Conservation Journey: Polar Bears

Day 01

Welcome to Winnipeg

I flew into Winnipeg today and I am so excited to go to the Tundra Buggy Lodge on Conservation Journey: Polar Bears! My home for the night is a Winnipeg hotel which is just across the street from the airport. After checking in, I head to an evening meet and greet held by our Frontiers North Interpretive Guide where our group has the chance to ask last minute questions and learn more about what our adventure holds!

Photo © Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Day 02

Churchill Adventure Begins

Today we are going to Churchill! After a very early breakfast with our Interpretive Guide at our hotel, our tour group boards a warm bus for the short ride to the private hangar from where our plane will depart for Churchill. The flight is two and a half hours.

Upon arrival, we head straight out on a Churchill and area tour, which comprises of an exploratory drive past various points of interest in and surrounding Churchill. Our driver stopped briefly at Manitoba Conservation’s Polar Bear Holding Facility so we could get out and take photos. We take a break for lunch and enjoy a warm, home-cooked meal at one of Churchill’s family-run restaurants – who knew Churchill had such incredible food?

After lunch we stop off at Churchill’s famous Itsanitaq Museum, which is home to an enormous collection of Inuit artifacts and has an incredible little gift shop where visitors can buy local Inuit art and carvings, books and other gifts. 

After the museum, we head over to the Parks Canada Visitor Centre, which has in-depth displays that reveal the remarkable history of Churchill through wildlife dioramas and exhibits that portray the history of the fur trade in the area.

In the evening we enjoy a wonderful dinner and a relaxing night in our hotel.

© Abby Matheson

Day 03

Dog Sledding and Tundra Buggy Lodge

After breakfast, our first excursion of the day is a dog sledding program with local dog musher Dave Daley of Wapusk Adventures. Dave regales us with his incredible dog sledding stories, introduces us to his dog pack and then takes each of the group on a mile-long dog sled ride through the boreal forest. 

Next we pay a visit to Polar Bears International House, where we receive a short talk from a Polar Bears International Ambassador who teaches us about polar bears around the world, polar bear research, climate change and more. We also tour the Interpretive Centre and learn how to support polar bear conservation efforts.

In the late afternoon we board the Frontiers North bus and head out to the Tundra Buggy Dock for our trip out to the Tundra Buggy Lodge in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA). It’s our first chance to see the incredible landscape of the North and it is absolutely breathtaking.

As the sun begins to fade, we see the Tundra Buggy Lodge in the distance – it’ almost as if we’re approaching an isolated space station in the middle of nowhere. As we board the lodge, the feeling of isolation disappears. The welcoming staff greet us warmly and we are treated to an incredible home cooked meal before settling in to our new home on the tundra.

Photo © Abby Matheson

Day 04

Tundra Buggy Adventure and Polar Bears International Speaker

After waking up in our comfortable accommodations, we gather for a hearty breakfast before boarding the Tundra Buggy in time for first light. We set out to explore the CWMA, in search of polar bears, arctic fox, ptarmigans and other incredible subarctic wildlife.

Our amazing Tundra Buggy Driver and Interpretive Guide teach us about the history and importance of the northern landscape. Midday we enjoy a picnic style lunch packed just for us by the lodge chef.

At the end of the day, we return to the Tundra Buggy Lodge in time for a delicious meal and a chance to relax in the lounge for a presentation by a Polar Bears International scientist.

Photo © Ian Wood

Day 05

Tundra Buggy Adventure and Polar Bears International Speaker

It's another great day to see some polar bears on the Tundra Buggy! We start our day travelling more inland than yesterday, hoping to see a mom and cub that were seen in the area yesterday. Our Tundra Buggy Driver is in constant contact with other Tundra Buggies in the area to share sightings, so we always know where other bears have been seen.

Today on our Tundra Buggy we were joined by Polar Bears International scientist Dr. Steven Amstrup, a world renowned polar bear researcher with over 3 decades of experience in the field. Dr. Amstrup's presentation is very informative and we get to see up close polar bear fur, claws and even a skull (not a real skull though, just a replica). It is a great opportunity for us travellers to ask questions about polar bears and to get some insight into how climate change is affecting the arctic sea ice.

Photo © Alex Cupeiro

Day 06

Final Tundra Buggy Adventure

Today is our last day on the Tundra Buggy and we excitedly set out right away to search for polar bears.

It is another great day on the tundra, full of extraordinary wildlife and many chances to get great photos. It’s been a successful day and our entire group celebrates our amazing luck to have been able to see polar bears in the wild.

As our day comes to an end, so does our time in Churchill. We are transferred back to the Churchill airport for our return flight to Winnipeg. When we arrive in Winnipeg we check back in to our hotel. The night is ours to do as we wish, which gives me a lot of time to look over all the photos I took!

Photo © Alex Cupeiro

Day 07

Depart Winnipeg

What an amazing experience I've had this past week.

Not only did I get to see Canada's incredible polar bears, but I also got to learn about these amazing creatures from scientists and researchers who have dedicated their lives to helping save the species. It's wonderful knowing that some of what I paid for my tour will be donated directly to Polar Bears International and their work to save polar bear habitat. 

Knowing now how every choice I make affects our world, I will definitely be making some changes at home to ensure I'm living as green as possible.