After over a year of planning, researching and coordinating in Churchill, Natural Habitat’s new Aurora Pod was put to the test in March. I made the journey north to assist with placement and set-up along the Hudson Bay coast.
Northern lights above the aurora pod. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
The view out across the frozen bay and east over the snowy Precambrian shield was an immediate fit for what we were looking for. Boreal forest behind the pod shelters from wind while scattered krumholz white spruce in the foreground provide ultimate northern lights photography options. The setting allows for alternative photo experiences in daylight as well.
Inukshuk in the foreground with Precambrian shield in the distance. Courtesy natural Habitat Adventures.
The natural, sheltered nook in which the pod sits provides the ultimate location for taking in the incredible expanse of sea, land and sky of the sub – Arctic region. Overall the first test of the Aurora Pod was phenomenal. Travelers immediately experienced the perspective of viewing aurora borealis from the interior as well as using the ample open land surrounding the pod to set up tripods and capture the light show digitally. The effects were spectacular. Photographs of the pod lit subtly from within from the pellet stove also proved quite unique as well.
Aurora Pod with the northern lights in the distance. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Some inquisitive Churchill polar bears become frequent flyers on Hudson Bay Helicopters. There’s only one flight route, about 40 kilometers northwest, and chances are the bear will not remember a thing once they come back to consciousness on the tundra.
When bears show a pattern for testing the Churchill town limits and are recurring offenders, they are first incarcerated in the Polar Bear Compound just adjacent to the airport. Subsequent captures either by culvert trap or darting land them there again and they then are flown up along the northwestern coast and released. The hope is they will not return to Churchill during the season though some do. Most times they will be flown out again depending on the capacity of the “jail”, at the time.
This relatively new strategy of dealing with “problem” bears by Manitoba Conservation reflects the importance of eco-tourism in the region. In the old days polar bears would be put down if they were frequent visitors within town limits. These days extreme leniency is given unless the bears pose a critical threat to residents.
These photos show some of the process of airlifting polar bears from Churchill up north.
Conservation officers prepare for a bear lift. Brad Josephs photo.
Hudson Bay helicopter lifting off with a cargo of polar bears. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
A polar bear is airlifted up north from Churchill, Manitoba. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
Polar bear sow and cubs being transported north for relocation. Brad Josephs photo.
A polar bear trap being removed with cargo from Churchill. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
A polar bear is wheeled out from Polar Bear Compound and prepared for flight up north. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
Polar bear ready for lift – off in Churchill. Photo courtesy Natural Habitat Adventures.
The Arctic and sub-Arctic permafrost is frozen soil that for the most part stays that way all year round. Carbon is stored for thousands of years in the matter of dead plants in this frozen substrate. A carbon sink is how we used to refer to it in guiding amazing Churchill Summer trips back in the day. Nearly one quarter of the the land in the Northern Hemisphere is permafrost.
Permafrost contains tons of carbon. Ed Bouvier photo.
By some scientific reports, permafrost could contain over twice as much carbon then the atmosphere already holds. Scientists believe that some of that carbon, with the increased warming in the north, is already escaping into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide or methane gas. This is just the tip of the iceberg figuratively speaking.
The National Academy of Sciences estimates that the permafrost stores 1,800 billion tons of carbon which is double that which is currently held in our atmosphere. And with the warnings of global warming that we have now this statistic is of grave concern.
When plant life dies it’s carbon content is absorbed into the permafrost. Steve Selden photo.
There is no definitive way to measure exactly how much carbon will be released from the ground as temperatures rise though delaying regulation agreements in the world today. Choosing not to dramatically reduce global emissions now is a high risk gamble that seems oversimplified by many. Once the permafrost thaws and the carbon escapes in gaseous form to our atmosphere, we can’t put it back. We can’t just refreeze the ground and turn back the clock. It’s the proverbial unpredictable genie let out of the bottle…we need to be careful what we wish for.
Estimates from projected data charts show that an average of 160 billion tons of carbon could emerge from thawing permafrost by the end of this century. The National Academy of Sciences states we need to keep atmospheric carbon down below 1,100 billion tons in order to limit temperature warming increases to 2 degrees celsius.
Arctic ice coverage has shrunk by 35 per cent over the past several decades. We have seen a stabilization of sorts over recent years even though this past winter had a record low maximum ice coverage. This coupled with other natural warning signs give reason for heightened concern over the permafrost thawing.
A lone polar bear skirts a pond in Churchill on permafrost that holds immense carbon deposits. Eric Rock photo.
Other than the threat to human lifestyle on earth, 11 keystone Arctic mammal species are under threat as well due to melting sea ice and global warming. Polar bears are of course the most iconic of these species. Changes need to be addressed immediately in order to reverse the fate of all these living creatures.
Last November Churchill had a polar bear attack within the town limits. 30-year old Churchill resident Erin Greene was attacked by a bear in the early morning hours following a Halloween party.
Former tour guide Bill Ayotte was awoken by Ms. Greene’s screams and he quickly rushed to action and saved her life. Mr. Ayotte grabbed a snow shovel and ran to the road where he began clubbing the polar bear over the head causing the bear to release Ms. Greene from his grasp. The bear turned on Mr. Ayotte and was on top of him in a flash.
By this point of the attacks the entire neighborhood was awake and observing the incident from their doorways or windows. Another neighbor, 18-year-old Didier Foubert-Allen did more than just watch and his actions most surely saved Mr. Ayotte’s life. Mr. Foubert-Allen ran inside his residence and grabbed his shotgun and fired off 18 rounds of shells, two of which struck the bear, though proved to provide little relief from the attack. Most of the rounds were fired over the head of the aggressive bear but the bear continued to maul Mr. Ayotte. ‘I saw this bear just pounding on Bill, knocking him around like nothing, so I ran back inside, grabbed my shotgun and a box of shells and started shooting above the bear trying to scare it off,’ Faubert-Allen said.
Didier Faubert-Allen’s shotgun and exhausted shells from his attempt to scare off the polar bear attacking Mr. Ayotte. Photo courtesy CTV.
With no results from the shooting barrage, Faubert-Allen, barely clothed, jumped in his truck and drove the short distance to the scene. Honking the horn and flashing the headlights finally caused the polar bear to stop and scurry off down the desolate street. ‘I was five feet away from this bear, honking the horn, turning on the high beams and it suddenly stopped and ran up the road. It was almost an instinct. I knew that if the bear attacked the truck, it would get off of Bill,’ Faubert-Allen said.
The view from Didiier Faubert-Allen’s front deck on Selkirk St. where the polar bear encounter occurred. Courtesy CTV,
A little later on the bear was put down by Manitoba Conservation officers a short distance from the initial encounter area.
Quick action from residents in this incident saved the lives of two individuals. Both Ms. Greene and Mr. Ayotte were treated in Churchill and then airlifted to Winnipeg and were treated at the Health Sciences Centre. Mr. Ayotte incurred serious injuries and Ms. Greene lacerations to the head and arm.
The attack was just one of a few over the past 50 years in Churchill. Luckily nobody was killed in the incident though it serves as a reminder that the region lies in a wild area in which the polar bears roam. With the increased numbers of travelers coming into town yearly, the risk of more dangerous interactions continues to be prevalent.
This short incredible video of a mother polar bear and her cubs emerging from a winter den site in Wapusk National Parc near Churchill, Manitoba. This short clip highlights the vitality of the cubs and fresh look on the world they have during their first exposure. Nothing much else to say about this priceless look into the polar bear’s world!
