A break in between classroom presentations!!
I headed North to see the polar bear population in Churchill near the Hudson Bay, Canada. This is my chance to observe polar bears in the wild!
There are only two ways to get to Churchill: by plane or by railroad. No roads lead to Churchill. I went by plane with a stop-over in Winnipeg.
We saw some great "bear activities" while in the tundra. The bears are stranded here after the sea ice melted earlier in the year. They gather near Churchill for the early sea ice formation in November. The sea ice formation happens here earlier than anywhere else on the Hudson Bay because it is mixed with the river freshwater which lowers the salt content of the water. This bear population has been living like this for thousands of years. Global warming and climate changes can endanger this particular population of polar bears very much. I learned so much about polar bears and will use some of these images for my classroom.
I took some friends along on this trip: "Southie” and ”Northie”. Southie has been to the South Pole with me in 1998/99. She made friends with Northie when we were visiting Barrow, Alaska. So Northie has been traveling with us since. In Crystal Lake Betty Trummel's geo-bear "Fluffie" joint us on our journey. Betty's Students will receive postcards from Fluffie and learn about geography.
Introducing Southie and Nortie. They are viewing the Hudson Bay in Churchill, Canada.
Northie, Southie, Fluffie , and Elke in Churchill, the capital of polar bears. All of us will travel to the South Pole.
