Judy McClure, Carolyn and Cubs, A Wolf Memory, and Hazelnuts - UPDATE July 18, 2022
Carolyn and cub
We got a call that 5-year-old Carolyn and her cubs were seen, and we all piled into the big van to get there in time. They were mostly obscured in the woods, but Carolyn came into good view for a couple minutes to show her beautiful face before leading the cubs off to whatever berry patch she might have had in mind.
Carolyn Carolyn
Last evening I said I hadn’t seen many hazelnuts in this otherwise good food year and didn’t understand why. Explanations flowed. I had been looking for them along a driveway where squirrels were eating them, and I was glad to hear that hazelnuts abound this year, and someone sent me a picture to give that statement credibility, making the world right.Hazelnuts
In the comments under last night’s update, Julie Ann Nevill mentioned seeing a trail cam video of wolves eating blueberries in Voyageur National Park
https://youtu.be/XpNlItgY_Ok. That reminded me of a nice moment parked on a narrow forest road near Ely years ago when a pack of wolves materialized near my vehicle and took their time feeding on raspberries as they drifted by. I’ve seen many wolf scats that contained berries but that was the only time I got to see them eating them. The Voyageur trail cam video that was set up overlooking a super blueberry patch is a great example of what is possible with trail cams these days.On a sad note, we will miss Judy McClure in many ways. She passed away this morning after a long battle with cancer. This extraordinary woman put her heart and talents into making the Bear Center exhibits all they could be, and, as someone said, her efforts will educate, inspire, and entertain visitors for years to come.
In Memory of Judy McClure
Thank you, Judy, and thank you all for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center