With a warm, moist south wind came beautiful big flakes to make Christmas a little whiter. As Christmas approaches, I must say Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. 
Pine marten femaleAs the snow fell, we typed and ate well indoors, while birds, red squirrels, deer, and a pine marten ate their share outside, partly thanks to Lily Fans.
At the Bear Center, the focus is on making the Cub Room more fun and educational. The company making the new bear den sent its first thought-starter. People are making suggestions. Give us your thoughts. One thought is to add a camera inside the den and a viewing monitor outside so parents can see their kids having fun. 
Large beautiful flakesIn the past, we did programs in which kids were junior biologists tranquilizing a big teddy bear, dragging it out of the den, and doing measurements and fitting a radio-collar while an adult explained the importance of it all to bears and the kids watch a short video of biologists doing the same things to a real bear.
We heard that Ted opened his straw doorway and was visible today. Yesterday, a Lily Fan captured a video of Lucky finally being active, looking out his door while Holly watched. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5nSVdELLWo
Two bits of history.
Here is a cute 3-minute Christmas video from 2010 that gets posted every year https://www.facebook.com/emily.mcneill.5/videos/o.263755115498/10208189982574844/?type=2&theater
And this old National Wildlife Magazine story about my research from 1992 popped up on my screen today and was fun to read.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center