2024 Churchill trip
- 25caraclu
- Feb 9
- 1 min read

This November, NorthSTAR students had the
incredible opportunity to travel to Churchill, Manitoba, as
part of the annual NorthStar trip. The journey offered a
chance to experience the wonders of the North while
contributing to important research on polar bears.
The primary focus of the trip was to gather usable photos
and data for polar bear research, particularly for analyzing
their body condition and attempting to catalog them. Of
course, the polar bears were a highlight of the trip, but the
students enjoyed many other memorable experiences
along the way.
The group was given a guided tour by the Churchill Junior
Rangers and explored the historic site of Cape Merry on
the shores of Hudson Bay. They attended a fascinating
presentation on the Sayisi Dene people and the rich
Indigenous history of the region. The students also went
dog sledding, where some were even lucky enough to feed
the delightfully friendly Gray Jay birds.
The adventure continued with a ride on the famous Tundra
Buggies, which took the group through Wapusk National
Park in search of polar bears. The students were thrilled to
witness bears sparring—a rare and breathtaking sight. In
addition to observing these majestic creatures, they
successfully captured multiple photos for their research,
even though identifying individual bears remains
challenging. (After all, polar bears don’t wear name tags,
and they all share the same snowy white coat!)
The trip concluded on a perfect note. While cloudy skies
obscured the aurora borealis during the first few nights, the
final evening brought clear skies, revealing a dazzling display
of the northern lights—a truly magical way to end the
adventure.
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