Project Polar Bear

Copper

2009-04-17T22:14:32Z

Age: 11, born in March 1998
Birthplace: Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge; Ely, MN
Parents: Ottowa and Dusty
Favorite position: Lead
Favorite quote: "You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." -Steve Prefontaine

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I have been to the North Pole. That's right. On one of Paul Shurke's trips to the North Pole, he picked me to go with him (along with a whole bunch of other dogs). The year I went to the Pole was the last year any Wintergreen dog went to the pole. I should admit that there is one other dog left in the kennel that went too . . . his name is Zinc.

Zinc and I have doghouses right across from each other. So we sit on top of our doghouses sometimes and reminisce about the good ol' days. These young dogs have it so easy now! They just pull people around in their light sleds and don't travel very far! Ha! I know what it is like to travel on the sea ice. I know what it is like to sleep outside in -40! I am glad these young whippersnappers had the opportunity to go to Hudson Bay. It is not nearly as far north as I have been, but at least they've had a chance to travel a bit, see some new things, like the tundra and sea ice.

Canadian Lynx

2009-04-17T11:52:04Z

The Canadian Lynx is a North American member of the cat family. It ranges across Canada and into Alaska as well as some parts of the northern United States. The Canadian Lynx has a dense silvery-brown coat, ruffed face and tufted ears. It is larger than the bobcat and over twice the size of the domestic cat.

A Canadian Lynx stalking its prey.

]]> What do Canadian Lynx look like?

The Canadian Lynx looks very similar to its Eurasian cousin, with dense silvery brown fur and blackish markings. The Canadian Lynx is quite small, at an average size of 24 lbs, 36 inches in length and a shoulder height of 24 inches. Males are larger than females. In summer, its coat has a reddish brown color. This lynx has a furry ruff which kind of looks like a beard with two points. It has a short tail with a black tip and long furry tufts on its ears. Its long legs with big furry feet aid the Canadian Lynx in traveling through deep snow.

What do Canadian Lynx eat?

The Canadian Lynx hunts for hares, rodents, birds, and sometimes kills larger animals such as deer. It uses its strong sense of hearing and good eye sight to locate prey. In some areas the snowshoe hare is virtually the only prey of the Canadian Lynx. The size of the Canadian lynx population tends to follow the 10 year-long cycle of snowshoe hare numbers.

Where do Canadian Lynx live?

This cat is found in northern forests across almost all of Canada and Alaska. There are also large populations of this lynx in Montana, Vermont, Idaho and Washington and a resident population exists in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The Canadian lynx is rare in Utah, Minnesota, and New England; reintroduction efforts in Colorado have been ongoing since 1999. The Canadian Lynx is a threatened species in the lower 48 United States.

Links about Canadian Lynx:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_lynx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynx

http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=84

http://www.nature.org/animals/mammals/animals/lynx.html

Willow Ptarmigan

2009-04-16T11:56:09Z

The Willow Ptarmigan is a medium sized bird. It is a member of the grouse family. In Europe, the Willow Ptarmigan is called Willow Grouse. It is a sedentary species, breeding in birch and other forests and tundra across northern Eurasia, and in Alaska and northern Canada. It is the state bird of Alaska.

This is what a male Willow Ptarmigan looks like in the spring.
]]> What do Willow Ptarmigan look like?

The spring male has a brown head and shoulders with a reddish neck and white wings and body. The female is similar, but lacks the pure white belly. In winter, both males and females become completely white. They inhabit areas with trees while another type of Ptarmigan--the Winter Ptarmigan live above the tree line.

What do Willow Ptarmigan sound like?

The male's call is a loud "go-back go-back".

What do Willow Ptarmigan eat?

The Ptarmigan eat primarily birch and willow buds and catkins when available. It will also take various seeds, leaves, flowers and berries of other plant species. Insects are taken by the developing young.

The male Willow Ptarmigan is unique in its nesting behavior. In all other species of grouse, only the female takes responsibility for the young. However, the male Willow Ptarmigan often takes responsibility of the young by staunchly defending his territory and his young. Males have even been documented to have attacked a Grizzly Bear and will attack humans who distract their young.

Links about Willow Ptarmigan:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_ptarmigan

http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=64

http://edu.taivalkoski.fi/tk-koulut/lukio/linnusto/riekko.mpg

Thistle

2009-04-16T10:33:52Z

Age: 7, born in March 2002
Birthplace: Bert and Johnny Hyde's home; Ely, MN
Parents: Daisy and Nightshade
Favorite position: Wheel
Favorite quote: "Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment." -- Rita Mae Brown

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Anyway . . . I like attention from people. If you pet me for a while, I will open my mouth and playfully tug at your mitten. If you catch me in a good mood, I'll roll over and ask for a belly rub. Then I will bat at you with my paws.

In the summer, I leave Wintergreen to hang out near Grand Marais with Daisy, Fennel, and Saylix. I like it there. We get to go for walks in the woods, and wade into the lake. Once, Dave and Amy took me canoeing. Daisy and Saylix had been pretty nervous about the whole experience, so they told me to try and avoid it. Well, Amy got me into the canoe and I figured that it couldn't be too bad. She pet me and held on to me, keeping me from jumping over the side. It turned out to not be all that scary. I'd do it again. I sat between Amy and Dave in the canoe. They paddled and I got to look around and sniff the air.

The long road home.

2009-04-15T13:03:52Z

The journey home has been long. The Tundra Train left Churchill about 5 hours late, which means we were loading dogs and sleds onto the boxcar around midnight.

We rode the train for the rest of the night and most of the next day. It was fun to look out the window and watch the transition from tundra to Boreal Forest. The trees increased in size as we traveled south. I also noticed that the amount of snow decreased as we traveled south.

We got off the train in Thompson, where we left our cars and dog trailer. While giving the dogs a chance to stretch their legs at the train station in Thompson, Paul drove up with the dog trailer in tow. Bubba (one of the dogs) let out a loud, excited howl the second he saw the trailer. He knew that the trailer meant we were heading home! I think that the dogs, like us, enjoyed the adventure, but were ready to go home.

We drove through most of the night in rain and fog. It seems like we left winter behind us and spring has arrived in southern Manitoba.

After crossing the border between Canada and the United States, we stopped to share a treat with the dogs. A gas station just happened to have a soft-serve ice cream machine, so we made sure that every dog got an ice cream cone. It took some of the dogs a few minutes to figure out that the ice cream was food, but most of the dogs happily wolfed down their treat, cone and all.

Snowy Owl

2009-04-15T11:18:56Z

The Snowy Owl is white with yellow eyes and a black bill. Males are completely white, but females have some dark spots. Full grown snowy owls are about 20-26 inches tall with a 50-60 inch wingspan. These birds weigh between 3.5 and 6.6 pounds. The Snowy Owl is well-adapted to its Arctic environment thanks to its thick plumage, heavily-feathered feet, and color.

A Snowy Owl swoops down to catch a lemming.

]]> What do Snowy Owls sound like?

Snowy Owl calls are varied, but the alarm call is a barking, almost quacking krek-krek-krek-krek; the female also has a softer mewling pyee-pyee-pyee-pyee or prek-prek-prek. The song is a deep repeated gawh. They may also clap their beak in response to threats or annoyances. While called clapping, it is believed this sound may actually be a clicking of the tongue, not the beak.

Where do Snowy Owls live?

The Snowy Owl is typically found in the northern circumpolar region, where it makes its summer home north of latitude 60 degrees north. It is a nomadic bird because population fluctuations in its prey species can force it to relocate.

This species of owl nests on the ground, building a scrape on top of a mound or boulder. A site with good visibility, ready access to hunting areas, and a lack of snow is chosen. Gravel bars and abandoned eagle nests may be used. Breeding occurs in May, and depending on the amount of prey available, clutch sizes (the amount of eggs an owl lays) range from 5 to 14 eggs. The eggs hatch about five weeks later. The pure white young are cared for by both parents. Both the male and the female defend the nest with their young from predators.

What do Snowy Owls eat?

This powerful bird relies primarily on lemmings and other rodents for food. They will also eat small mammals and birds such as meadow voles and deer mice, but will take advantage of larger prey. Some of the larger mammal prey includes mice, hares, muskrats, marmots, squirrels, rabbits, prairie dogs, rats, and moles. Birds that the Snowy Owl will eat include ptarmigan, ducks, geese, shorebirds, ring-necked pheasants, grouse, American coots, grebes, gulls, songbirds, and short-eared owls. Snowy Owls will also eat fish and carrion. Most of the owls' hunting is done in the "sit and wait" style; prey may be captured on the ground, in the air or fish may be snatched off the surface of bodies of water using their sharp talons. Each bird must capture roughly 7 to 12 mice per day to meet its food requirement and can eat more than 1,600 lemmings per year. Snowy Owls, like many other birds, swallow their small prey whole.

How have humans affected the Snowy Owl population?

Environmental conditions can cause food shortages, but their ability to be mobile permits them to move to areas with more food. Human activities probably pose the greatest danger to these birds, through collisions with power lines, fences, automobiles, or other structures that impose on their natural habitat. Now, Canadian provincial and territorial regulations have introduced prohibitions of killing of these birds in all parts of Canada, where they are most abundant, but the owls are still used for certain study programs.

This species is an extremely important part of the food web in the tundra ecosystem and during its visits to the south, the Snowy Owl may play a useful role in the natural control of rodents in agricultural regions.

Links about Snowy Owls:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_owl
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=76
http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=scandiacus
http://www.thewildclassroom.com/biodiversity/birds/speciesprofiles/snowyowl.html

Buster

2009-04-15T06:33:10Z

Age: 8, born in June 2000
Birthplace: Tor Dixon's kennel, Quaanaq, Greenland
Parents: unknown
Favorite position: Lead
Favorite quote: "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."--Will Rogers

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I flew in a plane with nine other dogs. Once we got to Ely, it was exciting to see trees for the first time. One downside to making this big move from Greenland to Ely is that the summers are so hot. We Inuit dogs have very thick fur. It is in two layers. We have a downy undercoat that is thick and fluffy. Then we have longer guard hairs that protect that fluffy undercoat. Our fur is so thick and oily that it is difficult for us to get wet, even if we take a dunk in the water.

When it comes to running, I am all business. I take pulling a sled very seriously. Other dogs will jump up and down, get distracted, or bark like crazy. Not me, I just stay out in front of the team and lead them wherever the musher says.

Feeding our dogs

2009-04-14T13:30:04Z

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Lemming

2009-04-14T13:22:43Z

Lemmings are small rodents that live in treeless areas of northern Canada. Their bodies are well adapted to the cold conditions they live in; they have a very thick coat of fur in the winter, short ears, short legs, and short tails. Adult lemmings are about 150 mm in total length, including about 20 mm of tail. Their body weight varies from about 55 g in some years to about 115 g in others.

A Collared Lemming.

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The smallest of the mammals of the High Arctic, lemmings are key species in arctic ecosystems. Lemming populations fluctuate drastically, peaking about every four years and then crashing almost to extinction. Because the small bodies of lemmings are important food for ermines, arctic foxes, Snowy Owls, Gyrfalcons, and jaegers, this mysterious cycle controls the rhythm of animal life on the tundra.

Most lemmings live in areas with permafrost, or soil that is always frozen. This means that the lemmings are unable to dig deep burrows for shelter even in summer. Where the soil contains much water, however, seasonal freezing and thawing creates ridges and depressions that lemmings use for burrows and as travel routes.

Winter is a critical time for lemmings because, unlike many species of rodents, they do not hibernate. It is amazing that these small, warm-blooded animals remain active throughout the Arctic winter without freezing to death. As winter approaches, lemmings make large, nests of shredded grasses and sedges on the surface of the ground, which provide additional insulation when they are not out hunting for food. Snow provides important insulation. Lemmings forage in the space that forms between soil and snow, known as subnivean space, almost never appearing on the surface. In the High Arctic, temperatures in this subnivean space are not exactly warm, but they are better than those above the snow, and the difference is a key to lemming survival.

Lemmings are a vital part of the web of life on the tundra, and they help to teach us how intricate even that simple ecosystem is. Their burrowing changes the arctic soil. Their feeding habits influence the composition of the plant community on the tundra. Lemmings are also food for many tundra animals. Animals like the Arctic Fox and Snowy Owl depend on the lemming for their survival.

Links about Lemmings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemming
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=91

What did you learn?

2009-04-14T13:10:29Z

We could use some feedback from you. Now that Project Polar Bear is in its final week, we'd like to know what your favorite learning experience was. Which Animal of the Arctic was your favorite? Please explain why. Was there anything you found interesting in Notes from the Trail or Dog of the Day?

Traveling on the Sea Ice to Churchill

2009-04-14T13:01:16Z

Everyone in the group was very happy to arrive in Churchill after a day of dogsledding on the sea ice. Our last day of dogsledding had just the right amount of challenge. The wind had died down and the temperature was fairly high (between 15 and 20 F). When I say sea ice, I don't mean ice like a skating rink. The sea ice in Hudson Bay is anything but flat. Wind and waves cause large chunks of ice to jut up at odd angles, making for a rather bumpy dogsled ride. Nikola described it as being in a rodeo. Skiing was rather awkward too, but everyone was in such a good mood, this didn't seem to matter. The distance from the Northern Studies Center into Churchill was about 15 miles, and about two thirds of that distance was on the sea ice.

It was hard work traveling over the sea ice.

On our way into town, we passed by the polar bear jail. During the fall when many polar bears migrate through Churchill, problem bears are taken here. Of course, there are no bears there now and all we saw were several large bear traps and a large empty building.

Large traps are used to catch Polar Bears that wander into town and cause trouble in Churchill. The bears are often held at the "Polar Bear Jail" until ice forms in the fall and they can travel onto the ice and hunt seals.

In Churchill, we staked out the dogs near our hotel. It felt odd to leave them out on the tundra, without setting up camp in between the two rows of dogs. After the dogs were fed, we went in search of food for ourselves.

The only open restaurant was Gypsy's, a bakery and restaurant owned by a Portuguese family. It was the perfect place for our post-trip celebratory feast.

During the following day, we broke up into smaller groups to explore Churchill. Dave and several others spent the morning feeding Brian LaDune's dogs. They had the opportunity to see all 150 of these Inuit dogs!

We drove around in Brian's pick up truck and tossed a large chunk of frozen meat to each of his 150 Canadian Inuit Dogs.

I walked to the Prince of Wales Fort, which is across the Churchill River. After being on skis for several days, it felt good to walk. The fort was surrounded by snow drifts as high as its two-story walls.

Later in the day, everyone met up to visit the Inuit museum in the center of town. The museum contains an astonishing amount of artifacts, ranging from a kayak and harpoon, to carved whale bones.

Our time in Churchill has been enjoyable. All of the people we have met here are incredibly nice, eager to learn about our dogsled adventure.

Ramona

2009-04-14T06:01:03Z

Age: 2, born in March 2007
Birthplace: Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge; Ely, MN
Parents: Patches and Steve
Favorite position: Lead
Favorite quote: "The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid."--Claudia Lady Byrd Johnson

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If you were a guide, I would jump around and ask you to pet me. I know all of the guides and they are okay. I am afraid of strangers. I stay out of my house for guides. I let them pet me and harness me.

I have one bent over ear. It is not as floppy as Fennel's ears. I got it from my sister Isis. She and I look very similar, except for the ear thing. We are both reddish, like our dad Steve. Some people say that we look like foxes.

I am a lead dog in training. People say I am very smart. I guess that is because when they say "gee" I go right and when they say " haw" I go left. It is not that hard. It doesn't take a rocket scientist.

I really like Thistle. He is great. Any time I am near him, I get all playful and happy. Yep, he and I are buddies. Except sometimes if I get too excited, he growls at me.

Suma

2009-04-13T06:44:45Z

Age: 7, born in March 2002
Birthplace: Crockett Lake, near Ely, MN
Parents: Thule and Goofy
Favorite position: Swing
Favorite quote: "We should eat all of our provisions now so that we have less to carry."--Christopher Robbins, Winnie the Pooh

]]> My full name is actually Suma Padme Ohm. I am white with very faint black freckles. I am doing this dogsledding thing for now, but really I would prefer to be in a house somewhere, sleeping on a rug in front of the fire. I just don't get as excited about pulling as the other dogs do. Sigh . . .

I was born during a camping trip. That's right, a camping trip. My mom, Thule, was out camping on Crockett Lake, near Wintergreen. I was born on the very last night of the camping trip. In the morning, the people were feeding us and someone noticed this little white puffball curled up with my mom. When it was time to head home, Thule got to just run free, while I was carried in a jacket pocket.

I'm a pretty easygoing dog. I like people. I like being pet. In fact, I would make a great pet dog! Yeah. I don't know if this sled dog thing is for me. I guess that the places we travel in are neat, but I'm not all that interested in pulling that darn sled! Maybe you could just hang out here for a while and pet me . . . maybe scratch behind my ears?

Arctic Fox

2009-04-13T06:00:36Z

The Arctic Fox is a small fox that lives in the very far north. It is also called the White Fox or the Snow Fox. Since they have lived for so long in the frozen north, they have adapted to the cold in multiple ways. The Arctic Fox has deep, thick fur that changes colors with the season. Most are a bright white in the winter to camouflage with the snow and more brown-gray in the summer. Some have a color variation that makes them a gray-blue color throughout the year. They also have thick fur on their paws to insulate themselves from the cold ground and to provide traction on slick ice. Their fur is even warmer than the polar bear or the Arctic wolf. Their tail has extra-thick fur, too. It helps them with balance, but also provides more warm protection when curled up. They also have a good supply of body fat, and their small efficient shape allows them to keep less of their body exposed to the cold.

The Arctic Fox's winter coat is completely white.

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What do they eat?

Arctic foxes will eat whatever meat they can find. They have a superb sense of hearing, so they can pinpoint the noise of a lemming deep under the snow. They'll pounce on the point and dig through the snow to catch the lemming. Families can eat dozens of lemmings in a day! They get lemmings most often, but also eat Arctic hare, eggs, and carion, and fish. In the spring, they will also eat the Ringed Seal pups, when the young seal pups are relatively helpless in their small snow dens and are not able to get away. When food is scarce, the foxes will also follow after bigger predators, like polar bears, scavenging off their leftovers, even though sometimes those leftovers include arctic foxes themselves.

The Arctic Fox's summer coat.

Where do they live?

Arctic foxes as a general population are not endangered. They are found across the entire Arctic region, including Russia, Canada, Alaska, and also Scandinavia. However, despite legal protection and conservation, the population in Scandinavia is surprisingly endangered, with an estimate of only about 120 across Norway, Sweden and Finland.

The Arctic fox also exists in Iceland. It is the only native land mammal on the island, having walked across the frozen Arctic ice during the last Ice Age.

Links about Arctic Fox:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_fox
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=81
http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/arctic_fox.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/arctic-fox.html

What should we do in Churchill?

2009-04-10T12:44:08Z

Today we dogsled from the Churchill Northern Studies Center into the town of Churchill. In Churchill there are many interesting things to see and do. We will leave it up to you to figure out what we should do.

Here are the options . . . One option is a museum full of Inuit artifacts. This would be a great option to learn about the Inuit culture and history. The second option is the Prince of Wales Fort, which is at the mouth of the Churchill River. We could take a tour of the fort to learn about the settlement of the town and history of the fur trade in the area. The third option is to visit a very large kennel of Canadian Inuit sled dogs. The Wintergreen dogs live in a large kennel, but this one is apparently the largest kennel of Canadian Inuit dogs in the world, with about 150 dogs.

The choice is up to you! Please tell us what you would like to learn about. Be sure to include your reasons.