The recent spruce beetle outbreak started in Kluane National Park and Reserve around 1990. The outbreak was first observed in 1994 by which time the beetle had already caused over 32,000 ha of mortality. The beetle then moved into public and First Nations forest lands north and south of Haines Junction in the Shakwak Trench. Over the next 15 years, the beetle continued to kill vast tracts of spruce within and west of Kluane National Park. As of 2007, more than half of the mature spruce had been killed over an area of 380,000 ha.
In the 1996 spruce bark beetle census the ES class had been undertaking since early 1995, a student questioned why more woodpeckers had not been observed during the two days the class had been conducting the census. This question prompted a more detailed analysis. Two, three kilometer transects were set out through spruce stands that had been recently struck by the beetle infestation were established. Tree bark samples were removed on selected trees to insure that significant populations of larva were found under the bark. Pairs for students then walked the transects, stopping every 100 meters to listen for woodpecker drumming, calls or sightings. This activity was undertaken during the second week of September. Both transects and all the observation stops did not produce a single weedpecker observation even though there was considerable food within the study area. This prompted one of the studnets to conduct further study on his own, trying to understand why this should be the case. His studies demonstrated regional movement of woodpeckers, regardless of food suppiles.
In the 1996 spruce bark beetle census the ES class had been undertaking since early 1995, a student questioned why more woodpeckers had not been observed during the two days the class had been conducting the census. This question prompted a more detailed analysis. Two, three kilometer transects were set out through spruce stands that had been recently struck by the beetle infestation were established. Tree bark samples were removed on selected trees to insure that significant populations of larva were found under the bark. Pairs for students then walked the transects, stopping every 100 meters to listen for woodpecker drumming, calls or sightings. This activity was undertaken during the second week of September. Both transects and all the observation stops did not produce a single weedpecker observation even though there was considerable food within the study area. This prompted one of the studnets to conduct further study on his own, trying to understand why this should be the case. His studies demonstrated regional movement of woodpeckers, regardless of food suppiles.