Churchill Northern Studies Centre, a great play to research, learn, and play!

 

So here I am on February 7th (my birthday) moving from the hotel and arriving at my new home for the next month, the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. I have to say it is a wonderful place to be. My roommate Sarah is cat sitting at Heidi's house while Heidi (staff) is on duty (Duty Dog) at the Centre. Most of the staff lives in town but one of them stays in the facility each night when there are guests. Our room is great and much nicer than the hotels I stayed in for my real vacation. I met a lot of people, both staff and guests, and I have to say I haven't met a stinker yet.

From my point of view, the Centre is essential to the town of Churchill not just economically, by providing jobs and adding to tourism, but also by increasing the status of Churchill internationally as so much more than just the location of the random naturally occurring biological, geological, geographical, and astronomical phenomenons that exist in this area. As if unparalleled viewing of the Aurora Borealis, belugas, polar bears, and birds, isn't enough to put a place on the map, the presence of the CNSC adds the umph sliding Churchill into the category of scientific, serious, and significant. The Centre is an independent, non-profit facility dedicated to supporting research and education in all things Northern Studies including shorebird, polar bear, marine ecology, botany, entomology, geology, geomorphology, micro climate, and climate change, tree-line formation, atmospheric physics, palaeontology, archaeology and anything else you want to research or learn about in this subarctic ecosystem!

The facility is top notch, comfortable, and user friendly. Check it out. I'll come back with you!


                                                                             

How I came to be in Churchill

Latitude: 58º 44.16'N Longitude: 93º 49.09'W

On January 30, 2014, I began a dream of a lifetime, made before "bucket lists" became popular, and while I was in my first real Geography class with Miss Papp at St Peter's Elementary School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. That class, my paternal Uncle Leo's yearly gift of a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and my Dad, Bud Warren's interest in the natural world which we could only view on black and white, teenie weinie, TV, all blended and fused creating the girl, woman, crone who wants to not just see the whole world but to become part of the essence of all people and places I encounter.

The trip was to view the illusive Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis, the mystical, totally mesmerizing natural phenomenon that is a result of collisions of gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere.I booked with a tour company, only an 8 day trip (how frozen can you get?) and began in Winnipeg, then Tundra Train overnight two days on VIA rail, and, finally, Churchill.

I have never seen so much snow

My group was great, really nice adventurous people, and I began to see the old TV show Northern Exposure in my mind  as I met the regular towns people, and eavesdropped on locals conversations, especially our bus driver/guide to everything, Rhonda who was an incredible help and knows everyone!

One of the things we did during the VACATION part was visit the Churchill Northern Studies Center to see the research facility an have a Dee-licious lunch! During lunch i meet and had a long conversation with Brian, a volunteer, and found out that a volunteer had not arrived on the train as expected and would not be arriving. I casually mentioned to Brian that the poor gal missed a GREAT opportunity and he asked me if I was interested. Brian called Heidi (in charge) and it all began. I called Hubby and after the shock subsided, Duffy agreed that it was a chance of a lifetime for me. Heidi interviewed me, flights were changed, I finished with the tour and two days later I became a temporary resident of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada-EH!