Adventures With A Churchillian
/ Post by Katie Billing of Polar Bears International
A highlight of my trip was meeting local, and fellow Arctic Ambassador alumni, Dylan. He grew up in Churchill and loves living there. We conversed about the Aurora Borealis and its beauty. Apparently two weeks prior to the explore.org trip, the Northern Lights were quite vibrant. Seeing the lights all the time is a highlight of living in Churchill.
Dylan told me a wonderful story from his childhood. His grandparents warned never to whistle to the Northern Lights because they will come and wrap their arms around you and take you away. Dylan decided to try it out. He crept outside, looked up at the sky and whistled. Suddenly, the lights began to dance! Dylan said that he immediately freaked out and ran inside. I was inspired by this story because it reminds me of nature’s connection with people. I asked Dylan if he could show me the Northern Lights and he said we could give it a try. That evening we drove to the outskirts of town. Unfortunately, the sky was slightly cloudy. As we drove around town, he pointed out various buildings and explained their role in the community. We talked about the local dump and problems involved with climate change. During our joy ride, we came across a red fox in the middle of the road! We sat in the car and watched his behavior before continuing our adventure. We drove up to Cape Merry, seeing two arctic foxes along the way, and came across a polar bear in a cage! The cage was placed by employees of D20, the local “polar bear jail.” This giant round can with wire sides tantalized bears with a piece of seal meat. The captured bears would then be brought to D20 until they could be relocated away from town via helicopter. We admired the bear and discussed the relocation strategies when suddenly Dylan pointed up towards the clouds. As if it was a gift just for us, the Northern Lights shimmered and twinkled behind clouds. We decided not to whistle this time. Sitting in the car with Dylan, the Churchillian, made me think about how people back home fail to appreciate the natural beauty that is right before our eyes. Dylan has lived in Churchill his whole life and he exudes a friendly loving quality. I wish more people could have Dylan’s level of appreciation for their towns, the local wildlife, and the friendliness to neighbors, strangers, and visitors. It is easy to see how proud Dylan is of his town and how much the bears mean to him. This trip to Churchill definitely gave me an appreciation for its wildlife but reminded me that I also have to appreciate where I come from and what I have.
