The Terrific Tundra

Just to give you a better sense of where we are, check out the image below. If you click on this image, you'll link to a Google Map showing our current location. After exploring our surroundings, you may want to find your way from where we are to where you are :-)

Rolling on the Tundra

Another fantastic day in the Churchill area. After the Tundra Connections panelists did some interviews and a bit of a media blitz, we congregated at 'Launch' - the place where all of the Tundra Buggy vehicles are parked a few kilometres to the east of town. After loading up Buggy One with all of our gear, we wound our way slowly along the tundra toward Tundra Buggy Lodge.

The first thing I noticed was that there were bear tracks - everywhere. Even along the Tundra Buggy tracks there were polar bears tracks.

We saw as many polar bears as we saw Tundra Buggy's - which was quite a few. But we weren't trying to get up close and personal with the bears. We kept our distance and simply observed their actions from afar.

We spent a couple hours sitting at 'halfway point' along the Hudson Bay shoreline - note the complete absence of sea ice.

Base camp contacted us on the radio and said that they wanted us to hang tight so that Henry (PBI's videographer, who was on Buggy One with us) could be airlifted out. Manitoba Conservation had discovered a dead polar bear and were taking Dr. Steven Amstrup (who I met last night) out by helicopter to collect some samples. We got another call about an hour later letting us know that the plans had changed so we pushed on...

The sun sure does sink early in these parts. We saw this bear going for a mid-afternoon stroll in the dying light of the day.

Not only did we see a bunch of polar bears, but we also saw a bunch of other animals out here on the tundra. An arctic hare, a red fox and a whole bunch of ptarmigan.

As the light was going out of the day (about 4pm) we made our final approach to Tundra Buggy Lodge where we'll be staying for the next few nights.

Days aboard Buggy One and nights aboard Tundra Buggy Lodge - I could get used to this :-)

For the next three days we'll be conducting a broad assortment of video conferences and webcasts aboard Buggy One. I'm really looking forward to helping facilitate the Tundra Connections webcasts this week as a representative of Edmodo. Those of you that are following the blog are more than welcome to post your questions here as comments...

Thanks for reading ;-)
Andy

Magical Moments

My first day in Churchill has been filled with so many incredible experiences that I don't even know how to start relating all of them. So many notable and memorable things have occurred already, and we haven't even headed out on Buggy One yet!

Of course, one of my highlights has to revolve around the mighty polar bear. I saw my first polar bears 'in the wild' today, but not the way I wanted to see them. The polar bears are gathering along the shore of Hudson Bay awaiting the arrival of the sea ice, where they'll spend the winter months hunting seals.

Unfortunately, freeze-up hasn't even begun yet this year, which is a real cause for concern! The ice is forming later in the fall and melting faster in the spring, which is having a real impact on polar bear populations. As the bears wait for the ice to form, they're forced to eat anything they can scrounge up. We stumbled upon about a dozen polar bears that have discovered piles of fermenting grain that they've turned to for sustenance.


Another highlight of my first day here was finding out more about D20, otherwise known as 'The Polar Bear Jail'. This facility has the capacity to accommodate up to 28 polar bears in holding cells until they can be safely released onto the sea ice. Polar bears that become 'problematic' within the town of Churchill can either be airlifted to D20 or captured in the bear traps you see below and transferred to the jail, where they typically spend at least 30 days before being set free.


I have learned so much throughout the day by spending time with so many people who are very knowledgeable about this unique location. They drove me around, walked along with me & made sure that I saw all of the essential sights within the town of Churchill, including the Eskimo Museum - what a collection of Inuit artifacts and artwork!


But the best part of my day has been getting to know all of the people who I'm sharing this adventure with - I feel so fortunate to be working alongside such a dedicated team for the next several days! Everyone involved with Polar Bears International is fantastic, and they've all been so warm & welcoming. From the accommodations they're providing us with to the dinner and presentation that they hosted tonight for Manitoba Conservation officials, they know how to take care of business by balancing it with the perfect mix of purpose and pleasure :-)

Time to turn the lights out on Day 1, as we climb aboard Buggy One tomorrow morning for the next phase of this adventure...

Don't forget to visit the 'Photos' page for a few more magical moments that were captured today :-)

Made it to Churchill

by amckiel

We landed in Churchill about an hour ago and it took no time at all for me to see my first polar bear. But, unfortunately, the bear that we saw was suspended high up in the air from a helicopter. He was on his way to Polar Bear Jail - I suspect to got a little too close to somewhere he shouldn't have been.

The relationship between humans and animals (in this case, polar bears) is dicey at best. This is polar bear country - that's Churchill's claim to fame!

As soon as we arrived in the airport, we were greeted by Sarah and Amy from Polar Bears International. They mentioned a sad experience that they had last night - seeing about eight large male bears eating old, fermented grains near the old dump.

So, the thing I'm already struggling with is whether the bears are getting in our way or whether we're getting in the way of the bears...

Reality Sets In...

I had a terrific time hanging out with Don Moore this afternoon - spending a couple of hours getting to know such a storied scholar and gentleman was exactly what I needed to get in the right head space for embarking on a trip to Churchill in the morning.

As I mentioned in the previous post, this will be Don's 11th trip to Churchill, so he knows exactly what to expect upon our arrival tomorrow morning. I know we're in for a busy week, but chatting with Don about his past experiences aboard Buggy One and Tundra Buggy Lodge confirmed what I was hoping - there's still plenty of opportunity to shoot lots of pics and soak in every aspect of the experience along the way :-)

Don Moore & The Nonsuch

What a treat to accompany someone like Don on a tour of the Manitoba Museum. I've visited these exhibits at least a dozen times, but it was like I was seeing everything through a new set of eyes. I soaked up every display as if it were the first time. I have a new appreciation for display boxes, diorama installations and use of space within each exhibit. I now have a much better appreciation of all the things the Manitoba Museum does so well, and a better perspective on how they could give some of their exhibits a bit of an overhaul...

After touring the Museum for a couple hours, I took Don on a bit of a tour of some aspects of Winnipeg I thought he might appreciate. Not only did he see the foundations being put in place for our Canadian Museum For Human Rights, but he also saw our two white bison at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.

Thanks for hanging out with me for a couple hours today, Don - can't wait to learn more from you throughout the next week :-)

One More Sleep

I climb aboard the plane to Churchill in less than 24 hours and there is still a lot to do before I embark on this journey. With each passing day, I've grown more excited about the prospect of travelling to the tundra, and the reality is starting to set in that this is really happening :-)

After tying up a bunch of loose ends at work yesterday, I joined a number of the panelists for next week's Tundra Connections webinars for a brief teleconference. Hearing a little more about each of these scientists, researchers and polar bear advocates helped me to realize just what a big deal this is. These are some of the world's leading experts on polar bears and the impact that global climate change is having on their existence along the southern shore of Hudson Bay.

In between packing, planning & preparing today, I will have a very unique opportunity this afternoon to take Don Moore to the Manitoba Museum. Don has dedicated over 30 years to the study of polar bears and this will be his 11th time travelling to Churchill. Don will be one of the panelists for next week's Tundra Connections webinars.

by Noah Jacquemin

I'm looking forward to getting to know Don a little better this afternoon and hearing some of his many tales of polar bear encounters. I learned yesterday that Don spent some time working with Gus, the polar bear from Central Park. I'm already familiar with the story of Gus, but I can't wait the find out more details through conversations with Don Moore this afternoon! If you don't know about Gus, you'll want to do a little digging on Google ;-)

Home Away From Home

Only a few more sleeps until I board the plane to Churchill and really begin this Arctic adventure. Last night I watched this short video that gives a 'behind the scenes' look at Tundra Buggy One, the vehicle that I'll be aboard through most of my days at Cape Churchill...


Seeing the footage of what happens aboard Tundra Buggy One and just outside of this amazing vehicle got me even more excited about setting out on this journey in a few short days!