Beautiful HollyAt the Bear Center, we pride ourselves on having the best enrichment program anywhere—what mother nature provides. Today, shortly after dawn, a snowshoe hare was grazing in the bear enclosure. Holly appeared beyond the pond and happened to be moving toward the hare, which noticed and went on alert. At 20 feet, Holly looked toward the hare with an intent look—ears and eyes focused and nose focused toward the hare which might not have been visible. Holly’s upper lip protruded a little, which might mean she was using her vomeronasal organ to sense even more. Then she ran toward the hare, which easily outdistanced her. In the enclosure, bears and hares are alert and the bears don’t drop into boredom and the repetitive behaviors that go with captive psychosis. The bears are alert to new greens, ripening berries, and other animals. They can climb trees, play, and swim. Today, Holly had a little adventure with a hare, tomorrow it could be a pine marten or a Franklin’s ground squirrel. It was an adventure for me to watch Holly and the Hare.
Hare looks backLily Fans showed that you are still Black Bear Strong, beating Saugatuck, Michigan, and now keeping a lead over Spearfish, South Dakota, who just got done soundly trouncing big Indianapolis, Indiana. In fact, Ely has more votes than any city in the contest at this moment. http://www.outsideonline.com/1972941/best-towns-2015.
Holly hears the hareMore good things are happening. In a very productive meeting today with my friend Martyn Stewart, who at 54 has been working as a sound man for the BBC since he was 18, and with another friend Mauro Caruso, who has 35 years experience setting up home theatres. I received top advice on making the Ecology Hall, Hope Learning Center, and the Bear Center Theatre what they should be.
Hare hears the bearMartyn then fired up his drone with its extremely high definition 4K camera and flew it around the WRI cabin recording video at a rate of 50 MB per second, which is beyond usual broadcast quality. Tomorrow, he will do the same over and around the Bear Center. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
White-throated SparrowOut the window at the WRI, a new arrival from the south today was a white-throated sparrow, which many think is this area’s prettiest sparrow.
On another note, Terry Hagenah and Myra Fournier, our volunteer coordinators are both experiencing changes in their private lives that is causing them to have to step back from their positions. They still want to do all they can to help, but we are looking for others to step up and coordinate the volunteer program, starting September 1. Terry and Myra will do everything they can to help transition new people in. They will do all they can to help after that as well. We are very grateful for all that these dedicated leaders did and for what they will continue doing. To learn more and reach both of them, email
Thank you Terry and Myra and thank you Lily Fans for all you do.
 |
 |
 |
| Mauro, Lynn and Martyn | Martyn's Drone | Martyn controls drone |
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.