Blog entry from October 22, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba
I missed yesterday and so I am including two days together here. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about everything else. The weather has really changed since I got here. Yesterday and today feel much colder than the days preceding. It snowed most of the day yesterday and then some ice blew in last night. When this happens the bears tend to hunker down and wait it out. To the right is a picture of a bear resting near the willows. Later in the day, the bears began to get more active. Below is the big yawn this bear gave before it came over to check us out.
This bear that has been very interested in the buggies the past few days. She sleeps right near them and occasionally gets up to explore. Yesterday she came up to our research buggy and seemed intent on trying to find a way in.
Life on the tundra seems to revolve around these bears. It is the main industry for Churchill. The town is dedicated to providing tourists with opportunities to see the bears.
