Posted by Lori
George has left for Cooper Island on a short trip to get ready for the season that will begin in May. He’s a little swamped right now, so I’ll be posting updates to kick things off.
George left his home in Seattle for Barrow, Alaska, the first stop on the way to Cooper Island. With him he took 150 plastic cases which, if things work out the way George is hoping, will save the Arctic black guillemot. It seems because of the melting ice pack polars are coming to Cooper Island to find food, which happens to be black guillemot chicks and eggs — very easy pickings for a polar bear. George captured these images last year of a polar bear attacking a guillemot nest.
[flv:http://www.adventures-in-climate-change.com/videoplayer/videos/polar-bear-eating-chicks-final.flv 480 368]Because of disappearing ice, polar bears are coming to Cooper Island in search of food. This bear makes a meal of black guillemot chicks.
Last year, George put a nest inside a plastic box, which he uses to protect his electronic equipment, to find out if such a housing could protect black guillemot chicks and eggs from polar bears. He captured the results on camera.
[flv:http://www.adventures-in-climate-change.com/videoplayer/videos/polar-bear-with-chick-in-case-final.flv 480 368]This polar bear attempts to break into the new housing.
This season George is transporting 150 cases to the Arctic — not an easy trip. The next post will track George and his cases from Seattle to Cooper Island. Stay tuned.