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https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1537

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Although our final class for outdoor school was not outdoors, we were still able to tie together all our experiences from the past semester into one last event: the viewing of Werner Herzog’s documentary Grizzly Man.

Herzog uses the lens of a camera to take an insightful look at the life and work of Timothy Treadwell, an advocate for Grizzly Bears. Treadwell spent thirteen summers in a remote part of Alaska filming bears and other wildlife. In the off-season, Treadwell spent his time showing his footage to audiences in order to increase awareness of the bears and their needs. Tragically, however, Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard were attacked and killed by a bear in 2003.

Since his death, Treadwell’s story has sparked controversy in the world of nature conservation. Although Treadwell loved the bears he filmed, some have suggested that he acted disrespectfully by treating animals like human beings. Others have called Treadwell downright crazy for living in the midst of wild animals without any form of protection. Grizzly Man isn’t just a biography. It’s also a commentary on the role of humans in the world of nature.

This is the same concept that was discussed by Alexander Wilson in his book The Culture of Nature. Wilson identifies the anthropomorphic perspectives that the media often attaches to the wilderness and comments on the ways that nature is often constructed by our society. Werner Herzog’s film was similar in that it contained commentary on the role of humans in nature. Treadwell loved nature so much that he wanted to become like the bears that he filmed. Others that Herzog interviewed firmly believed that there are aspects of nature that humans should not interfere with.

Herzog carefully considers how Treadwell saw nature. Additionally, his film also looks at how others regard Treadwell. This documentary is a complicated piece of art containing so many layers of perspective, and as the film progresses it slowly becomes apparent that it’s not just a story about a man who loved bears. This film is about what nature means to us. It’s about how we see nature, how we treat nature, and how we respond to nature.

In many ways, all of our coursework has had something to say on this subject in one way or another. On our very first day when we visited the Organic Farm, we heard Martha’s perspective on what the role of humans in nature should be. As the semester continued on, we learned many more perspectives of nature. Holly Schmidt taught us to respect nature by noticing and appreciating the overlooked parts of nature. When we collected insects with Rachel, we learned to show respect by expanding our knowledge on nature. All of our other adventures over the semester could be connected in a similar way. Ultimately, one of our class’s overarching lessons has looked at how we, as learners and as humans, should properly appreciate and study nature.

In the reading from Planting Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote about the importance of giving back to nature instead of taking without further consideration. Jan Sherman repeated this lesson when she described to us the values of her traditions. The importance of giving back was emphasized when we were instructed to give a little bit of the water and the food back to the earth before taking any for ourselves. In many ways, Treadwell’s story is also a story about giving back to nature. The controversy over his treatment of nature begins when we consider what that act of giving looks like. To Treadwell, it was a direct relationship with the animals that was intimate enough for him to give them names and look closely at their lives. 

I think that there is probably a delicate balance. The greatest lesson I learned from our adventures is that humans are not spectators outside of the natural world. Watching Grizzly Man and learning the story of Timothy Treadwell only affirmed this fact. Nature and the wild is something that is around us and that we are a part of. But there can also be value in keeping our humanistic values away from the wild animals. Perhaps we should not always touch them or give them names.

Even if we don’t agree with the way Treadwell treats wild animals, however, it is still possible to appreciate his zeal and utter love for them. That is one perspective that we could all learn to appreciate more thoroughly.

“While we watch the animals in their joys of being, in their grace and ferociousness, a thought becomes more and more clear. That it is not so much a look at wild nature, as it is an insight into ourselves, our nature. And that, for me, beyond his mission, gives meaning to [Timothy’s] life and to his death.”

Werner Herzog

Perhaps the most important takeaway from Timothy Treadwell’s story is that nature is able to reflect what we see in ourselves. What Treadwell saw was different from what Herzog saw. What we see is probably different from both of their perceptions. That doesn’t make any of us wrong. But we are always able to learn more. As we all continue in our studies, we will continue to learn more ways to respect and appreciate nature.

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On Tuesday, November 27th we ventured into the arboretum for our final outdoor experience as a class. This week we had the honor of joining Chris and Rachel in bird banding at the Nature Centre. Excited to see what the day would bring, I have to say I was very impressed with how much we learned.

When we arrived Chris sat us down in a room and he explained to us what Bird Banding is and why people do it. It’s a safe way of catching birds, marking them for research and tracking purposes and then releasing them again. There are tonnes of information that can be gathered from bird banding such as, growth patterns, migration, where they breed vs. where they go for the winter etc. At the arboretum, Chris mainly bands chickadees but he says on some nicer days he has caught all sorts of other birds.

How to Catch The Birds

At the arboretum, Chris showed us three ways they catch their birds. When it is not cold and dark and windy outside, mist nets are used. They are known for looking sort of like badminton nets but rather than being really tight they are loose and bag like, in order to actually gently catch the birds. The reason why they cannot be used at this time of year is that in a mist net, birds that are caught typically end up on their back and cannot move and they may have difficulty withstanding the cold like that.

In our class, we used potter and ground traps. The potter traps are the little cages on the top of the bird feeder and the ground traps are the much larger cages on the ground. Chris poured birdseed all over the ground and the feeder to attract the birds to come and get caught in our traps. Potter traps are designed so that when a bird flies in it lands on the wire bait floor that triggers the closing of the door behind them, once one gets in nothing else can. Ground traps, on the other hand, are just too smart for the birds. They have an entrance that is always open but it is designed a way that once a bird flies in it cannot figure out how to get back out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the birds were trapped in the cages it was time to take them out and bring them in for banding. Chris would put his hand into the cages and safely remove the chickadees and then put them into a bag. He explained that it is important to know whether a bird needs to be alone in a bag or not because some birds can be extremely aggressive when in a closed space together, whereas other types can have up to 6 in a bag at once and not care. For the chickadees, each bird needed its own bag, and they were also never reused, just in case one of the birds was carrying some sort of disease.

How to Band the Birds

The arboretum has been banding birds for years now and each time something is caught it gets recorded on the data sheets. Our trip was no different, with the classes help, Chris banded each bird that we caught. Some birds were already banded so all we needed to do was update their information. Other birds had no bands and needed to be banded for the first time. At the Arboretum, there is a color banding system for the chickadees that was approved as a research project, therefore each bird is known by its band colours. We recorded their weight, age, wing length, sex and the time we caught them at.

It was cool to watch Chris interact with the chickadees which he claimed were his favorite bird. After doing so much work with then he seemed to have built a connection with them. While we were banding he would even speak to them in a pet-like way. This reminded me of the video we watched in class about Helen Macdonald and the connection she had with her hawk. Of course what we saw and experienced was nowhere near as extreme as Helen’s story, but being in the presence of these birds, closer than ever before, I could feel my connection with birds growing. All of a sudden these little birds that I used to think nothing of, had much more value and, was very fascinating. Chris even showed us how he is able to “talk to birds”. His bird calls are so good and so clear he won a talent show competition and genuinely claims to confuse birds with his calls. 

We also learned the proper way to hold a bird without hurting it. There are two ways, the first is called banders hold “peace sign” (pictured below) and the second is photographers, which is an upright position Rachel showed where you hold the bird’s feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Releasing the Birds

Once we were finished, the birds were ready to be released again free of harm. We got to take turns releasing the birds. We placed the Chickadee on our other palm and slowing released it to let it fly away.

Slow Motion Chickadee Release:

Thank you Chris and Rachel for such as awesome time!!! And thank you Diane for an awesome course we will miss you!!! 🙂

By: Kasia Kowanda

On Tuesday, November 20^th Outdoor School yet again gave everyone a memorable and educational experience to look back on. This week’s activity had us go to the Rutherford Conservatory and Gardens for a presentation and talk with Wild Ontario, an education program focusing on birds of prey based right here at the University of Guelph.

Officially launched as Wild Ontario in 2010, the program does many things. They run live animal shows to educate the public, offer volunteering opportunities to students and care for birds that are unable to properly do so by themselves in the wild.

For our class we were met in the conservatory by Wild Ontario’s Education Coordinator, Kyle Horner, and three volunteers. Along with them were four very different species of birds of prey which we very lucky to meet.

First introduced to us was an adorable American Kestrel named Artemis. Rather tiny and cute, her appearance is deceiving as it is actually possible for this species to prey on animals as large as themselves. Artemis came to live at Wild Ontario for being what the volunteers called “too cute for her own good”. This means that she was likely stolen from her nest to be kept as a pet, and as a result she does not fear humans or possess any of the skills needed to survive on her own.

The next raptor we met was Whistler, an elderly Broad-wing Hawk. At 20 years of age she is already at what is the common lifespan for her species, however she is still in good health. Whistler’s situation is similar to Artemis in that she is a human imprint, meaning raised by humans and thus unfit for living in nature. When discovered she was even found to be fond of humans and would jump right up on the falconer’s glove.

The third bird brought in was a Barred Owl by the name of Mowat. This species is actually one of two in Ontario with dark eyes making him absolutely stunning to look at. As well, we learned that owls are actually incredibly dumb contrary to the popular belief that they’re wise creatures. Their eyes are so large that they take up most of the space in the skull, not leaving much room for the brain. Mowat now calls Wild Ontario home due to being hit by a vehicle. No longer able to fly without difficulty, it would have been unsafe to release him.

The final raptor introduced was Ellesmere, a Gyrfalcon. They’re typically known to live in the Artic but will sometimes fly south in search of food. This is what Ellesmere did before her accident. Similar to Mowat’s story, Ellesmere was hunting near the roadside for small mammals that are attracted there by litter when she was struck by a vehicle. Now barely able to fly, the volunteers at Wild Ontario take care of her.

Everyone at Wild Ontario does important and necessary work educating the public about things such as biology, ecology and nature in general. Even the birds have a special role showing what can happen if nature is not respected. They teach us that wildlife is precious and that humans should do a better job at not interfering with the ecosystem by doing even the little things like not littering.

If interested in Wild Ontario and want to learn more visit their website at http://www.wildontario.ca

On Tuesday, November 20th our outdoor school professor Diane brought us on another unforgettable experience. I came to class prepared to endure another chilly class in the elements. Myself and likely the rest of the class were pleased to hear that our class would take place in a warm and cozy greenhouse after just a quick walk from the classroom. Wild Ontario was generous enough to bring some of their raptors for us to get an up close and personal look at them. We learned that raptors, formally known as birds of prey are called such because even though they hunt for their food they are unique animals because they use their feet to catch their prey.    We saw a variety of different birds all native to Canada including the smallest Falcon in the world the American kestral right beside the largest falcon called the Gyrfalcon. It was really cool to see the comparisons if the two birds up close. We also saw a red-tailed hawk who we were told was quite old for its species yet, still seemed very spry and healthy. A Bard owl became a fan favorite for many students including myself. The Wild Ontario volunteers passed around feet and wings from some raptors, this was really cool to be able to touch and see some of the physical difference between the birds. The wing of an owl, for example, was much more fluffy than others and this allowed the owl to be silent during flight.  Wild Ontario is made up of volunteers who are mostly University of Guelph students. The volunteers care for raptors that are brought to them injured or who have tried to been domesticated in the past an otherwise would not be able to care for themselves in the wild. They also raise awareness about the birds because as beautiful as the birds are they are not meant to be pets and should be enjoyed from a distance. We also learned that unfortunately a lot of raptors are injured on the side of roads because of food that is thrown out by passengers in cars. Overall, this experience made me aware that these majestic animals are living in our own backyard and we need to be aware of their presence. Hopefully, now I will be able to recognize them in the wild as they are truly an amazing animal to see in person. There have been so many enjoyable classes during this course however, I must admit this was my favorite and I cannot wait to see what our last couple of classes have to offer.