Hard Rock Cafe, Ivvavik National Park

Hi all. I have been trying to keep busy here in Inuvik with data entry and data compilation. Thank goodness there was the Great Northern Arts Festival happening this past week to keep thing interesting. My colleagues and I will be heading on a short road trip to Whitehorse this coming week just before my flight back home to B.C. Can't wait.

On June 17, a volunteer and I were able to fly to a place close to the coast of the park (called Hard Rock Cafe) with other researchers (working on a different project) to search for soapberry plants.

Here are some photos from the helicopter ride.

Arriving at Hard Rock Cafe

Our results? During the four-hour search, we were only able to find one male soapberry plant on the edge of the river. I don't think soapberry are found this far north, and the presence of this sole plant is probably from an animal eating soapberries and passing the seeds here. Nevertheless, it was a great experience flying in a helicopter and seeing some amazing wildlife, such as caribous and a close (than realized) encounter with a grizzly bear.