Polar Bear Field Courses Offer Experiential Learning

August 10th, 2016

The Great Bear Foundation offers high-quality, low-impact experiential learning opportunities in polar bear habitat. Our summer field course, Berries, Belugas and Bears just wrapped up in Churchill, Manitoba. Our group spanned multiple generations and enjoyed exploring the tundra, picking berries, learning about wildflowers, beachcombing, and watching belugas with their calves in the Churchill River. A plump polar bear tiptoed through the fireweed, and the night owls in the group were rewarded with a spectacular northern lights show, thanks to clear weather and solar activity.

Limited space is available for our fall polar bear trips in October and November. These trips coincide with peak polar bear season in Churchill, as the bears migrate to Cape Churchill, waiting for the first sea ice to form, to break their summer fast. When the ice forms, the bears can return to the ice to hunt their staple food, the ringed seal. Our October course offers an overview of arctic ecology with a focus on polar bears, while our November course sheds light on how humans and polar bears share habitat.

All field courses primarily focus on observing polar bears in their natural habitat, while minimizing our impacts on the bears and their habitat. Evening lectures, slideshows, and guest speakers complement our field observations.

Field courses are open to adults and children of all backgrounds, and proceeds directly fund our bear conservation initiatives. Click here to sign up today!

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