Red FoxThe day started with a group of students from Norway and ended with Lynn and Donna canoeing to get pictures for the Northwoods Ecology Hall beaver exhibit. We visited a beaver lodge with new mud to seal it up for winter and a cache of alder bushes where they can access them under the ice this winter. Floating waterlily roots revealed another item they had been eating lately. We’re looking forward to the beaver exhibit that will describe beaver behavior in the Northwoods and show a little known aspect of it. A camera we placed in a beaver lodge back in 1999 revealed muskrats visiting the beavers in their lodge in winter. The muskrats snuggled up to the beavers, slept by them, groomed their fur for insects, and quickly left when the beavers woke up. On one occasion, the camera recorded a mink entering the beaver lodge when only the two muskrats were there. The muskrats dove into the dark, icy water to escape. The mink dove in after them and shortly dragged one up into the beaver lodge and ate it. Just like we had no idea what goes on in a bear den, we had no idea what goes on in a beaver lodge, and neither did anyone else. A Lily Fan is assembling highlights from the video for the exhibit.
Bald EagleTrish Kirk has coordinated the Speakers Bureau since its inception. Trish has done an amazing amount of work to bring us this far in something very important to bears and bear education. She unfortunately has to step down. We very much need someone to step up and take over her role. The position description for the Speakers Bureau Project Coordinator is posted on the Volunteer Page at http://www.bear.org/website/open-volunteer-positions/1017-speakers-bureau-coordinator.html.
There is another need—for Bear Educators. Along with the Northwoods Ecology Hall and the Hope Learning Center will come the need for additional Bear Educators, so Judy Thon is going to have another Bear Educator training class in April 2015. This is an early heads up for those needing to make plans now to be ready for April. The position description for Bear Educators is posted on the Volunteer Web page at http://www.bear.org/website/open-volunteer-positions/1016-bear-educator.html.
Lynn Rogers with group from NorwayInterested candidates for either position can find the link to apply in the left hand column on the main volunteer page: http://www.bear.org/website/volunteer.html or through the direct link: https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?AP=1352689360. If you have already submitted a volunteer application, email Terry and Myra at
Two more photographs being considered for the outside of the Bear Center are this Red Fox and Eagle that are uncluttered enough to be easily seen from the Highway. We are also looking for video of northwoods wildlife and are not sure how or where to find it. Some people are getting interesting video from their trail cams. If you have some good video, please let us know at
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center