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28 | OHCC LIVING | MAY 2021 | April showers bring May flowers as the saying goes! So here's to the return of bountiful and beautiful May flowers all around our OHCC grounds. We also celebrate that the country seems to be on track to win the battle with COVID-19, hopefully by the end of summer. We still have no news about Travel Club meetings or trips so we are continuing to share stories from our members about their travels. Callie Dean volunteered again to share another story, this time highlighting her Canadian 6-day Polar Bear Adventure. Callie traveled to Churchill, Canada, with Natural Habitat Adventures (NHA) in 2016. The NHA is a longtime partner with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world's leading conservation organizations. Traveling with the NHA supports the WWF's important work of safeguarding an Arctic home for polar bears. Churchill is a friendly frontier town, which began as a Hudson Bay Company fur-trading post, and served as the base for the tour. Churchill is also world famous for the density of polar bears as they congregate on the southern shore of the Hudson Bay waiting for the ice to freeze, and a chance to catch seals after going months without eating. Callie's group had an Expedition Leader and toured in a NHA custom-built Polar Rover, specially designed to view the Tundra and wild life. The group was excited that they saw bears for all three days that they explored the Tundra. They were delighted by watching the polar bears' antics, mothers with their cubs, young males play-fighting; and others in their solitary majesty. Thanks to their knowledgeable Expedition Leader, they learned about the bears' behavior and how they thrive in such a harsh environment. In addition to observing the bears, the group also saw Arctic, Cross, and Red foxes, Arctic hares, Snowy Owls, ptarmigan (a bird), and other wildlife. The group explored the town and enjoyed visiting the Eskimo Museum and the Town Centre. A real highlight of the trip for Callie was the helicopter flight over the Tundra where she saw some moose roaming around their natural habitat. Callie describes her trip as a fascinating, educational, and beautiful adventure which she was absolutely thrilled to have taken. She would be happy to discuss the trip if you too are interested in taking it. Travel Club