Habitat exhibitJuliet’s highlight video from February 25, 2014, begins about 3:30 AM with the temperature around 23° below zero F. The snow in the foreground is little changed since the day before except for some bedding on it from her raking. By 1:30 that afternoon, more snow has blown into the den, lightly covering Juliet’s shoulders. At 2:57 PM with temperatures as high as 14°F, she eats snow for a couple minutes as is proving to be nearly a daily activity.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX7ij-_Y-xM
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/120427257
Archives: http://www.bearstudy.org/website/research/2014-juliet-archives.html
At the Bear Center, so many parts of the exhibit created by Peter and Ryan tell a story. The charred stump is nourishing a seedling spruce, illustrating a common theme of how death begets life. At its base are blueberry bushes laden with berries. Burned areas are famous for their blueberries. Not only does the ash provide nutrients, but the open canopy provides sunlight. The stump is adorned with shelf fungi and with a Clouded Sulfur Butterfly that looks striking against the black.
The butterfly in this scene was spending its winter in our kitchen, changing locations periodically. We didn’t dare put it out into the subzero cold. One day it was lying dead on the counter. It’s next stop was the Bear Center where it will show off its beauty for years to come. The other butterflies in the exhibit were donated by Lily Fans.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologists, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center.