Polar bear research shared, adventures open to public
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PABLO – Dr. Frank Tyro’s bear adventures began over 40 years ago with the non-profit organization The Great Bear Foundation in an effort to conserve habitats for bears around the world.
Tyro hosted a community gathering on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at the Salish Kootenai College theater to share what he's learned from polar bear research done in the artic and subarctic.
The Great Bear Foundation is a conservation group that guides participants in Churchill, Manitoba in Canada’s Hudson Bay for four days with guides offering information about ecology, culture and bear behavior. Graduate and undergraduate college credits are available. The foundation states that 100 percent of the proceeds from the trip go to bear conservation projects.
“If you don’t have a passport and you want to come, you better get one,” Tyro said of the next upcoming trip.
Autumn Adams, Tyro’s daughter, was on a similar trip with her father during the summer of 2016.
“I saw some amazing things including polar bears eating a whale carcass,” she said.
Adams spoke about the importance of conservation: “I think we need to make a conscious effort to protect the bears.”
She said she continues to spread the message about conservation from a warmer vantage point.
“I am not a cold girl,” she said jokingly. “I don’t like the cold, but it was a trip I would go on again for the experiences.”
Tyro shared information and photos about the trip to encourage conversation as well as to share what the trip might be like or to allow others to experience the event from a warmer location.
Dr. Charles Jonkel, co-founder of The Great Bear Foundation and pioneer of bear biology, passed away in Missoula of natural causes on April 12, 2016. Tyro shared some of his story in his documentary “Walking Bear Comes Home,” about Jonkel’s life and work.
“I had a bear five-feet away and it sniffed around and ran off,” Jonkel states in the documentary. He offered cautionary advice for others wanting to see the bears: “Just don’t sleep in a sleeping bag outside since you look like a seal.”
Tyro also shared information about bear habitat. “I like to share this information so that people can learn more about how the water flows and the winds and how these factors affect everything since they are all connected.”
He also asked if anyone wanted to join the cold adventure. He recommended making a quick decision.
“Spots fill up quickly and we have to book everything almost eight months in advance to make it happen,” he said.
For more information, visit www.greatbear.org, email Tyro at franktyro1@gmail.com or call 406-261-0238.
