Hello and Happy Holidays! This has been a very busy month, as I’m sure it has been with everyone. I received my first holiday card from Alaska. Robert and Carolyn Buchanan, the Preseident of Polar Bears Internation and his wife, sent me greetings from the north.  It explained an Inuit belief that the Lords of the Arctic have a special sense that allows them to “look into our hearts and touch our souls through their eyes.” What a honor it was to be able to meet these bears in their own habitat.

 

I have been continuing to spread the polar word at Rush-Henrietta and beyond. I have recently contacted the Girl Scouts and would like to develop a plan to involve scouting in polar bear preservation and conservation. I would love to visit other school district and community meetings. If your organization would like to learn more about my Arctic trip, please drop me a line a polargirl09@gmail.com

 

I hope that during this holiday season, we can reflect on our place in helping the bears.

 

~Rachel

Great news in the paper this morning. Aurora made the front page! I know I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she is “with cub(s)”.

This week was an eventful one for me. I am a member of RH’s Science Honor Society and the Environmental Club. Both of these organizations hosted a silent auction to benefit Polar Bear International. We had ordered a number of items from PBI and received donations from the community. People and organizations who donated items included Gobel Glass, Savoia Pastry Shoppe, Dry Clean Express, Linda Lapp Jewelry and the Seneca Park Zoo. Families who donated included the Yuhas and Cromiller’s. Thanks to all these participants, we will be able to send a generous donation to PBI At this event, I was able to give my first slide show and DVD presentation since I’ve been home. I felt it went well and I received positive feedback from those in attendance.

I’ll be putting that presentation to use this week when I finally get the chance to meet the class I video conference with when I was in Churchill. I will be going into Ms. House’s 7th grade science class on Monday. I know the students calculated their own carbon footprint on Friday. I can’t wait to hear the results. If you’d like to determine your own carbon footprint and see how much impact you are having on our environment, check out http://www.thermo-stat.org/

Just a few things you can do to reduce your own footprint include unplugging your appliances when not in use. Even if the appliance is not being used, it is still drawing electricity when plugged in. It is estimated you can save up to 10% on your utility bills by taking this one step. Also, lower the temperature in your home, even one degree will help. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!! But don’t stop there – buy recycled products!

Sorry….I experienced a couple of days of technical difficulties! On with the post:

On Tuesday, 7 of us left Churchill and ventured into the boreal forrest with Churchill native Dave Daley of Wapusk Adventures. On the agenda for the day; dogsledding! I had never been dogsledding before so had no idea what to expect. I was thoroughly impressed by the entire operation, from “Alpha Dog”, Dave’s passion for mushing to the intelligence and eagerness of his husky companions.

I learned that the dogs are socialized immediately. At just a few weeks of age they live with mom in a large pen outside of Wapusk General Store where each day tourists and local school children come by to play with them. This socialization is useful when they have to deal with other sled dogs in the line and for dealing with the hundreds of tourists who they pull each year during bear season.

Dogsledding isn’t just a business for Dave, it’s a way of life. Founder of the “Hudson Bay Quest”, a 400km dogsled race linking Churchill to Nunavut, Dave’s life is devoted to his dogs, their care, and educating people about this aboriginal tradition.

The day starts with a Dogsledding 101 taught by Dave himself. We learned that each dog has a role in the line; some are natural leaders others the “work horses”. Some dogs are long distance runners, others are better suited for shorter stretches. Whatever the case, each dog has it’s role and al are equally important to a good team of sled dogs. The true leader of the pack or “alpha dog” is Dave. He needs to be in control of his dogs at all time and it really is quite amazing (and heartwarming) to watch him interact with them.

After the talk we are ready to sled. The sled holds 3 people, two guests and a guide. Our guide was Joel, Dave’s son who used to work for Tundra Buggy. The 1 mile ride takes anywhere from 5-9 minutes and let me tell you, it’s a wild one!!! Joel “steers” the dogs using a series of commands standard in the dog sledding community. When they slowed down because a red fox was peking out of it’s den he yelled, “ON BY”, and the dogs reluctantly forged ahead. “Gee” means turn right, Haw is the command for moving or turning left, and Whoa! means, slow down! The ride itself is exhilarating and exciting but besides that you come away from the experience with a profound appreciation for the sport of dogsledding.

At the conclusion of the experience we were rewarded with hot cocoa and “bannek” a tradtitional dense sweet bread, as well as a certificate for completing the Wapusk Adventure, “Ididamile”. I look forward to my next dogsledding adventure, maybe in Churchill, perhaps somewhere else but I will never forget my afternoon spent with Dave and his amazing crew of huskies.

Every now and then I’m reminded of just what a unique place Churchill is. On Tuesday I took a day off from the tundra to do some dog sledding. I figured I would sleep in that morning since the hectic pace we are keeping had me feeling a bit under the weather. At about 7:30 I woke to the sound of cracker shells being fired outside my bedroom window. If it were the middle of the night I would have thought nothing of it but an early am bear in town was reason to get me out of bed! I looked out my window and there was a polar bear, walking slowly past, seemingly undeterred by the noise. Two more rounds and he was moving a bit faster but then stopped for a rest a few hundred yards away. It didn’t take long before he was on the move again, this time out of town and back on the tundra where he belongs.

I can’t believe I’ve been home for a few weeks already. It has been a whirlwind of activity. While in Churchill, I took over 500 photographs and short videos. I’ve been working on a Powerpoint presentation I can take with me when I have speaking engagements. I think it will be a great tool to help spread the news about the changing environment of our world and just how serious the problem is becoming. When you think about it, it makes sense that any environmental change would be felt in the extremes climates of the world before we notice it in our worlds. There, the changes would be faster and more dramatic.

 

I have been asked to speak at some of the school in my home school district, Rush-Henrietta. I will be visiting Ms. House’s seventh grade class that participated in the video conference with us while we were in the Arctic. I will be heading to the Ninth Grade Academy to speak to a biology class as well. I’m excited to be spreading the word and sharing the knowledge I’ve gained.

 

Beginning in January, I will be participating in some great events at the Zoo. Check back for more information!!

 

- Rachel

As I sit typing, I hear numerous dogs barking outside my bedroom window. Dogs in Churchill give a whole new meaning to the word “watchdog”. Typically huskys, these dogs live outside year round and are relied upon to warn of a bear in the vicinity. I expect to hear cracker shells soon…a warning to the bear to move out of town or take a trip to D-20! As of today 16 bears sit in D-20, better know as the “Polar Bear Jail”. D-20 is a holding facility for bears who come within 5 miles of the town, or bears who repeatedly find themselves in places they shouldn’t be. As the ice builds these “problem bears” will be moved out onto the bay via helicopter, a process is known as a “bear lift”. 

I can’t believe I’ve already spent 3 days on the tundra. Time flies when you’re watching polar bears! The past two years I’ve come up much earlier in the season; arriving mid-October and departed before Halloween. This year I arrived on November 4th and let me tell you, what a difference a week makes! The most obvious difference is there is snow on the ground, something I had not seen in Churchill in years prior. There are more bears and they are moving as opposed to laying down (a strategy to conserve energy on those “warm” 30 degree days). You see fewer ptarmigan (small birds in the grouse family), arctic hare, and arctic fox. They’re there, just so well camouflaged  that they are incredibly difficult to spot. Very few birds are left at all now. 

The pace in Churchill is very hectic, with new people coming and going every day. As soon as you get off the buggy the socializing begins; long dinners with incredibly interesting people from various backgrounds. It’s always nice to be around other zoo folks and there are quite a few old friends in town. The folks from World Wildlife Fund and Apple Computer’s, “Educator of the Year” are here as well. World famous scientists and photographers have joined us, a few celebrities come up next week, all for the sole purpose of seeing polar bears and learning about the state of their fragile environment. I feel fortunate to spend two weeks with so many people who share my passion for this amazing animal.

Yep, there go the cracker shells…………….

Kara Masaschi, Zookeeper

I arrived in Churchill this morning after a relatively uneventful flight from Winnipeg. I had the great pleasure of sitting next to Andy Derocher, one of the top polar bear scientists in the world, and the over two hour flight seemed to fly by as I picked his brain about the most recent status of the worlds polar bears. Sobering news, but it only reinforced why I feel so strongly about the role I play during my time here in Churchill and at Seneca Park Zoo.

As an In-Field Lecture with Polar Bears International, it is my job to educate large groups of people who visit Churchill to observe the migration of the Western Hudson Bay population of polar bears. Everyday I hop onto a Tundra Buggy and at some point during the the nearly 6 hour ride I give a presentation on basic bear biology, PBI’s role in field work, and what zoo’s are doing to conserve this unique animal and it’s habitat. When I return home the job is not finished. I will continue to educate visitors at Seneca Park Zoo and the Rochester community.

It was difficult leaving my family yesterday. Two weeks away from my husband and two young sons seems unbearable at times. I am grateful for their support and the support of my zoo. It was great reuniting with my “Churchill family” and I’m really looking forward to this years adventure.

- Kara Masaschi, SPZ Zookeeper

Let’s me fill you in on my last two days in the Arctic Circle. Wednesday morning, we participated in a video conference with my home school district, Rush-Henrietta. We spoke with Miss House’s seventh-grade science class at Roth Middle School. The students had great questions and seemed to enjoy what we had to say. Personally I think this was our best video conference thus far; we were relaxed and answered every question that came our way. I really hope we inspired the students make a difference. After the video conference we began our preparations to leave the buggy; we went into cleaning mode! We took our job assignments and set off at whirlwind pace. After the buggy was spotless, we set off for the town of Churchill. The buggy ride into town was unique. The reason being… we got to drive!! We all took turns driving the buggy for a few meters.  That may not sound like a lot, but the buggy only travels at four miles per hour. May I say, it’s nothing like driving a car. The steering wheel is huge – not at all like my little Subaru back in Rochester. Upon arriving in town, we had our final meal at Gypsy’s, and yet again, the food was fantastic. It was a great send off from the town of Churchill. We then departed on our Calm Air flight into Winnipeg. This morning, I said my final good-bye’s to all the wonderful people I had met. I can’t believe my arctic adventure went by as quickly as it did. This has been one of the best experiences of my life and I am very grateful to Polar Bears International, The Seneca Park Zoo and Xceed Financial Credit Union for providing me with such an opportunity. What an amazing adventure!!! I’ll miss all the people (and bears) I spent the last week with – at least until we meet again.

 

- Rachel

 

P.S. Be sure to check back – pictures to follow!

Journal entry – Tuesday October 14, 2008, 9:49 p.m.

Today I had of the coolest experiences of my life. I went on a helicopter ride across the tundra. We went to breakfast at 7:30 in preparation for our excursion. Breakfast was pretty much silent as we sat and ate. When we were done inhaling our food we ran and got our jacket, gloves, hat, and most importantly our cameras! We boarded the buggy as soon as our supplies were in tote. As we talked after boarding the buggy, we soon heard a noise. The choppers were upon us!! As they called out the boarding arrangements, we went (as fast as we could mind you) out the door. What I saw shocked me, there were six helicopters sitting out on the tundra waiting for us. After our pilot made sure we were situated we were off! The view from the helicopter was astonishing. The ground below us was flying by at an incredible rate. Everything looked like it was meant for a doll house. The trees looked like matchsticks. Being up in the air didn’t take away from the vastness of the bay. After being up in the air for about 30 minutes, we landed in the boreal forest.  We went out to go and visit a maternal den that had been used in the past years. It was really cool because we got to see how polar bears live as far as homes go. Usually only conservation officers get to see these dens and I feel very lucky to have seen it. It’s clear tonight so maybe we’ll get lucky and see the lights again tonight. What a way to end our last night on the buggy!

 

- Rachel

The Northern Lights in Churchill.

Journal entry: Monday October 13, 2008, 4:15 pm

Last night was amazing!!! We finally saw the northern lights!! They came out at around 7:30 and we stayed out until 10:30 watching them. At first they were faint but as the night progressed the colors became more vivid. We stared to see green, red, violets, and white-ish colors. It was by far one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my life. The colors formed a curtain across, and were rippling across the sky. Then it would fade away for a moment, and new streak would soon form. Even when I went to bed I could see them from my window and I watched them still. Needless to say it was extremely difficult to wake up this morning, but that’s ok Robert’s wonderful singing woke us up in no time. We were going to go out on the tundra this morning but the buggy wouldn’t start, instead we stayed back and prepped for our video conference. We talked with a school from Pittsburgh. They presented us with some very insightful questions. We were a little nervous at first but then we warmed up to it and had a lot of fun. It was good practice for my public speaking when I get back to Rochester. We then had lunch with some fur trappers. Now it may seem weird that someone who is adamant about conservation may have a fur trapper as a guest speaker. But it was really quite insightful. These people are really in-tune with nature. They understand the working of an ecosystem just as well if not better than any scientist that I’ve come across so far. It gave me a new side to the story one that I previously had never considered. Now that I’ve heard them speak my views have changed and I’m forever thankful.

- Rachel

A mama bear and her cubs frolic in Churchill.