Tundra Bears

Just so everyone knows,  the tundra bears name is not an official name of polar bears. It was simply available in Blogger! Polar bears, scientifically known as Ursus maritimus, are actually marine mammals. However, the interesting thing about them is that they live on the top of the ocean's surface - on the sea ice. Consequently, they are considered non-aquatic. I called them tundra bears because this is where the bears around the Hudson Bay spend their summers.

Unlike other bears, summer is the time when polar bears are going through something similar to hibernation. They are driven onto the land because of the melting sea ice in the Hudson Bay. During this time, they are not able to hunt their favorite food- ringed and bearded seals. Their metabolism slows, and they conserve energy. For much of this time, they do not eliminate any waste, nor do they eat. We saw some bears digging into the kelp and chewing on it, but this does not offer them any nutrition. They rely on seals that are 50% fat for their diet, so they need to get out on the ice.

Polar bears rely on sea ice for survival. That is why this is the best time to see them in Churchill. They are all waiting to go back out on the sea ice, particularly the ice that covers the seal-rich continental shelf. They lose about a kilogram while waiting for the ice to form each fall. That is why when we saw two males encounter each other, they only spent a little energy while sparring, then they would rest near each other. These fights were not serious. If these same bears were to encounter each other out on the ice in the winter, they would have much more serious brawls. At that point, competition for mates and food is much stronger.

Terminus of an Esker

The land here is actually rising because this was covered by a glacier during the last Ice Age. As the isostatic rebound continues, Hudson Bay is actually getting smaller. The esker is the sign of a river that ran beneath the glacier. Today, these glacial deposits are above the permafrost layer, so you can see plants that are not seen in other parts of the tundra. Actually, this I a great spot for animals like the arctic foxes to hide out. We all just jumped up to get a picture!!!!! We were thinking it was too bleak today, but we saw him run past!

Female on the water's Edge

During the summer, the bears have zones while waiting to get out on the sea ice. The big males wait closest to the water' sedge. The females are usually found further inland. When they are with their cubs, they can be up to 120 km inland during the summer. In between are the sub-adults, which can be thought of as the teenagers. Now is a point when they all converge to prepare to head out. 

There was a big male bear lounging not far from her. At first I thought he didn't notice her, but a she left, he raised his head to calmly watch her walk away. She was a little skittish, running a bit when she noticed someone come out with a big lens.

You can see that her features are a bit different from the male bears in the other pictures. Males tend to have a more squared face. The necks on the females tend to be a bit shorter. Females often have cleaner looking coats, as well. It can be hard to determine a femae's age because as soon as she is mature enough to mate, she stops growing. The final clue that told us this was a female bear was that there were yellow stains on the back of her legs. Females urinate backward while males urinate forward. It's hard to see some of those features in this picture, but maybe you will be able to recognize her pictures on my Google Plus photo stream.

Tundra Buggy One

We parked next to Tundra Buggy One today. This is the buggy that is equipped with internet connection. When we watch webcasts, this is the buggy they use. On the top you can see a big blue contraption. That is Google Earth's equipment. They have been here for about a week to set up the street view of Churchill and the surrounding area.

Heading out

Good morning everyone! The winds have died down and we are heading back out onto the tundra trails to find more bears. This evening we will hav a presentation from Polar Bears International, and it sounds like their premier bear researcher, Steve Ambrust, will be coming out to talk with us! Our guide, Derek, and I have a deal to take pictures of each other with him because we will feel like we are meeting a movie star!!

Typos

Please excuse the occasional quick posts that are unedited - Sometimes I am in a rush to head out on the tundra. Earlier we were running to presentations and out to eat. The wireless fades in and out here, so you will have to work with me on this!

I have included a picture of Andrea and me as we waited for our lunch the other day. Her steak averaged out my veggie burger, and we both loved our dessert from Gypsy's Bakery and Restaurant. Sarah F, I can find a dessert friend anywhere!

Me and the Bear

The picture says it all!

Day of the Bears

So we started the day with a good omen. There was a bear that we saw right out our window as we ate in the dark. After breakfast, we boarded the buggy and headed only a matter of feet away to find a pair of 7-year old male bears sparring. After watching them for a while, seeing a third come in, and having several day-trip buggies join us, we circled around the lodge to take back our lunch dishes. When we arrived, this big guy (pictured below) was looking in the windows! At this point, he is back for dinner!

We also saw ptarmigans on our outing, and I learned a little more about my camera settings that will help these birds be more recognizable in the photos. The wireless has been in and out all day, so I am not sure I will be able to upload all of my pictures this evening. 

At one point today, the sun came out, and it changed the appearance of the bears. They looked more golden. They say that during the sunset, they will even take on the colors you see on the sky. Since we had such good luck with the bears today, I am hoping for luck with the sun tomorrow.

All day, we were able to look out the window and orient ourselves with the Lodge that was not so far away. (My bunk is in the last car as they appear in the picture below.) Tomorrow we may head out further onto the trails to see what we find. I will share the sparring images and videos when I return to the States.

Last day in Churchill

Breakfast

Breakfast was so early! We bundled up and headed out into the dark, walking together so we would feel safe. Later, I found out that the store down the street had a bear out back at that same time! We were happy to sit down and have a buffet- anything we wanted. Blueberry pancakes, fruit, eggs, and more filled my plate.

It was great to be able to talk about how great USM's professional development efforts are what has been described as "progressive." I am so fortunate to be on this trip, learning so much each day! I am with a group of others who are excited, too!

Cold Walk & Photos

As you can see, Churchill is known for more than polar bears. Andrea, a woman from Germany who wanted to brave the cold with me, and I walked around town to explore a little after breakfast. I think that the sign below describes Churchill well, although I think I would also add something about the extreme cold!

Maybe this sign was there to explain the cold a little better. It is a very basic weather system that reminds me of my dad. Take a look and see if you think you could be an accurate weatherperson:

Finally, we warmed ourselves at a few shops along the way, but we found this Inuksuk on the edge of town. Remember that these mark the paths, and it lines itself up with one of the main paths in Churchill.

Parks Canada

After a really cold walk and packing up our hotel rooms, we all met for a tour at Parks Canada. The guide told us about the bear, caribou, and cultural history of the area.

The polar bears in this area are the bears found farthest south. There was a model of their maternity dens, which are quite different from those of other bears. The bears actually dig beneath the permafrost and under a layer of peat. Because they are not only found in the snow and ice, the bears sometimes even use these dens in the summer months when they are living on land.

The caribou are a little different from the caribou found in Alaska. They are migratory, but they don't go nearly as far. Scientists are studying their genetics now to see if the caribou found in this area are actually a mix of the caribou found further north and further south.

Churchill's history started with three groups of Cree, Dene, Inuit. Then the French and English came and started fighting over who was going to rule over these fur-rich lands. It took 40 years to build the Prince of Wales Fort, and in the end, it was used more as a trading spot than a military base.

Lunch at Gypsy's Bakery and Restaurant

I had another veggie burger for a second day. I have to say that  this one was a standard veggie burger that did not compare to the one from the Tundra Inn, but the dessert was superb! 

Dog Sledding and Puppy Hugging

Dog sledding was one of my favorite activities so far! I stood on the middle of this sled. There were 7 dogs that led  me on a 1-mile route. I picked out a puppy to start my own. One day he will grow up to be like the dogs that pulled my sled. By the way, his dad was in my sled team. 

Tundra Buggy

It was exciting to get to the Tundra Buggies. We all piled into #9 with our driver for the next few days, Jimmy. He took us on a 1 1/2 hour ride to the Tundra Buggy Lodge. We will take our daily excursions on the little buggy while eating and sleeping on the Lodge, which is like a big train. Since we can't get out and walk around safely in the ground, we backed up to the lodge and walked pn- almost like a ship.

Interestingly , we were told that if there was a fire, we are to evacuate by heading to the smaller Tundra Buggy. After all, we can't go to the ground and act as polar bear bait!

The accommodations are even nicer than I anticipated. The bunks have beautiful blankets and it smells like cedar. I took a picture of the bathroom to show you how beautifully clean the facilities are. The bathrooms on the traveling buggy are more like an outhouse!!

On the way in, we saw a bear. I saw another on my way to sleep last night. This morning one was outside our breakfast window. I can't wait to head out to see what we see today! Our daily excursions run from 8-5, so I will update you once I return!

Dinner

10 PM - Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

I had forgotten until now that there is an alarm that sounds throughout the town at 10 PM. It is a curfew alarm to remind everyone that anyone who is under 16 is not allowed outside without adult supervision. It is all in the name of safety. Just last week there was a construction worker who was in an area just beyond the polar bear warning signs, and he encountered a bear. Luckily, he thought quickly and scared the bear away with the light on his cell phone. Maybe the bear just didn't like the brand of phone?  

In any case, while I am on the topic of younger citizens, I figured I would also describe the school. Duke of Marlborough School is part of a big center called the Town Complex. Within that building, you find the school, the hospital, the movie theater, and more. 

Just beyond the school is the Eskimo Museum. This was another stop we made today. It was amazing to see artifacts that were thousands of years old. Many were very small because the people who lived in this area were nomadic and didn't want to carry extra loads. One sculpture that really stood out in my mind was that of Nuliajuk, a young girl who falls in love and heads out to start a family. However, her husband ends up being a spirit. When her father comes to save her in his little boat, they paddle away as fast as they can. However, the spirit takes over and the girl is thrown overboard, only to have her grip on the boat broken and fall to the depths of the sea. There, she becomes the mother of all sea mammals. Later, hunters and fishers appeal to her when they have a bad hunt, and they thank her in more prosperous times. Note that in this sculpture, her hair is tied back neatly, showing order within the marine world. 

Saturday in Churchill

We started early this morning. After we loaded onto the bus from the hotel, we headed to the back end of the airport. We got onto a plane that was built in 1959 and all crossed our fingers. It was one of the nicest flights I have ever been on, surprisingly. During our 2 1/2-hour flight, we were served juice, coffee and tea, a sizable snack, plus a bottle of water. We also had a chance to talk with some of the people around us. The biggest novelty was the amount of leg room they offered back in the 50's! I could stretch out comfortably, and you all know I am tall! Once we landed in Churchill, we headed onto a big blue school bus for our area tour. (Check out the Newburg, WI phone number!)

We stopped at the polar bear "jail" first. When bears come into town, they are processed. This does not mean they are turned to meat. It means that they are recorded and tagged. They get a button in each ear, their top lip gets a tattoo, plus they extract a tooth to determine the bear's age. There used to be a system to monitor how many times the bears visited. The first time a bear came to town, it got a green dot. If it visited again, it got a yellow dot. On its third visit, it got a red dot. If a bear came to town a fourth time, exhibiting a rainbow of colors, then it was shot. Now the town is set up into zones. The red zone is in town, the airport, and the dump. These areas are actively patrolled 24 hours a day. If you are outside of town, you are in the yellow zone, and the polar bear patrol will come out if you call. It is unacceptable for people to kill polar bears except in self defense. The jail we visited is meant to contain captured bears until they are able to be released. Bears can be held for up to 30 days. Keeping families together, they are kept in their own cells, completely hidden from others by cinder blocks. This design is to alleviate as much stress as possible. Mothers with cubs get priority for release because they are the most stressed in these conditions, sensing other males nearby. I took some pictures of the facility as well as the culvert traps.

After the "jail," we headed toward the Hudson Bay. Along the path, we saw a plane that had been carrying milk and crashed in 1979 called Miss Piggy. Just past that, we stopped and saw a fox running around with a bird. We also stopped to see some sculptures by the edge of the Hudson Bay. Inukshuk is a large landmark in the shape of a person that shows a path. If it only has one arm, it shows the direction you need to travel. Someone once told our guide that he should always camp near inukshuk so he would not be lonely. 

We really felt the winds when we got out of the bus at Cape Merry, Prince of Whales Fort. That is where the mouth of the Churchill River meets the Hudson Bay. Our tour guide from Parks Canada was not fooling around. Not only was she able to withstand the cold with her coat open, but she carried a gun that would scare away any bear that came into sight. She made certain we knew not to take out cameras if we saw a bear. Instead, we needed to listen to directions and get back to the bus! We did not see any bears out there, but we did feel a bite from the cold. The winds whipped around and froze us! We were getting a taste of the cold that was rolling in. The winds tonight are going to reach around 70kph, and temperatures tomorrow are going to be well below 0 C. 

Winnipeg Arrival

I made it to Winnipeg. This evening we had an introductory meeting during which we met our guide, Derek, and all of the participants on our voyage. Because we are spending our nights in the Tundra Buggy Lodge, we have the benefit of looking for bears during sunrise and sunset. The cool thing about polar bears is that their hair is actually translucent, meaning they take on whatever color the sun makes the sky at the time. The other colorful treat will hopefully see is the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. We leave early tomorrow morning, so I am going to settle in for the night.

Heading Out

All set to go! It looks like Bosco, my dog, wants to follow along, but I don't think the polar bears will play well with him. I think I am all set. I've packed my USM sweatshirt and some extra memory sticks for my camera. Stay tuned!

Live Cam

Live streaming video by Ustream If I am unable to connect to the internet while I am in extremely remote parts of Canada, this live cam from explore.org will give you a taste of what I hope to see when I am on the Tundra Buggy.

Trip Itinerary

Friday, October 25
Everyone in the travel group will arrive in Winnipeg at various points throughout the day. At 9pm the group will be introduced to our Interpretive Guide.

Saturday, October 26
We will start with an early breakfast at the hotel restaurant. After breakfast, we will all board a shuttle that will take us to our chartered flight to Churchill. We will arrive in Churchill by 9:30am, and we will make the most of that day! Upon arrival, we will immediately depart on the Churchill and Area Tour. I will get to sport my new winter outerwear as it is bound to be cold. Between our various photo shoots, we will stop at a local restaurant for lunch. The Eskimo Museum is next. It includes an introduction and time to peruse. After the museum, we will head to the Polar Inn for the evening's dinner.

Sunday, October 27
After our breakfast, we will see a film on the history, culture, and wildlife of the area by Parks Canada. There will be some more time to explore the exhibits before we break for lunch. We will then meet at the Wapusk General Store for our dog sled ride. We get some time to greet the team of dogs, hear stories, and learn dog handling philosophy from a local resident before our ride through the boreal forest. We will meet at the gift shop and board the Tundra Buggy for dinner and the next few days.

Monday, October 28 - Wednesday, October 30
These are full days on Tundra Buggy Adventures, probably the most exciting part of the trip. On Wednesday evening we depart Churchill for Winnipeg. We have a late arrival to the hotel.

Thursday, October 31
Today we depart Winnipeg for home.