The last time I wrote a blog for you all was on the first field day of this Earthwatch expedition, now it is the last day, and we are all a little reluctant to leave. In my last blog I wrote about us going to the coast to investigate some ponds but we had to leave and go to a different location because a polar bear was spotted. We went to that same location today and found no polar bears, so we investigated the three last ponds of our trip. I spent these last data collecting hours on the dip net team with Marianne. With our nets and plastic bags in hand, we looked through soot and sediment for insects, fish, and frogs/tadpoles. We found wood frogs, wood frog metamorphs, wood frog tadpoles, nine-spine fish, beetles, and beetle larvae. Leaving the last pond was a bit difficult, but we managed to make our way back to the mystery machine and take a couple pictures beside the pond. The time being only about 11:00 AM, we drove around the tundra to see some more wildlife. Sadly, there were no polar bears hanging out beside the bay; however, we saw a bald eagle perched on a rock looking out at the water.
We arrived back at the study center, de-wadered, and went to our rooms. After lunch, I did a little last minute gift shopping with Carolyn and Cecilia. Once that was done, we went to the lab and now are currently entering data and filtering water. The rest of the day will include cleaning of the van, our rooms, and sadly, our belongings. We will surely miss the serenity and beauty of Churchill, the tundra naps, the cafeteria food, the wandering polar bears and other wildlife, and lastly the people. We have compiled some poems and raps for anyone willing to read them that will be posted with the blogs—enjoy!
So long and farewell, Dora
P.S.: The power just went out, maybe from all the rain today, and the generator is running... exciting.
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