Time to pack up the snowshoes, the x-country skis, the snowmachines and the tranquilizers and head back to the place I feel most at home, Algonquin Provincial Park. This will be that second year that I will be diving head-first into a dark hole in the ground and coming face to face with sleepy black bears. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but they are hibernating and the tranquilizers help ease the worry...well, unless you're my mom, in which case nothing will ease your worry. I think my anticipation is higher this year then last because of the dry summer we had, it was hard on the bears. The females that we caught throughout the summer were VERY thin and bony, which was concerning at the time as well as now, as most of the females in our study had cubs. It will be very interesting to see how many of those cubs survived. So going up to a bear den, we have a good idea of what to expect, but bears always surprise you. We have 10 dens to do this week coming up, all scattered around the central-west area of the park. With all the funding cuts, we are going ot be relying on our ancient snowmachines and our trusty snowshoes to get the job done...Which probably means some very early mornings. When you work on a research project with such a large charismatic, you obviously draw the attention of a lot of people. In 2008, one of my favourite TV personalities/ person, Rick Mercer, went out with my supervisor and the grad students at the time for a day of bear denning (See YouTube clip below). I remember watching it and thinking "one day that will be me"...little did I know it would be. Not only was the episode hilarious and adorable, but it also brought important attention to the context of scientific research in a medium that the public could enjoy and comprehend. I really enjoy working with large charismatic mega fauna, as many people tend to relate to them and they provide a natural path of communication. Who didn't have a teddy bear when they were growing up, or visit the zoo and see the polar bears? People have an intrinsic interest in bears making it easier to communicate the science and research surrounding them a bit easier. Despite having worked for the Algonquin Black Bear Project for two years, it is still surreal for me that I am living my childhood dream of working with bear species. I mean how many people do you know, that can say that and still be in their twenties! Of course my dreams have changed slightly since I was 9, as originally I wanted to work with Polar bears, but having this kind of opportunity has also broadened my aspirations as an Ursid researcher....Got my eyes set on Borneo and the Sun Bears now. For now though, I am quite enjoying my research and am looking forward to the next few years I have with it. I am off the the Park! See y'all in a week!
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Blog by:
Sarah K. Poole
An enthusiastic, passionate scientist with a love for art and adventure Updates
September 2020
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