Red squirrel with pine coneThis rainy day was a day of encouragement and progress.
The day began with these words of encouragement from a Pond Chatter that hit the heart strings of the entire staff: “In these late fall days, I find myself encouraged and constantly amazed by the resiliency of some organizations. First and foremost on my list are Dr. Lynn Rogers WRI and the NABC that have shown professionalism, integrity and the ability to continually displace the myths of the American Black Bear. They have weathered and risen above many negative actions from all sides. They rise above it, continue their growth, continue the education, and continue to co-exist with a creature of the Northwoods. I support the WRI and the NABC and am so excited about the direction and energy the new staff, expansion, and organizational outcomes are going. Thank you Dr. Lynn and Sue, the board and Staff. From that Friday birth of Hope, the gentle woot-woot of Lily, the lovely bears at the center, You had me!!!! Only continued success and strength.I look forward to the winter months, will miss the den cams but I am certain the new LIVE program will find me with tea and red grapes ready!! Black Bear strong ("") and I am very proud to call myself a Pond Person.”
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 10-1-14That wasn’t the end of it.
Later, while working on the Northwoods Ecology Hall at the Bear Center a man who has spent his life in government and in the woods approached and said we had met decades ago. He went on to tell me of the strong public support for us he has been hearing and how many times people tell him, “Why can’t the DNR leave him alone and let the learning continue?”
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 10-1-14With support like we are hearing and seeing, our mission for science and education will only become stronger. A focus for the Northwoods Ecology Hall (and, of course, for the Hope Learning Center) is to engage youth. People are stepping forward with ideas and support to make that happen. Lily Fans are Black Bear Strong. We have all learned directly from the bears themselves through the Den Cams and videos. What we have seen has become part of us. Together, we will go on expressing that part of us through our educational mission.
Red squirrel eating pine coneBefore the rain began, two hawks—a pair of juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) made scores of attempts to catch blue jays. Chases began with a hawk pushing off from a perch, going into a fast, shallow power-dive, and making tight turns as the intended victim showed slightly more agility or dove between balsam fir branches too tightly spaced for the hawk penetrate. Most races ended with a flutter of tightly maneuvering wings and the dodging jay shrieking like we’ve only heard in that situation. The jays seemed uncatchable—even when one ran into the window 5 feet from my face and still managed to flare off inches beyond the hawk’s talons and disappear into a dense balsam fir tree.
Meanwhile, little red squirrels (Tamiasciuris hudsonicus) seemed to know they are not on the menu. Amidst the sounds of frantic wings and panicked shrieks, the squirrels quietly foraged for white pine cones (Pinus strobes), apparently ignored and undisturbed.
A day of encouragement, progress, excitement, and learning.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.