Red fox Mother and kit - file photoIn this 268-second flashback from June 18, 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hwSBzjeZgE, it’s raining lightly. June and the cubs (Lily, Cal, and Bud) are on a bit of high ground in a swamp. They’re wet, and it’s time to bed down for a nap, but that’s just the time bears, especially cubs, often engage in idle investigations, and a little wetness doesn’t stop that. With nothing else to do, Lily and Cal investigate the one-eyed machine (camera) Sue is always holding. Cal soon lays down with June and Bud. Maybe he was more tired or less curious than Lily, or maybe he’d take his turn later when Lily wasn’t in his way. But Lily’s inquiring mind wanted to know. She persisted for another couple minutes. She showed no fear or aggression. She just wanted to touch it and accept it close-up. Trying to understand the minds of bears is always intriguing.
For the Ecology Hall, we’re selecting 10 pictures to have spot-lighted, each 7x10 feet, on the outside of the building. They will be easily visible by day and spot-lighted at night so passing motorists can see a bit of what they can learn about here. We’ll have bears, of course, but also other wildlife to show our new broader purview of Northwoods Ecology, especially the wildlife bears interact with.
Red fox - file photoFor one of those pictures, I’m trying to decide between two red fox pictures. One has great eyes, color, and pose and would be easy to comprehend from the highway a hundred yards away. The other lacks most of those qualities but shows a kit rubbing its head on mom’s chin, probably getting the feelings dogs get from petting. The kit has its eyes closed in sublime comfort and security.
Putting that into words just now gave me an idea. Maybe put the first picture on the outside of the building and the second picture on an upper wall inside. We want to use the upper walls in the Northwoods Ecology Hall for a quick overview of local wildlife and ecology highlights. Short captions will spark people’s interest to learn more from the exhibits and touch-screen kiosks.
Decisions, decisions! Every day is interesting and made possible in one way or another with the help of Lily Fans. A bronze plaque in the new building will recognize that help.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center