10/7/08

As it turned out, I finished my blog last night before any of the fun had started. We were halfway through a presentation on the northern lights when Robert opened the door to tell us we were on bear alert. We ran over to the dining car where, directly outside, were our favorite mother and cubs, this time much closer than our previous sightings. We stuck our heads out the windows and lighted up the dark night with our camera flashes. This was one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life. At one point, Donald and I were leaning our heads out the window when the mother walked right up to us. She began sniffing the area by the tire under us when suddenly she stood up on her hind legs, coming within two feet of our outstretched arms. If she had been a fully-grown male, it is very possible that I would be without hands when I returned to Alaska. Still, it took much resistance to not reach out and pet her snout. Although it is kind of a feminine word, I can find no other way to describe the cubs than “cute.” We all went to bed with our hearts pounding.

The helicopter trip today was amazing. With an uproar of noise and a storm of dirt and dust, not one, but five of them picked us up just outside of the buggy. Once we were all strapped in, Liftoff! We flew for 25 minutes, traveling farther and farther away from the Hudson. We passed rivers, lakes, and swans, (no mountains of course), until we finally reached our destination. Under layers of bouncy caribou lichen and permafrost, we found a single bear den. The den had recently collapsed because arctic warming had caused this permafrost to melt. This phenomenon has killed many bears in the past few years. After exploring the den and considering these consequences we were back on the helicopter. We flew low as we passed over several moose and caribou.

Finally we were back to camp and we rushed to prepare for several videoconferences, the first of which was from the Alaska Zoo! I was startled to see that several inches of snow lined the ground of my home state. Now it is dinnertime and the polar bears have decided to come join us.

10/8/08
This morning all the boys decided to join in with Robert’s singing exploits. We crept into the girl’s room and burst out with our rendition of “Beautiful Day.” We were surprised to see that the girls were too tired to retaliate. I think the effort that we put into the last week has left all of us exhausted, but at the same time, motivated to face a bigger challenge: facing the rest of the world.

It is hard to believe that this is my last blog entry. I think that everyone here will be sorry to leave, but hopefully this will not be the last time we see each other. We have pledged to stay connected and I imagine our group will stick together for years to come.

In closing, I would like to thank all the residents of Churchill and presenters that helped to educate us. I would like to thank the tundra buggy staff for providing us with the coolest lodge I have ever stayed at. I would like to thank the tundra that gave us the amazing location where our adventure could take place. I would like to thank the family of polar bears that gave us constant entertainment and amazing pictures. Finally, I would like to thank the PBI staff that made this trip possible and provided us with such a fun, educational experience. The change that they have made and the change that us ambassadors will soon make in the world may be enough to save the polar bears.

10/6/08
Sunday was a day of work. We woke up tired after staying up late the night before looking at the northern lights. It was my group’s turn for meal duty. Together we mixed more eggs and cooked more sausage than I had ever seen. After shoveling down this meal, jumped onto the Tundra Buggy and left to visit our polar bear pals. Our group was working on our presentation when just past Becca’s ear I spotted a white dot in the distance. At first I wasn’t too sure of myself since there had been several white rocks spotted in the past but when this rock began to twitch, I shouted, “Bear!” If it weren’t for the buggy’s monster truck wheels, the sudden rush to my side of the vehicle would definitely have left us capsized. Only seconds later, there was another shout, “fox,” as an artic fox ran directly in front of the bears. We were confused; which animal should we take pictures of first. I decided on the fox, which was lucky because it soon skittered out of view. The bears however were breathtaking. They wandered the coast of Hudson Bay and the sun reflected on the sea behind them.

Back at camp, our group presented a debate on the effects of climate change on natives of the arctic vs. the benefits of arctic melting to the shipping and oil industries. We then served what I would label a sumptuous roast beef dinner.

After dinner was a different story.

The emotions that we have experienced so far on the trip: enjoyment, entertainment, comedy, and comfort. The emotions that we experienced last night: depression, anger, discomfort, and fear. It is hard to imagine that a Powerpoint presentation can leave people in tears. It is hard to imagine that PBI President Robert Buchanan, such a warm fellow can turn so harsh and so passionate. The presentation covered a possibility that we have yet to face. It might be too late to save the polar bears. Even if we do everything we can to change, change takes time, and time is something we do not have. The goal of the presentation wasn’t to destroy or morale and our hopes however. There may be ways in which we can lengthen the survival of the species until we can create a suitable environment for them. We must bring our message to the world for even if polar bears end up becoming extinct, there are more species that will soon be affected by climate change and it is not too late to save them. We ended the night not sad, but sober. We have been given a world with terrible problems but we must do our best to face them.

10/7/08

This morning we were woken up to the usual tune of Robert’s melodious version of “Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day.” By melodious I mean that the horrible creaking melody he created rudely awakened us from the deepest corners of our dreams. I should mention that the girls used up their supply of water last night in their bunkhouse. This morning they came trooping in with the nerve to think they could use ours! Because of this I was prohibited my leisurely process of waking up and I had to wait until after breakfast to shower.

We went out on our buggy again to take a final look at our family of polar bears. They were shy today but we found another arctic fox and overall it was a pleasant experience. We went back to the lodge where we completed our first videoconference and I was amazed by the intelligence of the group and of our ability to think on our feet.

The best part of the day and one of the best parts of the trip came ten minutes ago after once again we were rushed off to the buggy, this time only to drive about 20 yards away from the lodge. Finally, for the first time in three days, they unloaded us onto solid ground. The rocks were smothered with affection as we all ran around; several kids even went so far as to kiss them. For me, the feeling was of complete euphoria. I have decided I never want to be on boats or anything that takes me away from earth for long periods of time.

Tomorrow I will be able to shorten the list of things I would like to do before I die. Tomorrow we get to ride helicopters!

10/4/08

Today we experienced our first polar bear sighting! (Or maybe I should say our first three polar bear sightings.) After waking up bright and early and eating breakfast, we split into groups and began discussing climate change. We were soon interrupted and were rushed out the door and into the tundra buggy. They did not tell us the reason for this hurry but as we all assumed, we were in for a treat. After driving through the tundra for about 20 minutes, all the while scanning the horizon for bears, we saw three white specs about a mile away on the other side of a tidal pool. We slowly moved and the specs enlarged into three polar bears, a mother and two cubs. After a quick stop to take pictures and a pause so that BJ, the driver, could hear over our "oohs" and "aaws," BJ moved around the pool so that we could get a closer look. When we finally were about 50 meters away from the bears, they got up from their resting positions and the mother began herding her children away from the noise. We slowly followed them, willing the mother to stop and let us get close. After a long game of cat and mouse, we were finally able to move within 25 meters of the bears. We are off to a good start on what we hope will be a great collection of wonderful images and memories. Even from afar, it is apparent that the animals are gigantic. The first year cubs, called cub of the years or COYs, look about as big as I had imagined a full grown male to be.

After returning to the lodge, we sat down to listen to Lisa Gilbert, one of the adult facilitators, give us a presentation about presentations and I was surprised as she created enthusiasm in our sleepy group.

Finally, right before dinner, it was our groups turn to clean up. Our first duty was to dispose of the "honey bucket," a word that I know about from the numerous outhouses in Alaska, but that girls from Wisconsin and Oklahoma were not so familiar with. After much squealing and pinched noses, our task was accomplished, and we were able to move on to a dinner of "Polar Bear Chili," and "Ptarmigan Pot Pie." The two tasted suspiciously of beef and chicken however.

Last night I hear that the Northern Lights came out when the sky cleared up, but I was too sleepy to notice. Maybe I will be able to catch a glimpse tonight!

10/2/2008- Thursday and Friday
Hello Everyone! It is nice of you all to read my blog. I am not sure I can convey exactly how it feels to be sitting outside of Churchill in the heart of polar bear country, but I will do my best.

I got into Winnipeg yesterday and spent the day waiting as ambassadors from all around the world got in. In the evening we bonded while eating a fabulous dinner given to us by the Four Points Hotel. Right before bed we were suprised with another gift. Canada Goose donated to each of us a jacket capable of keeping all of us warm in the cold Churchill weather (even the Australians). The jackets are filled with goose feathers and the hood is lined with coyote fur.

Today was our first day waking up in Canada. We got up at four in the morning and as you can imagine we our still suffering from lack of sleep. We have spent most of our time today traveling, whether it was on the airplane flight to Churchill, the bus rides around town, or finally the tundra vehicle ride to our final destination, the Tundra Buggy Lodge, where at the moment I am currently sitting here typing.

We got of the plane in Churchill and immediate impression was flat. Turning in a full circle, we saw nothing but tundra. As we drove into town, I think many of the ambassadors were shocked by the starkness of the community. Only 900 people live in the village and what was titled downtown didn't have a single McDonalds or a KFC! We soon found that what the community lacked in size it made up for in quality. We spent time in the Parks Canada Museum where we learned about the wildlife that we are hoping to soon see. After eating a tasty meal at Gypsies, where we learned about poutine, the canadian dish in which french fries are smothered in cheese and gravy, we took a walk around town. As we walked through the streets we were told of the polar bear warning system which alerts the town members of overly confident animals. I laughed as I thought about a siren blearing through the town like a bomb warning during World War II, screaming "Polar Bear Alert, Polar Bear Alert, Please Report to the Nearest Building." I soon learned that the system isn't quite so advanced but is still an effective way of getting the word out. We walked down to the beach where we dipped our hands into the ice cold surf of Hudson Bay. One of the adult facilitators felt more of the water than she intended as a wave crept up on her from behind and drenched her feet. Afterwords we got on the bus again and traveled to D-20, the "polar bear jail." This is the place that stores the bears mentioned earlier that spend too much of their time involved with the affairs of the residents of Churchill. As we passed around the building, looking at the traps that cage to polar bears, we heard some ominous clanking coming from inside the metal compound.

After making a few more quick stops we were off on our way to the Tundra Buggy docking point, where we boarded the buggy. It is an enormous contraption with wheels that are at least five feet (or one and two thirds of a meters) in diameter. It moseyed over the rough terrain, passing through small ponds and stopping so we could photograph a flock of ptarmigans. We did not see any polar bears on this expedition but we arrived at the Tundra Buggy Lodge thoroughly satisfied. In this name, the word "lodge" can be deceiving. The building is mobile and takes the shape of six or seven attached buggies. Although this may sound rough, we are actually quite comfortable. We just sat down to a meal of soup and sandwiches and now we are all sitting in one of the buggies with our laptops out, listening to nothing but the sound of typing. For the second night in a row I find myself nodding off so I am going to retire for now. I hope to get back to you all in a couple of days.
So long for now!
James