Days 6 & 7

Days 6 and 7 (Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16, 2011)

Yes, that’s right—I’m combining two days of daily postings...and that’s because most of us received one extra day in Canada! Unfortunately, the circumstances that enabled this to happen weren’t really that fun. We were scheduled to fly from Churchill to Winnipeg on Friday. However, flights were cancelled due to the dense fog in the area. Because we were unable to make it to Winnipeg Friday night, most of us missed our flights home on Saturday. I have to admit, though, that this was a mixed blessing because of what we got to experience instead!

Before we were scheduled to depart for the Churchill airport on Friday, PBI had arranged for us to have some time in the town of Churchill itself. We started at Parks Canada Visitor Centre, which taught us more about the area’s archaeological and natural history. We were also able to view some artifacts from the Hudson Bay Trading Company, as well as from some of the First Nations. Afterward, we were permitted to do a little shopping. It was a great chance to talk to some of the locals and see some of the artwork that was created in the area. I was also fascinated by the Eskimo Museum, which houses one of the world’s largest collections of Inuit carvings. 

While we walked through town, we also made sure we stopped at the large complex that houses an indoor playground, gymnasium, ice rink, pool, school, library, movie theatre and a couple of restaurants. It was amazing to see how much was actually contained inside the complex, which was designed to be a huge community center that provided a place for people to gather. The complex serves its purpose—it offers relief from the cold winters…and helps to keep people safe from polar bears!

We made our way to the airport and then waited for a few hours. There was a glimmer of hope that we would be able to depart to Winnipeg because our plane had already arrived. However, we needed a full flight crew in order to depart. The flight attendant who was scheduled to be on our plane was on a flight that ended up being diverted because they couldn’t land in Churchill. We were going to spend the night!

I have to give PBI all the credit in the world for scrambling to find places for 25 people to stay. Because of PBI’s great reputation in the area, some people were willing to offer up places for us to stay. PBI also recently purchased a home, but work was still being completed on it. Instead, the teens stayed with their chaperones in one home and had a big slumber party! PBI staff members called all over town for hotel rooms for the adults. Most rooms were booked since other groups visiting Churchill weren’t able to catch their flights either. However, the found a few available rooms, and all of us divided up in teams to go stay in the hotels around town. You know what this meant, of course—we got to take showers!!!  I feel asleep pretty quickly after that!

Everything about our trip suddenly began coming around full circle. At 5:30 a.m., my fellow Arctic Ambassadors heard cracker shots and a horn honking. Officer Bob Windsor was on duty, and he was chasing a polar bear out of town. The Polar Alert System was in place…and it worked. (Unfortunately, yours truly was out cold during all of the excitement.) 

We made it to the airport and boarded our flight to Winnipeg where some of us would have to stay overnight since we missed our early morning flights home. Of course, nothing was going to keep us down after the amazing experience we just had in Churchill! We ended up going to the Assiniboine Park Zoo…and once again saw how things we learned during our PBI Leadership Camp were coming together.

It is the Assiniboine Park Zoo that is currently constructing the Journey to Churchill habitat. This exhibit also includes the $6 million International Polar Bear Conservation Centre that will provide opportunities for academic research on the Arctic environment and polar bear conservation. Public education programs will also be offered. Of even more significance to the Arctic Ambassadors…this will serve as the polar bear rescue and relocation network for orphaned or injured animals. Opening in 2013, this is the facility from which accredited U.S. zoos that meet the required Manitoba Standards will receive their bears. When one stops to think about why it has to be constructed in the first place, it was a little sad to see. However, it was also exciting to see that construction of the facility is underway because it is already serving as a symbol of the conservation efforts being made.

Day 4

Day 4 (Wednesday, October 12, 2011)

Today, we took the Tundra Buggy® out for a work day. We’re gearing up for our webinar tomorrow (Thursday, October 13), which will be held at 1:00 p.m. CDT. During the webinar, we will talk about what we’ve learned as well as our experience at the Tundra Lodge.

Riding on the Tundra Buggy® and staying at the Lodge is an adventure in its own right! Tundra Buggy Adventures® is owned and operated by Frontiers North Adventures. The Tundra Buggy® itself is able to be driven across the tundra on roads that were constructed during the 1940s by members of the U.S. and Canadian militaries.  There was military presence here during World War II and through the Cold War as military personnel practiced Arctic maneuvers. The roads aren’t exactly what we would consider to be “roads”—they are often obstructed by large rocks and water. The Tundra Buggy® reminds me of a spacious school bus that is set on HUGE wheels, which lifts the body of the vehicle almost 12 feet off the ground. It keeps us safe from the reach of the polar bears and also helps us to travel across the rugged terrain. Today, each of us got to have a turn driving the Tundra Buggy®. It’s definitely harder than it looks!

The Tundra Buggy® also transports us to the Tundra Buggy Lodge, which is comprised of specialized modules that link together (stretching a total of approximately 328 feet). The Lodge consists of two sleeper cars (which each has 18-20 bunk beds), the lounge, dining and utility car. Despite close quarters, the beds are quite comfortable. Curtains surround each bed, and we all have our own light, window and small mirror. I have written most of my blogs from my bunk as I occasionally stop to scan the area for polar bears and the Northern Lights (though so far, I have been unsuccessful with the latter because it has been too cloudy).

The food is great and is prepared daily by some of the PBI employees and volunteers. We each take turns at cleaning. Last night, I replaced towels in the bathrooms and this morning, I was on kitchen duty. (I helped wash dishes after breakfast.) I should also mention that in order to be more “green,” we have joined our previous Camp participants in the “No Shower Challenge.” We aren’t really telling people that in order to be green, they can’t practice personal hygiene. However, the water has to be driven out to the Tundra Buggy® for our use.  Because we are limited in terms of water supply, we decided to save the time, effort and gas for that water to be transported to us. I have to admit that the challenge really hasn’t been that difficult. All of the Camp attendees (in BOTH the teen and communicator camps! )this year happen to all be females. We’re doing well with the challenge, though almost all of us have either pulled our hair back into ponytails or are wearing hats. Of course, this is also due in part to the strong Arctic winds!

It is truly a pleasure to stay at the Lodge and experience the Tundra Buggy®. Last night, we were joined by John Gunter, the General Manager of Frontiers North. The company is a platinum sponsor of PBI and without their support, we would not have this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I was thoroughly impressed with the management and operation of this company. John Gunter was born and raised in Churchill, and his family has helped to put Churchill on the world map for tourism in order to help raise awareness about this unique area. 

Frontiers North is also constantly coming up with ways to be greener. The hydraulic fluid they use in their vehicles is biodegradable. If there is ever a leak, it will have a negligible impact on the surrounding environment. The company has also undergone an energy audit and is now using cleaner burning engines.

Frontiers North has also been instrumental in contributing to a new recycling program in Churchill. Since there are no roads to Churchill, it is difficult to transfer recyclables somewhere else. Instead, Frontiers North works with the charter flights that come into Churchill. Planes that are already traveling south are now taking recyclables and are not charging for the service. Waste Management has also gotten involved and uses the recyclables for roads and other products. They, too, do not charge for this service. By simply working together and incorporating practices that were already in use, it has been a win-win situation for everyone involved.

The purpose of this Leadership Camp is to give us a better understanding of what is occurring in the polar bears’ habitat as well as take this knowledge and turn it into a forward action plan. Seeing a company use existing tools (roads, transportation, etc.) and having an impact on so many visitors certainly helps us provide a model for how we, too, can implement change. 

Today, Nichols School in Buffalo, NY will be one of the groups participating in our webinar tomorrow. Earlier this year, the Buffalo Zoo and PBI awarded Nichols School with the Paw of Approval Award for their green practices. I hope that these young bright students, along with other groups will be joining us in this webinar, will get a sense of what we are experiencing in Churchill and how it will take all of us to make changes in order to make a positive impact on climate change.

I’ve learned many things during this conference, but something stood out today during one of our group discussions. Even as individuals, we don’t have to do EVERYTHING—we just have to do SOMETHING. 

Day 1

Hi, everyone! I just want to thank you for your interest in reading my daily postings. I am so excited to be a part of Polar Bears International’s (PBI) Communicator Leadership Conference in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, and I am pleased that you are joining me in learning more about polar bear conservation!

A lot went into preparing for this trip. While this experience is designed to be fun of course, it’s certainly not a vacation. Camp will require hard work.

Before I even left Buffalo, I completed five reading assignments covering the biology, management and conservation of polar bears, as well as global issue of climate change. Compiled by a number of leading scientists in the field of conservation, these readings and scientific findings made one thing very clear: The longer we wait to address the issue of climate change, the more irreversible the damage will be…and it will affect ALL of us.

I invite you to continue following my daily postings so together we can all learn what we can do to address the very important issue of climate change and how we can ultimately help polar bears.

Day 1 (Sunday, October 9, 2011)

For almost nine months, I’ve been counting down the days until the start of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…and now that day has finally arrived!

Today, I took a flight from Buffalo to Chicago and then another one to Winnipeg. The total flying time was just a little more than three hours—not bad! Once I arrived in Winnipeg, I checked into the Four Points Sheraton, where we will all be staying for our first night. I met up with my roommate, Marla, who works at the Alaska Zoo. I really can’t complain about being tired from traveling considering she has been traveling since last night!

All of us met up for dinner during which we had our “icebreaker.” We were each assigned another Camp participant to interview and then introduce to the group. As I listened to the introductions, I was very impressed with the variety of backgrounds that make up our group. I think we will all have something to add to the mix and that we’ll be able to make great strides as a result!

We also ate with the participants who will be experiencing the teen camp. After talking to the teens, I’m even more inspired! Some have already started implementing plans to reduce CO2 in their communities and are looking for ways to do even more to help reduce their carbon footprint.

The evening drew to a close after we received an overview of the history and topography of Churchill and what to expect this week while we are there. In addition to all of the group discussions and lectures, we are going to each take turns cleaning inside the Tundra Buggy and helping with some meals—yep, it’s all a part of the experience!

What stuck out to me, however, was when Bill Watkins, a biodiversity conservation zoologist with Manitoba Conservation, talked to us about Churchill itself. He touched on town’s history and culture and even cautioned us to be vigilant since polar bears can sometimes come into the town to look for food. He described Churchill—the Polar Bear Capital of the World--as a place unlike any other. This town, which is accessible only by rail or plane, is one that is full of history (both culturally and geologically). Moreover, the locals witness climate change firsthand and recognize that something needs to be done quickly.

Sadly, there are no signs of snow yet, though the first snowfall should have already occurred this time of year. The weather report shows that temperatures will be in the low 40s for most of the week. A couple of weeks ago, Bill said they experienced record highs in the upper 80s. These certainly aren’t ideal conditions for polar bears, who are waiting for ice to form so they resume hunting for seals after months of fasting on shore.

I am intrigued by the descriptions of Churchill—a unique place that Bill himself stated will have an emotional impact on all of us.

At 5:30 a.m., we will meet in the lobby and walk across the street to the Winnipeg airport. There, we will board our two-hour flight to Churchill and finally experience this amazing place that we’ve heard so much about. Our adventure is about to begin!