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Hanging out with my cousin in Montreal

After spending all that quality time in Western Canada, I decided it was time to make the journey back East! I arrived just in time to check out the first ever Caribou Day at the Ecomuseum Zoo in Montreal, held on September 7th. 

What a blast! I spent my day touring the zoo and and talking to my fans about my caribou cousins and their habitat in Québec. The highlight of the day was certainly meeting up with my old pal Tuk-Tuk, a fellow woodland caribou at the Ecomuseum. We had a good chat over some snacks, and he invited me to come back soon for another Caribou Day at the zoo!
 
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Après ma visite de l’ouest canadien, j’ai décidé qu’il était temps que je revienne faire mon tour dans l’est ! Je suis revenu juste à temps pour participer à la toute première Journée caribou au Zoo Écomuséum à Montréal, le 7 septembre dernier.

Quelle aventure ! J’ai passé ma journée à visiter le zoo, et à discuter avec mes fans de mes cousins les caribous du Québec et de leur habitat. Mon moment préféré de la journée a certainement été ma rencontre avec mon vieil ami Tuk-Tuk, un caribou des bois de l’Écomuséum. On a eu une bonne discussion tout en partageant une collation, et il m’a invité à revenir bientôt pour une autre Journée caribou au zoo !

Jamming at the Canmore Folk Festival

I love the Rockies, I just can’t stay away! I spent the August long weekend in Canmore, hanging out at the Folk Festival.

I got to hear some great music, which of course makes a caribou want to dance, and squeezed in a little shopping at the artisan booths too.

I met some really friendly folks, some who were even taller than me and a group of fellow forest creatures, a moose, a pika, and another caribou (they all bore a striking resemblance to some Parks Canada Interpreters)!

People and creatures alike were so helpful in signing postcards to help protect my habitat, thanks everyone!

My first taste of Vancouver

This week I travelled to the Pacific coast of Canada for my first visit to Vancouver! As I expected, it was a little rainy but the sun came out when I was strolling around Stanley Park.

After visiting everyone at the head office of Mountain Equipment Co-op, I stopped by the MEC Vancouver store where I was put to work, helping customers buy gear for their wilderness trips. I also signed autographs and posed for photos with some of my fans!

Once my work day was over, I had some time to visit the Granville Island market and sample some of the amazing foods for sale. I couldn’t find any lichen to nibble on but I did enjoy a pastry from the bakery.

By this time I needed to find some forest for a rest so I went to Stanley Park and saw the huge cedar trees and amazing totem poles. I walked along the seawall and chatted with tourists and locals about protecting my home, the Boreal forest.

Thank you to everyone at MEC in Vancouver for making me feel at home!

Caribou returns to Banff

Where else would I celebrate Parks Day but in Canada’s oldest national park?

I visited the celebrations at the high school grounds, organized by the awesome parks staff, where I had a caribou-sound making contest with some of the locals.

Afterwards I walked around the famous Banff Avenue, chatting with visitors and having my picture taken with so many people!

At one point I thought I saw a couple of wolves, but turns out it was just one of Banff’s new hybrid buses.

The following day I was back in Calgary, hanging out at the Sun and Salsa Festival. There were so many people interested in meeting a caribou from the boreal forest, it almost felt like being back in the herd! A big thanks to the Running Room for all the water refills.

Caribou in Montreal

Did you know that Caribou is not only charming, suave and handsome, but bilingual too?  He wrote about his trip to Montreal in both English and French:

Leaving the Boreal behind for the urban jungle, I joined Montreal civilization at the Festival de Plein Air, held on 23, 24 and 25 May.  Surprised by my presence, festival-goers quickly surrounded me and asked tonnes of questions about my Boreal home.  My legendary charm even attracted a passing kayaker.

Lost in this world of concrete, I wanted to quench my thirst in a stream in Parc Jean-Drapeau. My animal instincts cast doubt on the quality of water and probably saved me from certain death.

Being of an adventurous nature, I joined a crowd hungry for excitement that waited for me to do something.   I have to admit I hesitated.  If it hadn't been for the professionalism of the human assigned to hook me up, I would maybe go graze elsewhere.

But I'm not the type to resist a fun new experience.

See you soon, in new adventures in Quebec!

Et en français :

En pleine jungle urbaine, je me suis frotté à la civilisation montréalaise lors du Festival de Plein Air qui s’est tenu les 23, 24 et 25 mai derniers. Étonnés par ma présence, les festivaliers m’ont rapidement entouré et posé mille questions sur mon habitat. Il faut dire que mon charme légendaire a même attiré un kayakiste qui passait par là.

Perdu dans cet univers de béton, j’ai quand même voulu étancher ma soif dans une petite rivière du Parc Jean-Drapeau. Mon instinct de bête sauvage m’a, cependant, fait douter de la qualité de l’eau et m’a sauvé d’une mort probablement certaine.

Étant de nature aventurière, je me suis joint à une foule avide d’émotions fortes qui patientait tranquillement pour essayer un truc, ma foi, intrigant.

Cependant, je dois bien l’avouer, si ce n’avait été du professionnalisme de l’humaine assignée pour m’attacher, je serais peut-être aller brouter ailleurs. Mais, je ne suis pas du genre à me désister et l’expérience a été des plus… amusantes! 

A bientôt, dans de nouvelles aventures au Québec!

Caribou goes to the Green Living Show

Well it was a quick trip back to Toronto for me this past weekend after my exciting experiences in Alberta!

My wonderful friends at CPAWS invited me to join them at The Green Living Show –the consumer show dedicated to all things green! CPAWS had set up a booth there with help from the Trillium Foundation.  I was really looking forward to getting in touch with all the Torontonians and Ontarians and telling them about ways they can help – by signing my petition to Minister Baird.  Boy – I was a little overwhelmed with all the booths and people, and had to take a time out in the urban forest, which made me feel right at home!  But everyone was really nice, though some were a little confused between me, and my friend Bullwinkle – the moose.   

I met lots of school kids on Friday, who were eager to take their picture with me, and learn about the plight of Woodland Caribou in Canada’s Boreal.  I was surprised at how many people didn’t know about Woodland Caribou, or about the logging that’s going on in Algonquin Park – a wonderful park that my kind used to call home a long time ago until it got too busy with logging and development around it.   

I really had lots of fun playing with the little kids – they were all very curious about me there was even one little girl who wanted to take me home!  But unfortunately, I’m a busy ‘Bou, and couldn’t go home for dinner.

Talking to people at the different booths was really interesting – they were all happy to see a caribou wandering the show, and even let me try out some of their neat stuff – like folding bicycles. I met my old friend, the Evergreen tree, and a lifesize pic of a fellow Woodland caribou made me a little homesick.

I was very excited to learn that some of my favourite people would be speaking at the show.  While I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Bill Clinton, I took some time to read through his book, and Margaret Atwood dropped by.  I was so honoured – she recognized me instantly!  She’s an old friend of Woodland Caribou – in 2007 she signed a letter to Premier McGuinty asking him to keep his promise to protect my home—the Boreal forest.  She was heading into to see Mr. Clinton speak, so couldn’t stay long.   

Wandering along visiting the different booths on Saturday, I was called over by the Waterkeepers, and was invited to have a picture taken with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  I told him about the Woodland Caribou, and asked him to sign a postcard – which he did!   

After that busy weekend, I am looking forward to some lichen to munch, and to rest my tail in Ottawa for a short time before I’m off on my travels again!

Off to Calgary!

Off to Calgary, turning cow-town into caribou-town! I barely arrived before I found myself at the concert of one of my favorite bands, Caribou. Many of the people there were a little confused that a woodland caribou was walking around the room, but once I explained I was here to help spread the word on how important it is to protect the boreal forest, were a big help and all signed postcards.

The next night I visited the local MEC store, and had a great time helping people pick out their gear, and found some interesting books to read.

On Friday some of the great staff at the Calgary/Banff office took me to Banff National Park where I had a GREAT time chatting with the friendly locals and tourists at the town of Banff. I got to see a couple of caribou landmarks, the Banff Springs Hotel, Cave and Basin, and even met a couple of newlyweds! When we had to go back to Calgary, I didn’t want to leave!

Back in Calgary, I visited the Climb for Wilderness at the Calgary Tower. I quickly decided to keep my hooves firmly on the ground while cheering on all the brave people who climbed those stairs all the way to the top!

I finished off with a trip to the Calgary Zoo, where I saw some caribou cousins, some familiar faces and some very new ones too! I don’t think a caribou has ever touched a stingray before! Finally, I said goodbye to all my new friends in Calgary, getting ready for the trip eastward to Toronto.

Being Caribou in Edmonton

I arrived in Edmonton on April 12. First stop - the Strathcona Farmers' Market. Here, the curious caribou was mistaken for a deer, antelope and moose! More often than not, children guessed my identity correctly the first time but parents often were mistaken. I really enjoyed the fresh bunches of flowers and the balloon animals at the market. I bumbled along through the throngs of people and very nearly knocked over a hanging sign when my antlers became entangled as I went to taste some baba ganoush! Evidently it is safer to stick to lichens...

I had some help from CPAWS Northern Alberta staff and volunteers to gather signatures to support protection of my Boreal forest habitat.  While they were doing the hard work, I boogied to the lively strains of a nearby accordion player.

We moved on from the market to our next destination: the Alberta Legislature. Upon arrival, we met a troupe of Cub Scouts, who eagerly gathered for a photo. When we arrived at the Legislature, we were shocked to see news crews. Was the media there to see little ol’ me? Alas not. Another rally was making its way to Alberta's government.  We took some photos and proceeded indoors where I managed to trap myself in a bathroom stall!  I was later accosted by a huge grizzly bear and a grey wolf  - it was scary!

Our final destination, Mountain Equipment Co-op, was teeming with people, mostly surprised and bemused to see such a large ungulate indoors!  We continued gathering signatures, and after a close encounter with a light bulb, I realized the city was making me very tired and longing for my forest home. And so I decided to slip away into the sunset, on the road to my next stop on my quest to raise awareness of the plight of Woodland caribou.  

Second Stop: Winnipeg

I made a lot of friends in Winnipeg. Everyone was really welcoming, though I was shy at first. They listened to my concerns for my northern Boreal home and realized that they could do something to help. People were eager to let the government know that they cared about my relatives and me – the threatened woodland caribou. Hundreds of postcards were signed in support. Thank you.

First, I went to Mountain Equipment Co-op, where I met the wonderful staff and checked out their great gear. On my tour of the city I saw some of my distant relatives on my way to the Forks. What an adventure!

But it's time to move on. There are still many places to go and people to talk to about the importance of the Boreal forest. If you would like to help protect my home - the Boreal forest, please sign the online petition to the federal Minister of Environment.

Be sure to check back next week to hear about my adventures in Edmonton! 

 

I'm on tour! First stop: Montréal

With CPAWS’ help, I'm making my way across the country to spread the word on protecting my Boreal forest home.  And I'm asking Canadians to help me out by signing the online petition.

My first stop was in Montréal at the Mountain Equipment Co-op store, where I tried on MEC’s cool gear and spoke with staff and members.  There's a poster of me in all the MEC stores across the country – be sure to check it out!

Later, I went tobogganing down Mount Royal – but it was a bit too dangerous for me.

Then I decided to shake things up in the evening by checking out the band “Caribou” and dancing with the crowd.

Keep checking back for my latest adventures across the country and to learn more abou how you can help protect my remaining Boreal forest habitat and slow the effects of climate change.

Ontario's enviro commissioner gets a visit from Santa's reindeer

Santa gets an official thank you this week from Ontario's Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller (press release, PDF).  Nine tiny reindeer caribou visited Mr. Miller to spread the holiday cheer, and thank him for speaking up for caribou habitat protection this year.  No coal in his stocking, that's for sure.

I think Santa bears a suspicious resemblance to CPAWS Wildlands League conservation guru Evan Ferrari, but that's just speculation.

Sleigh Science

Another caribou expert votes for Peary caribou as Santa's reindeer of choice. In an interview with the Arizona Republic, Donna Naughton of Ottawa's Canadian Museum of Nature notes that Peary live closer to the North Pole than any other reindeer, and would fit the bill for the "eight tiny reindeer" from A Visit From St. Nicholas -- along with the Svalbard reindeer of northern Scandanavia, the pale-coloured Peary caribou is the smallest of all Rangifer subspecies.

And for the record, most male reindeer/caribou drop their antlers before December, while females retain theirs until Spring, when they give birth to the calves they carry throughout the winter. The odds are good that Santa's reindeer are tiny, pale, female and pregnant.

Link: The Arizona Republic

What kind of reindeer does Santa use?

CPAWS' resident caribou expert, Liv Vors, weighs in:

No one knows for sure, but I have two theories... It depends on whether Santa's workshop is at the magnetic north pole or the geographic north pole. If it is the magnetic north pole, then they would be Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi), since that is the subspecies that lives there. But...if he is at the geographic north pole, then it would be Eurasian reindeer (R.t. tarandus). I think we could figure it out by setting up some hair snags and motion-sensor cameras on some chimneys. Genetic analyses and visual identification would confirm which it is.

As an aside, it is unfortunate that Santa's reindeer are artistically depicted as some kind of deer that looks more like a white-tail than anything else...don't get me started on that one!