Changes, Wild Food, and Misc. - UPDATE August 20, 2015

Monarch emergedA Bear Center board meeting took up much of the day with good results. We decided to give the Bear Center itself a facelift so it better matches the beautiful Ecology Hall. For years, we were proud of the carpeted panels that we built for change. The exhibits were on wheels and attached with Velcro. In a radical move, we are eliminating the panels and replacing them with beautiful wood platforms similar to the platforms under the taxidermy exhibits. These lower panels, about 4 ½ feet tall will open up the Bear Center, put the exhibits at a better level for kids, and make it less claustrophobic. We love the woodwork that Randy Herrell and Don Engler have made and wanted to make those the theme throughout. It’s a project for this winter. Among the other things discussed are the need for a volunteer coordinator or two to step up soon (email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more). We learned that the fiber optic cables we need for Distance Learning Broadcasts are a couple years away for our location. We are open to getting a new cub in 2016 if anyone has a lead.

I have been forgetting to write that the day after I mentioned swaying toward appealing to the Minnesota Supreme Court, we did, on August 14, 2015. The sole issue is a definition of possession.

In the woods, people and bears are finding a few scattered chokecherries but no blueberries after the lower than average rainfall of July. Bears are hungry.

Monarch butterflies are hatching and being released daily at the Bear Center currently.

Thank you for all you do.

Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center

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