Holly waiting for the groupIt is a cloudy and cool day (46°F at 1 PM) here in Ely but that is not hindering families from coming to the NABC to see our bears and exhibits. In the state of Minnesota many of the school children have a long weekend (Thursday - Sunday) allowing the teachers to attend meetings and seminars. The bears are slowing down but that does not stop us from educating about bears.
Today Lucky was not interested in breakfast or seeing visitors. Ted heard us coming and he was out on his porch waiting for the visitors. Holly as well was waiting for the group to come out for a visit. She put on a little show, not one to shy away from a crowd. She is behaving like a yearling, showing little interest in hibernating. Honey spends a lot of time in the window den and is always listening for the back door or the food shed door. She knows what that could mean...food. But today Honey took a few walks toward Lucky and Holly's dens. She heard us giving tours with visitors and wanted to join in.
Sharon answering questionsSharon did a great job answering the children's questions about bears. The first comment when they saw Ted was WOW! They want to know if we "pet" our bears? The answer is no we don't. Why? Bears do not understand the concept of petting. The next question from the children was why do we call the bears black bears when not all of them are black? Working with children is fun and the questions can be endless.
On another topic, we need a seasoned Grant Writer to spearhead the financial growth that will support and sustain our educational goals.
Overview of position: Collaborate with Senior Director of Operations and other management staff to research and identify small, medium, and large grant opportunities for the NABC; build relationships with funding contacts; submit and track grant proposals and applications; and follow-up with prompt acknowledgment of funding gifts. Must understand, support, and promote the mission of the NABC.
Ted waiting on porchFull position description at http://www.bear.org/website/open-volunteer-positions/1019-grant-writer.html. To apply, submit a volunteer application that can be found in the left hand column of the main volunteer page http://www.bear.org/website/volunteer.html. If you have previously submitted an application, there is no need to re-apply. Just express your interest to Myra at
Today ended with the staff putting up the last string of lights for our Halloween party. The NABC will host the annual Halloween event for children under the age of 11 tomorrow, October 18th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Stay tuned, we may have some pictures for you.
Thank you for your support.
Judy Thon, Director of Education, North American Bear Center
All photos taken today unless otherwise noted.