Day 5: Paddles and Pines

What a day in Ely!

We started at the American Bear Center with Assistant Director Spencer. Holly, Lucky, and Tasha were out and about, each with a story that shows just how important this place is—Holly came as a cub, Lucky has grown up here, and Tasha reminds us of the challenges black bears face in the wild. While we were there, we even had our “Snow White” moment—feeding the birds right from our hands as they swooped in around us.

In the afternoon, we headed to the International Wolf Center to meet up with educator Jules. She explained how ambassador wolves arrive as pups and live their entire lives at the center, giving people a rare chance to learn from and about these animals. Her insights helped us see the important role wolves play and the care that goes into managing the pack.

Tomorrow’s LiveStream will bring together the American Bear Center, the International Wolf Center, and Friends of the Boundary Waters—a powerful lineup we can’t wait to share with classrooms across the country.

And yes, we did make a Dairy Queen stop. Ice cream just tastes better after a day with bears, wolves, and birds.