The trip to Churchill

The first day and a half were spent getting to Churchill. Left out of North Carolina around 7:00 and with a layover at O'Hare I arrived in Winnipeg (bottom) around 3:00 local time.

I was told the airport hotel was right across the street from the airport but I had no idea just how close the two are to each other. This is a view from my room (top)

The next morning I was up early and on to Churchill! Notice in this photo (top) how some of the tributaries are beginning to freeze.

We made a quick stop in Thompson (bottom) for fuel.

Churchill, Polar Bear capital of the world

In November 2010 I was invited to Churchill Manitoba to see and photograph polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the wild.

As these bears are my favorite this was indeed a thrill of a lifetime!

In the coming months I will share photos and memories of this trip and try to bring my experience to you.

It is important to understand why these bears are so much in peril and what we as humans can do to help. When climate change gets so bad that the ice is not forming until late December, early January and melting earlier then ever, it is an alarming event. On the surface it means the bears get less and less time to hunt on the ice pack. It also means fewer bears and fewer cubs which could have potentially devastating effects on one of the world's largest populations of polar bears.