration supported through Bennett Lake art from
Left: Edna Bardell Right: Ben Nelms

Every small-batch dye of 100% merino wool yarn originates from South America. Brittany worked hard to source yarn ethically and extend her values of supporting small and mindful businesses like her own.  The one-of-a-kind Aurora Borealis Hat and Mitts used a special blue lagoon dye Brittany did. The very nature of hand-dying in small batches creates variations from skein to skein (even those dyed in the same dye bath) adding even greater uniquesness to each finished product. 

Trapping – In Love & Tradition 

The finishing touches of such a divine piece of art involves a trapline, and a commitment to love, learning, and educating. It may be just a fur pom that adorns these hats but for Vanessa of Yukon Wild Furs it’s an opportunity; it’s the decision to embark on a role as an educator; fulfilling a responsibility while generating a (somewhat unexpected) life from the bounty of the land. Vanessa, along with owning and operating a small store where she sells her art, tirelessly works towards educating and connecting people to a lifestyle rooted in tradition whenever she has the opportunity. This opportunity and responsibility is shared along-side her now husband, George Bahm who is Teslin Tlingit and harvests from the land on his trappline in southern Yukon.

Photo Credit: Alistair Maitland

I have merely glimpsed a fraction of the beauty and teachings that await on the trapline. But I know that this traditional practice, with its skill, stories and lessons, will be lost if the wild fur industry continues as it is. My hope is to protect the importance of what is out on the trail, in the quiet of a fresh snowfall, so that future generations of fur harvesters can reconnect with their ancestors and the teachings that have endured for thousands of years. Trapping is so much more than just harvesting fur.

Photo Credit: Erik Pinkerton

When the opportunity came to adorn these hats (for a second year in a row) with sustainable, locally and indegenous trapped wild fur, Vanessa did not hesitate to support. She’s only a single human in this world but one with a strong, deeply rooted goal of using this polarizing issue as a springboard into meaningful conversations wherever they can occur from her store to our Little Gift Shop where these hats will be sold.

To learn more about Vanessa, George and their shared goals check out Truth About Fur

A Community That’s Wild at Heart

The Yukon Wildlife Preserve is a non-profit charitable organization. In the 1970’s Danny Nowlan started accepting and caring for injured and orphaned wildlife at the Yukon Game Farm. Nearly 50 years later the Preserve continues to care for Yukon’s most vulnerable animals. Today we are a living centre of Yukon’s species that connects tens of thousands of people, from our backyard to across the world, to the natural world, each year.

Find out more about what the  donation with the purchase of the hat means for the Preserve at donate.yukonwildlife.ca 

 These toques represent so much more than just a (stunning) fashion accessory to keep your head warm! It embodies your choice to value the connections with the people and places of this territory; to support local; to share a love of something on a deeper level; to support Yukon’s wildlife. By purchasing this hat, you are supporting the people, their businesses and the land and animals of the north – Liz Sutton of Treeline Knits, Yukon Wild Fur and local trappers, Brittany Vogt of Crux Fibres, Yukon Wildlife Preserve – Wildlife Rehabilitation and a community that is wild at heart!

Lindsay Caskenette

Lindsay Caskenette

Manager Visitor Services

Lindsay joined the Wildlife Preserve team March 2014. Originally from Ontario, she came to the Yukon in search of new adventures and new career challenges. Lindsay holds a degree in Environmental Studies with honours from Wilfrid Laurier University and brings with her a strong passion for sharing what nature, animals, and the environment can teach us.

867-456-7400
Lindsay@yukonwildlife.ca

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Northern Neck Tubes

Northern Neck Tubes

Northern Neck Tubes

6 min read

The Visitor Services team is working hard to connect with local artist to bring the connections to nature home with you. We strongly feel that by taking the time to explore these partnerships we can create unique items that guests to the Preserve can take home all while knowing their purchase in the Preserve’s Little Gift Shop not only supports these northern people but all revenue from the retail sales goes back into the operations of the Preserve, supporting the northern animals in our care.

Right now the Preserve does not do online sales. We’re a really small team that is situated out of town, and with some staff also living out of town, doing online sales and shipping feels a bit outside our capacities for the time being. 

• • •

Photo of moose in water.

This artist collaboration was an incredibly fun and colourful one – Niki Parry was the perfect artist to do a neck tube collab with given her use of silhouttes on vibrant beautiful and colourful landscapes.

Whatever you call them – neck tubes, neck gaiters, buffs, neck warmers (and now, sometimes facemasks) they are a staple of year-round outdoor gear and you can never have too many.

• • •

We reached out to Niki in September of 2020 to see if she was interesed in working on this idea with YWP. Niki jumped on it and in the following months we started sorting out details of design ideas and applications. 

We sought after Yukon Wildlife Preserve inspiration from the landscape and the animals. 

Two photos inspired Niki especially once we decided what species we wanted to capture. 

• • •

Photo credit: J.Paleczny

Niki Parry is a visual artist working primarily in acrylic paint.  Her artwork represents natural scenes with an element of abstract.  She works with bright vibrant colours and creates dynamic abstract landscapes utilizing silhouettes to create an intense contrast and bring the scene to life.    

Niki has worked with many different types of artwork throughout her life, drawn primarily to the projects where she can focus on and explore colour.  Niki was introduced to fluid acrylics six years ago and fell in love.  The combination of playing with colours in that dynamic fluid form and the process of creating joyful natural landscapes from these images had her hooked.  She has been intensively developing her painting skills and techniques ever since. 

• • •

Photo of team providing care for moose in the field.

Niki’s artistic process involves two separate components, one for creating the background and the second for hand painting to complete the scene.  The backgrounds are created with fluid acrylic paint, where acrylic paint is diluted with mediums to become runny. 

• • •

Photo of staff using stethoscope to listen to moose heart rate.

The paint is then poured onto the canvas, rather than using a brush.  It is then manipulated by moving the canvas around with gravity and other tools to mix the paint on the canvas.   Once the background is completed, then it takes 24 to 48 hours to dry before it can be moved, or else the paint will slide off the canvas.

• • •

The secondary process involves working with the background to determine how the final painting will come together.  Generally there is a plan for the background; however, with fluid paint it can be difficult to completely control all the exact details of how it will come together.  This is part of the beauty of the process, the balance between control and working with what presents itself.  The design for the painting is finalized once the background is fully dried, and the final plan for the composition is created.  The final image is created with acrylic brush painting. 

• • •

Photo of staff using stethoscope to listen to moose heart rate.

We worked with Corina at Taku Sports Group Inc. and Bula Canada to take Niki’s artwork and make it perfectly fit onto two different neck gaiters – one, a single layer do it all tube featuring two moose and a double layer, reversible fleece perfect for winter warmth featuring of course the northern iconic caribou!

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These special neck tubes will be available at the Preserve’s Little Gift Shop. Niki will also have a few on hand at both the Cranberry Fair and the Spruce Bog Christmas Boutique. Both are great events to check out and support local buinesses, and artists like Niki Parry! 

• • •

Photo of staff using stethoscope to listen to moose heart rate.

Niki’s goal for creating artwork is to bring a smile to your face and lift your spirits.  She finds a great deal of happiness in creating these images and loves to share her uplifting artwork with others.

We are so grateful  (and pretty darn excited) to have worked with Niki and share her vision. We endeavour to source and support local and share a product that helps you tackle all the outdoor feats while looking extremely fashionable and warm.

From Bula – Stay Warm, Play Longer

• • •

Single Layer tube                           $38
Double Layer reversible tube       $44

Photo of staff using stethoscope to listen to moose heart rate.
Lindsay Caskenette

Lindsay Caskenette

Manager Visitor Services

Lindsay joined the Wildlife Preserve team March 2014. Originally from Ontario, she came to the Yukon in search of new adventures and new career challenges. Lindsay holds a degree in Environmental Studies with honours from Wilfrid Laurier University and brings with her a strong passion for sharing what nature, animals, and the environment can teach us.

867-456-7400
Lindsay@yukonwildlife.ca

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Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Box 20191
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 7A2

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