2010 Trip Slide Show

Finally got slide show uploaded.Have a good final two weeks before back to school.

PSA Far North Expedition 2010 from Far North on Vimeo.

Final Days...

Due to the extreme amount of studying yesterday for the exam we were unable to post yesterday. We're sorry. (The staff known as James and Peter)

But we do have some pictures from our geocaching walk...

Was pretty awesome, but lasted a bit long...

There were rockets.














Saw some cool little birds and small frogs all around.
Also Reggie the dog.


Today...
We got hit by A TRAIN. It's name was the exam and it hit HARD. Well... not that bad, but really it was a pretty tough test. There were whales involved...
Also, Polar bears.

Overall we learned the ultimate lesson;
Fire kills trees and shrubs.
Further study needed.

But seriously we learned a lot over this trip, the succession of vegetation, the connection of all living things within northern Canada, how to live off the land... the credit received over the course of the expedition will be well earned...
Anyways, after the exam we had lunch and went into town. Yeah. Theres basically one street, nothing but hotels and gift shops, it is obvious this town is used to a lot of tourists. we had FUN. Also, arctic husky puppies.

                                                                      D'awwwwwww!
Went to the center, chilled a bit, went on the bus again.

"That bus is the greatest bus of all time, no bus will ever compare" - Anonymous

Smores galore! Omnomnomnomnomnomonom!!!! After much deliberation, we decided to swim. In the ARCTIC OCEAN. Technically. Whatever, it was really cold.

The fact that it was nearly raining didn't help either, but the fire kept us warm. 

(Fire is 25% more awesome through blue goggles. Further study needed.)

We soon headed back to the center, tired, yet willing to stay up the night and hangout for our final stand here...
So much awesomeness cannot be expressed in mere
words, this trip was truly amazing. Good luck to

everyone next year!

Rappin' Up Day #8

Wednesday August 11th 2010


Tips of the day (TOTD)

#1. The zodiacs have handholds for a reason (bumpy!)

#2.The tidal line is cool in more than one way (brrrrrrrr!)

#3. Staying awake during a lecture is key (zzzzzzzzzzz!)

#4. Sugar makes everything taste better (mmmmmmmmm!)

#5. Don’t eat it if you don’t know what it is (mystery berries!)

After breakfast we trekked back into Churchill to go on our second zodiac trip! Yay, more Belugas! And more Belugas was right. We went out in 2 boats, one guided by our Doug and the other steered by Dan. It was a fair bit windier today than during our kayaking adventure so our ride was a bit on the wild side! Refer to TOTD #1.

Pods of these beautiful whales were curious of the new visitors (us) and came over to check us out. We couldn’t believe how close these whales got to us and at times you felt like you could reach down and touch them! After exploring in the heart of the Churchill River we went farther down it until we reached mosquito point. This area is very shallow and many female Belugas nurse their young in this area. Many young, gray Belugas were seen. It was a blast but unfortunately we had to head back. Along the way we passed a couple of tide lines which are borders between different water temperatures. Dan had us put our hands in the water as we passed over these divides and the temperature change was very abrupt. See TOTD #2.

After our very exciting visit with the Beluga whales we headed over to the Churchill community centre to eat lunch down by the shore of the Hudson Bay. Some explored the shoreline, others the community centre all while a game of ultimate Frisbee went on. Our next stop was the train station to visit the Wapusk National Park Interpretation Centre. We were given a small assignment to do regarding the species of the park and the changing environment of it. Following this was a presentation on Wapusk National Park. Regard TOTD #3. Paying attention to a lecture is key to gaining knowledge and the key to understanding a lecture is actually staying awake. Half of our group succumbed to our growing tiredness and hibernated during the presentation. Thank goodness the lecture is not going on our final exam..... hopefully.

Today we had 2 dinners. One was a lot more conventional than the other. Our first was served by our lovely kitchen staff here at the CNSC while our second was given to us by the tundra itself!!!What we mean by this is that Heather from Parks Canada collected us a variety of edible (well sort of) plants for us to try. We had Labrador tea, red bear berries, crowberries [only edible with sugar (view TOTD #4)], fireweed jelly, fireweed, sandwort and soap berry ice-cream. Quite the feast if you’re into trying new things. Anyways one of the most important things we learned about was how do not eat anything if you don’t know what it is. Refer to TOTD #5.

Hopefully today’s tips help you to stay alert and stay safe up here in Churchill!


Brennan and Bethany oooouuuut!



Rap of the Day (ROTD) by: B-dog and Bethillionaire


We came here by plane,

and also by train,

but we won’t refrain,

from this flat terrain.

Ate a wild berry,

from the cape of Merry,

mosquitoes make us weary,

we smack them without care......y

Belugas in the river,

tide line make us shiver,

flora and their fauna,

makes me really wanna..... stay in Churchill!!!

Seen some polar bears,

even in some pairs,

scared them using flares,

and pooped our underwears.

Saw a big black seal,

Good it made us feel,

Listened to Doug’s spiel,

Climate change is real......ly bad

Belugas in the river,

tide line make us shiver,

flora and their fauna,

makes me really wanna..... stay in Churchill!!!


 

Riding On the Magic School Bus!

On THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS...

Step inside — it's a wilder ride!

Come on — ride on THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS!

 Well, we weren’t on the magic school bus today- but we could’ve been! Today was an amazing learning experience, in the life of a researcher. We have 3 tips for YOU on how to become a researcher.


1. Have a good sense of humour


One Na atom says to the other Na atom, “I think I lost an electron.”


the other one says, “are you sure?”


And HE said, “I’m POSITIVE!!”


AH HAH HAH. Hah…. Ha….hmmm


2. Be observant, and tolerant of the environment.


3. Always have a shotgun with you (on the tundra, no where else. Please.)

We met 5 different researchers today, and we’re going to teach you what we learned from them. Krista told and taught us about the Northern Peatlands- now we think she’s going to save them. Geoff, “spiderman”/former PSA student, on the other hand, taught us how to save arthropods from climate change AND make them look like models (HAHA.). Next on spotlight, was Sara. She taught us about the effects in the Tundra when temperatures rise. Anne was next- and taught us about the CUTEST bird on the tundra; the semi-palmated plover. Amanda answered the question of the changing coastal line, due to climate change.

Here’s our interview that we had with the 5 researchers today.

1. What inspired you to do your research?

-Krista: I came up as an undergrad student in Churchill the first time, and I thought it was pretty cool. The people here also encouraged me to go on. 

-Sara: I really love the outdoors, and the North. So I’m concerned on how it will be affected.

Anne: I started going out as a kid on hikes. I still remember in grade 4 going to the ecology park, it was awesome.

-Amanda: I had so many questions about the environment, after doing a course. After that, I became really interested in water.

 

2. Here is today’s word of the day from our researchers, can you match which word is which definition?

Words:

a)phenology

b) nephelomedricturbidity

c)precocial


d)floccinaucinihillipillification


e) aerenchyma


definitions:


-Geoff: the act of not doing anything


-Krista: brings oxygen to plant roots and moves gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere


-Anne: shore birds that are born with all they need (feathers, instincts, vision)


-Sara: life cycle of plants

-Amanda: unit of measurement

To look at the answers, highlight right under here!

a) Sara: life cycle of plants

b) Amanda: unit of measurement

c) Anne: shore birds that are born with all they need (feathers, instincts, vision)

d) Geoff: the act of not doing anything

e) Krista: brings oxygen to plant roots and moves gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere

 

This is Roberto Humberto Tello(lion) and Amy Ai Yang(barracuda) signing out from day 7 in Churchill, Manitoba. Peace to the middle east.

Survival guide to a day In Churchill

Step 1: Wake up at 0700. Take a quick shower and return to room.

Step 2: Select attire for day’s activities.

Step 3: Go to Dining Hall for communal breakfast.

Step 4: Load onto vehicle and prepare for a rough ride.

Step 5: Travel down rough roads for approximately half an hour.

Step 6: Arrive at destination.

Step 7: Explore surrounding area to locate ideal research zone.

Step 8: Cordon off a 2x2 square and identify all vegetation in the area.

Step 9: Return to bus with results and return to center for refuelling.

Step 10: Get back onto the bus and sing Hotel California to next location.

Step 11: Repeat steps 4-9 at boreal forest.

Step 12: Work with partner to answer required paperwork for the assignment.

Step 13: Return to Dining Hall for refuelling.

Step 14: Get briefing on Dene culture and view multiple aboriginal beaded art and tools.

Step 15: Return to sleeping quarters and locate portable computer and start on blog.

Step 16: Complete daily log (journal)

Step 17: Lights out.



After a full day in Churchill, we hope that this guide has helped you survive a day here. We are having a blast exploring the wilderness while getting a feel of the culture around here. The lab that we did today allowed us to see two different environments near our center: a burned forest and a boreal forest. All of us were shocked at how many different specimens of vegetation that were growing and surviving, even in the most remote of places. We truly got a chance to feel like real researchers as we carefully documented and described each plant that we saw. We used the knowledge from previous days to use our GPS’ to trace our exact location. Despite facing some challenges (such as pesky mosquitoes!!), our awesome bug jackets and repellent helped keep us (mostly) bug bite-free.

We also had a Dene guest speaker, Carol Bjorkland, come to talk to us after dinner. She shared her experiences about her childhood and how she has overcome massive difficulties in her lifetime. Her collection of carefully made moccasins, tools, stories and all parts of the caribou allowed us to see, feel, and read about her history. The best part was how she was willing to recount to all of us her story—and we all lent an ear to listen to her.

Both of us hope that we continue to have a super-amazing, PSA-filled time here for the rest of our Churchill experience.

Chris and Valerie

Super Fantastic Ridiculous Day

Lessons Learned Today:

Lesson #1: Don’t fiddle with the coordinates on the GPS.

            -one wrong number sends you in the completely opposite direction; experienced by most of us during our GPS treasure hunt today)

Lesson #2: Don’t be distracted by the GPS; always bring your camera

            -evident in the lack of photos in our blog slideshow

Lesson #3: Don’t jump on rusty boat floors

            -floor boards of 1920’s built ship tend to be rusty and thin; it would be a painful way to meet your end

Lesson #4: Throw rocks at the scuttled boat before entering

            -polar bears are smarter than we realize and hide inside the boat from scientists in helicopters

Lesson #5: It’s really hard to post a blog entry when the internet in the entire town is down

            -it’s still down as we type this

Today we followed our very knowledgeable guide, Paul, on a hike around Bird Cove. Something to note: when hiking in wet bog and marshlands, hiking boots and rain boots may not do the trick. Piggyback riding is the way to go!

Paul led us on a buffet of the tundra. As we walked, he and Doug pointed out different plants we could eat including wild blueberries (a tiny bit sour, but still good), puff balls (mushroom), seaweed, and a tundra salad like plant.

Our hike took us down through the low tide beach. The Ithaca is a large boat built in the 1920’s but was scuttled on out Bird’s Cove in 1961. It was supposedly stranded on suspicious grounds and so ship insurance for it was only paid in part. The Italian leader, Mussolini also used the boat as well.

The floor boards of the Ithaca are dangerously thin. There are parts rusted with holes; watching our step while inside the boat was extremely important.

We saw an abundance of wild life; many birds walking along the shore and although we didn’t physically see a bear today, we saw its tracks along the sand.

By the time we hiked back to the bus for lunch, everyone’s feet were completely soaked!

GPS treasure hunt time! After a lesson on everything GPS yesterday, we were all feeling very confident about our GPS skills, but we soon realized that it would be much more difficult than we had originally thought.

By the time we were halfway through, most of us had been majorly mislead by our glowing technological beacons. Once we had discovered all of our “treasures” we were tasked with decoding a message using all of the hints we had collected. The message read:

“Why do people give each other flowers to celebrate various important occasions? They’re taking a creatures life! Why stop at plants? Sweetheart let's make up. Here have this deceased squirrel.”

Here are some photos from the activities that we took part in today!

Lavina and Jacob

Ikajurungnaqpinga Inuktitut?

That means, “Can you help me with Inuktitut?” Well, yes, we can! Here are some useful phrases for beginners:


“Sukkailutit uqaruk…” – Say it slowly…
“Tukisinngitara.” – I don’t understand.
“Ikajuq!!” – Help!!


Like many languages, Inuktitut isn’t all about speaking. Spelling is difficult, but important. Luckily for you, we’ve done all the legwork: Here’s how to spell “Peel Summer Academy loves Churchill!”

How did we learn so much about this Inuit language? We spent our morning at the Eskimo Museum, the only museum found in Churchill. Its single room is filled with an impressive collection of Inuit artifacts, art, and more. A huge taxidermied polar bear welcomed us as we entered.

One piece of art that received special attention were a set of carvings done with the teeth of the artist… we’re convinced that upon completion of these carvings, he often bit off more than he could chew! Ha!
After completing a quick assignment at the Museum, we were ready to head for the shore of the Churchill River. Guides of the Sea North Tour Company (for whom Doug used to work) greeted us and gave us paddles, kayaks, instructions… and pants. Tasha was a great model for Sea North’s upcoming fall collection entitled “Wet Whaley” (Like wet willy! Ha!):

The kayak trip was amazing. Majestic beluga whales would gracefully dance for us right next to our boats. In fact, Bryn and Tasha had the treat of having their kayak bumped by two belugas, which proceeded to splash them with their huge back fins! This experience is much better illustrated than it is described, though:

After lunch, we spent just over forty-five minutes souvenir shopping in “downtown” Churchill. We quickly discovered that many of the goods were much more expensive than what we expected – for example, a watermelon was on sale for the great price of $9.99! Considering it has to take the long journey we did, this is understandable. This also applied to many souvenirs in the area. (So Dad – sorry if I don’t buy you a carved piece of soapstone or rabbit fur slippers – both cost upwards of $200!)

It’s not all play and no work. We’ve been busy with learning about GPS systems and analyzing scientific studies with titles as cryptic as Genetic characterization of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica, in Tundra and Boreal Forest Habitats of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.


Our experiences in Churchill have been so breathtaking, it almost seems that they could be featured in a Tourism Manitoba commercial…

-Bryn & David