Today was a GREAT day! And, it had some sad moments, too. But, oh, how lucky I am!!
I awakened this morning to eat breakfast, shower, and prepare for the day’s videoconferences as I have all week. This was going to be my last day on the tundra, and I didn’t want to see the end of this amazing experience. But, there was a silver lining in that I was going to return to Churchill in a helicopter. My first helicopter ride! Wow!
Once the morning routine had been completed, we headed out in the buggy towards the tundra to where we would park while we worked during the morning. On the way, we stopped and watched a bear that was lying by a pool of water…lying in wait just in case a seal might appear. Bears have lots of patience…waiting by breathing holes and bodies of water, just hoping a seal will surface.
We had two broadcast events today. One was the ALI webcast…the final in the series of three. After intermittent, normal techie issues all week, we got this one completely right! It seems things always go well when it is the last event in a series…just when you are ready to quit. The “topic du jour” was taking action and making a difference in regard to polar bears and climate change. Immediately following the webcast, we had an iChat A/V session with sixth grade students at St. George’s. They had lots of GREAT questions for us!
Once both events were over, we all felt a huge relief. It had been a very busy week with lots of work, but it was also amazing fun. There was a great synergy between the five of us…the three scientists, B.J. (the Tech Guru of the Arctic), and myself. We all felt that we had done really well, touched lots of people, shared our passions and our messages, and made a difference in the world…if only for a few days. But, hopefully, that difference will continue to grow exponentially as others view the archived webcasts and as the ones we touched this week hopefully make changes in their lives that will have an impact on the environment and on others around them.
I had hoped to have time to head out farther in the buggy in search of more polar bears. We saw bears in the distance all around Buggy One all morning while we were working…a mother and cubs, a big male, and the aforementioned bear lying in wait for the seal to pop up out of the pool of water he was lying by. So, after our busy week of work, I was looking forward to exploring without working, taking photos, etc.
However, the helicopter bringing the next two PBI “workers” (a scientist and a cinematographer) radioed and
was coming earlier than we had expected. That helicopter was my ride back to Churchill. And, although I really wanted another day on the tundra, I totally understand that space for the PBI staff and volunteers is limited, and we have to “time share” the buggy and resources. And the really great news was…I was getting the helicopter ride I had looked so forward to!
So, we gathered up my bags and went out on the tundra when the helicopter landed. It was only the second time I’d been out on the actual tundra, and it was amazingly beautiful. Almost all of our time had been spent in the buggy where it is safe and warm…or out on the back deck of the buggy. I stood on the tundra, soaking in the view, just making a memory map of what I was seeing in my brain so I could recall the image later…and keep it with me forever. Then, I climbed into the helicopter and prepared for my next great adventure. My father has been a pilot since he was a teenage boy, so I have flown in small planes for years. Because of that, I wasn’t at all concerned or afraid…I was excited!
I was busy getting my cameras ready for photos and video because I wanted to video the liftoff and take shots from the sky…but all of the sudden I looked out the window, and we were already in the air! Wow! It is such an amazingly smooth ride that I never even knew we had lifted! That is what I recall the most about the entire flight…how smooth it was. It is as if you are floating on a cloud above the earth.
The view of the tundra…the snow, ice, Hudson Bay…everything…was so amazing! It truly was breathtaking and emotionally moving. Never in a million years had I ever envisioned this moment, and I realized how lucky I am to have had an experience like this if which most people can only dream.
So, I took lots of photos of everything I saw below me. Sometimes I just had to quit and put the camera down so I could take in what I was really seeing. As my grandfather used to always say, “Wow, wow, wow!” The tundra buggy lodge when viewed from the air parked along the Hudson Bay looked very, very small and isolated. What a special place it is!
The helicopter ride was about 20 minutes long and a totally different experience than my ride out to the buggies had been. It was fun to see the town of Churchill from the air as we approached to land. I wished I could have ridden longer, but I am learning to enjoy the gifts I have rather than always wishing for more. Living in the moment is a life lesson we can all strive for…and continue to do.
Once back in Churchill, I went back to the PBI house where I had stayed on my first night here. It was fun to again see my friends who were there. I spent the afternoon at the house, and a young researcher from Germany stopped by. She has been conducting research on the tundra in one of the towers where she observed the polar bears’ behavior. She had been here for a few weeks–this was her third year to do this, I believe…at other times of the year, she travels to other places to conduct research on other animals. She was leaving by train for Winnipeg that night where she would catch a flight back to Germany. I decided to video her and record her story so I could share it on the ALI exhibit later. My fingers were frozen as we did this because it was suddenly much colder here.
Once the afternoon ended and evening came, a group of us went to dinner at a local restaurant. We had great conversations about youth leadership, possible leadership opportunities for the future involving adults (zookeepers was one audience discussed), etc. It was a great evening of thoughts and plans and dreams. Once the dinner ended we all returned to the house, and I retired to my room to write this blog.
What a trip this has been so far. I have met so many amazing people. Sometimes we think we really have all the friends we need, but we should always keep the door open for new friends to walk through. They enrich your life and broaden your knowledge and experiences. Each friend is a thread in the tapestry of who you are. If you remove one thread (whether it is a friend or an experience), then the tapestry is not the same. The beauty of the tapestry comes from all of the threads of which it is comprised.
Keep learning. Treasure your friends. Be adventurous. Have faith and have courage. Try new things. Do something important about which you are passionate. Help others. And, find a way to make your mark in the world.
Polar bear hugs to all!
