Yellowknife: Aurora Borealis at Its Best
MARCH 25 – 30, 2016
Ancient Inuit believed that the aurora borealis was the torches of spirits guiding
souls to a land of happiness and plenty. First Nations peoples along the Pacific
Coast thought that auroras were the cooking fires of Eskimos boiling whale blubber.
Wayne Lynch’s grandfather believed they were the reflection of the sun off the
polar icecap. Auroras have inspired countless colourful stories and legends; their
shifting curtains of green, red and purple light, pulsating across a blackened starfilled sky, are fuel for the imagination and never fail to amaze and captivate.
When viewed from space, an aurora forms a bright crown of light encircling the northern
polar region. Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories, lies under the magical
Auroral Oval where northern lights occur on 100 percent of nights when it’s dark enough
to see the displays. Auroras are most intense around the autumn and spring equinoxes
so our tour in March is at an optimal time. As well, the month of March has the greatest
percentage of clear skies, the least amount of winter snowfall, and the warmest winter
temperatures — a time when it’s truly energizing to be outside in nature.
Orientation
The orientation course will be held on Wednesday
March 9, 2016, 7 - 9:30 pm, at the University of Calgary
campus. The main topic of discussion will be the
fascinating science of the aurora borealis. Understanding
the science behind the northern lights doesn’t rob the
displays of any of their beauty and makes the spectacle
even more exciting to witness. As well, we’ll explore
some interesting topics in winter ecology. Subjects of
special interest to the instructor include the natural
history of: ptarmigan and northern grouse, ravens and
gray jays, red foxes, and wood bison in winter, all of
which we hope to see on the tour. Everyone will want
to photograph the spectacular displays of the aurora
and a segment of the orientation evening will be spent
discussing digital camera and lens choices, and how to
make the best aurora photographs. The itinerary and
travel arrangements will also be discussed. conted.ucalgary.ca/travelprograms | 403.220.2952
Every participant will receive a copy of Auroras: Fire
in the Sky, by Dan Bortolotti & Yuichi Takasaka, Firefly
Books, Toronto, 2011, as part of the course materials.
the author and photographer of over 50 natural history
books for children, young adults and adults. Two of his
books relevant to this tour include: The Great Northern
Kingdom — Life in the Boreal Forest and Planet Arctic
— Life at the Top of the World. He is an elected fellow
of the Explorers Club and the Arctic Institute of North
America, and his biography has been included in the
Canadian Who’s Who, published by the University of
Toronto, since 1996. He has made dozens of trips to the
boreal forest and the arctic.
Itinerary
Two lunches and two dinners in total are included
on this trip.
MAR 25 Depart Calgary for Yellowknife. The city of
Yellowknife is located on the northern shore of Great
Slave Lake, the tenth largest lake in the world. This
community of roughly 20,000 inhabitants bills itself
as the Aurora Capital of Canada and is one of the three
best locations on the planet to view the northern lights.
Fairbanks, Alaska and Tromso, Norway are the other
aurora hotspots, however both are more expensive
to reach than Yellowknife and neither has the many
daytime wildlife viewing possibilities.
MAR 26-29 For the next four days our small group
of six participants will explore Yellowknife and its
surrounding wildlands in our own private 7-passenger
van. Every night, from roughly 9:30 pm to 3 am, we’ll
travel far from the distracting lights of the city where
we can view the northern lights at their best. On three
of these nights we will base ourselves at a remote cabin
where we can stay warm, enjoy soup, bannock and
sweets while the aurora dances overhead.
Mornings will be free for some extra sleep or strolling
around town, but our afternoons will be busy with winter
activities. We’ll introduce you to snowshoeing and the
thrill of tromping through powder snow in a boreal
wilderness, and dog sledding over frozen northern lakes.
If weather permits we’ll also make a daylong expedition
to see wintering wood bison in the Mackenzie Bison
Sanctuary. Typically, these shaggy, frost-coated beasts
rest and graze beside the highway; generally ignoring
good thinking.
Cost
Airfare
$ 600
Land, tuition and other costs $3,200
GST
$ 35
TOTAL$3,835
Single supplement
$ 800
travelers who can observe and photograph them from
relatively close distances. As well, if time and energy
permits we`ll drive some of the many roads surrounding
Yellowknife to search for red foxes, willow ptarmigan,
gray jays and ravens and discover how northern wildlife
thrives despite the snow and winter temperatures.
MAR 30 Return to Calgary.
Accompanying
Resource Person
Cost includes: Tuition and orientation course, airfare,
accommodation, transfers, all surface travel, and meals as listed
in the itinerary. A deposit of $500 is required with the registration
form. There is a $200 withdrawal fee prior to the final payment
date. Final payment is due on October 15, 2015. Please see the
Refund Policy section for withdrawal/refund procedures and
liabilities. Fees are based on the information available at the
time of print and are subject to change to reflect any changes in
currency rates, airfares, or land costs. There are possibilities of
decreases or increases, and any changes will be reflected on the
final payment and passed on to the participant. All fees are based
on double occupancy.
Dr. Wayne Lynch is an internationally-recognized
naturalist, science writer and professional wildlife
photographer. His photo credits include hundreds of
magazine covers, thousands of calendar shots, and
tens of thousands of images published in over 60
dozen countries. He is also a popular guest speaker,
and audiences worldwide applaud his practical and
entertaining approach to natural history. As well, he is
7
Choose your adventure:
Personal information
■ Bali and Singapore John Gilchrist
NAME (As it appears on your passport)_____________________________________
February 14 - 28, 2016 TRA 177-001
■ Yellowknife: Aurora Borealis at Its Best
DATE OF BIRTH (MM/DD/YYYY) ______________________________________
Dr. Wayne Lynch
March 25 - 30, 2016 TRA 153-006
HOME PHONE____________________________________________________
■
Portugal: An Historical and Gastronomic Journey
Dr. John Humphrey
April 7 - 24, 2016 TRA 184-001
CELL PHONE_____________________________________________________
■ Historical and Cultural Perspectives of Northern Greece and Turkey Dr. Geoff Jackson
April 18 - May 1, 2016 TRA 178-001
■ Central Asia and Its Treasures Uzbekistan
and Turkmenistan Dr. Valery Efimenko
April 21 - May 8, 2016 TRA 147-002
■ Turkey and Greece: Exploring the Eastern Aegean
Dr. John Humphrey
Sept 2 - 21, 2016 TRA 183-001
■
The First World War in Words and Walks
Harry Vandervlist
Sept 9 - 22, 2016 TRA 181-001
■ Mountain Moose and Autumn Colour
Dr. Wayne Lynch
Sept 16 - 18, 2016 TRA 180-001
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lease note that if you wish to share, every effort will be made to find you a
P
suitable roommate. However, if this is not possible, a single supplement will be
applied.
Payment
If you are registering for a trip, your deposit of $500 must accompany this
registration. Remit by credit card, cheque or money order in Canadian funds
payable to University of Calgary.
n CHEQUE ENCLOSED
■ The Great Bear Rainforest Dr. Wayne Lynch
Sept 26 - Oct 1, 2016 TRA 175-003
■ Wild Argentina and Chile with Optional Extension to Easter Island Dr. Wayne Lynch
Nov 14 - 29, 2016
Extension: Nov 29 - Dec 5, 2016 TRA 165-002
■ Harp Seal Helicopter Adventure Dr. Wayne Lynch
March 1 - 8, 2017 TRA 179-001
■ Tanzania and the Serengeti Plains Dr. Wayne Lynch
March 23 - April 8, 2017 TRA 161-002
University of Calgary Continuing Education
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