This post is of a slightly different nature than usual: over the past two months I have spent a considerable amount of time with bears: black bears, grizzly bears, and polar bears. Every situation is different – the roadside encounter, alpine surprises on the trail, or actively tracking them on the tundra. Regardless, respect for an animal’s territory is always of paramount importance to minimize their stress level. Wanting to get too close is unrealistic,…
Some of you might not know this about me, but back in the day I studied astronomy at the University of Manitoba. There was of course the necessary prerequisite knowledge that we studied in the lecture hall, but as we got further into the program we were able to literally take our studies to the stars.
Twice a week I would head out with a team of students to the Glenlea Astronomical Observatory to log time on an immense telescope pointed at the dark night sky. Taking…