Reindeer program offers youth camp
August 5, 2014
Young people from Stebbins, Savoonga, Nome and Anchorage will attend a Reindeer Youth
Development Camp this week at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Jennifer Robinette, outreach coordinator for the Reindeer Research Program, developed
the camp to teach rural youth not only the basics of reindeer husbandry but also leadership
skills.
She and guest speakers will lead sessions on halter training, record keeping, grains
and fertilizers, meat cutting, forage ecology and goal setting. A UAF veterinarian
will work with the campers to demonstrate reindeer physical exams.
Attendees were selected because of their interest in raising reindeer; some come from
herd-owning families. "We'll teach the pros and cons about each job that reindeer
can do and what works best in their communities," Robinette said.
Once the students return home, they will implement 4-H projects based on what they
learned in Fairbanks.
This is the first time UAF has offered the camp. "In the future we want to have a
longer camp," Robinette said. "We want to work with youths who have access to large
reindeer herds off the road system."
The camp was funded by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
