The itinerary below is a sample itinerary. Depending on the group and travel times, the actual itinerary may vary in day-by-day content and total number of days. Please note that this Global Explorers excursions has a variety of possible alternatives that depend on how you would like to travel to Churchill, Manitoba from Winnipeg. You can take a train both ways from Winnipeg to Churchill (2 days per leg), a train one way to Churchill (2 days) and a flight back to Winnipeg or a van to Thompson and a one-day train to Churchill. Please contact us to discuss these options and how they affect pricing. You can also include extra time in Winnipeg if you want to visit this city. Call us (877-627-1425) for specific details.
Day 1. Travel to Winnipeg, Canada
We arrive in Winnipeg and catch the evening train to Churchill. This classic sleeper train is our home for the next day and a half.
Day 2. Travel to Churchill
We spend the day on the train watching the prairies turn to boreal forest. We have time to take in the amazing landscape and hone our observation skills as we pass through these different ecosystems. We’ll conduct some introductory discussions on the ecology of the area we will be visiting. There will be plenty of time to relax and get to know each other.
Day 3. Arrival in Churchill & Intro to Ecology
We arrive in Churchill early this morning after another adventurous night aboard the train. We head out to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC) to settle into our rooms and have a short introduction to the CNSC (by a CNSC staff member). We also take this opportunity to go over rules and expectations for the week at CNSC and Churchill.
We’ll immediately get out our winter gear and familiarize ourselves with the surrounding area. During our first evening at CNSC, our guide presents a slide show on the local region and the unique habitats that make Churchill a species diverse area. We also enjoy a sneak peak of “things to come” during our week in Churchill as we go over the workshop schedule.
Day 4. Arctic Ecology
This morning kicks off our hands-on ecological explorations of this fascinating region. One of our workshop objectives is to examine the three very different ecosystems found in the Churchill area and to make comparisons between them. We conduct field research and set up studies in at least two of these distinctive areas. We begin by venturing into the boreal forest this morning to understand the basics of winter ecology. We’ll conduct a variety of experiments in the snow as you learn how scientists conduct winter field research.
This afternoon we continue on to the tundra to repeat the morning’s activities in a completely different biome. Again, we conduct some track and scat identification and field research here, including a study to examine the diversity evident in the tundra. We’ll be on the lookout for wildlife—you never know when an arctic fox or a polar bear may appear!
This evening, we have time to discuss the different ecosystems we visited during the day and examine some of the differences and similarities between them. We’ll conclude the evening with an Aurora Borealis watch—hopefully, it will be a clear night.
Day 5. Adaptations to Winter
Today, we begin to study the physical and behavioral adaptations of plants and animals to their winter environment. We’ll collect data about winter-active animals both above the snow (tracks, scat, actual animal sightings) and in the subnivean (below the snow) environment. We’ll also get started on the construction of an Athapaskan Quinzhee (a winter tent) and an igloo. Finally, we stop by the frozen Hudson Bay and discuss Bay ecology.
Day 6. Human Adaptations to Winter
We’ll spend most of today constructing our igloo and Quinzhee so that we can start sleeping in it tonight! You’ll be amazed at how warm it can be inside these structures even though the temperatures outside will drop well below zero. We’ll also learn about winter survival from an Inuit or First Nations speaker.
Day 7. Dog Sledding, Research & Service Preparation
Have you ever wanted to go for a sled ride with dogs? Today, you will have the chance! We’ll join a professional team of dog sledders as we learn about this unique method of travel. Later in the afternoon, we’ll begin preparing for our service project and we’ll spend the evening analyzing the field data that we collected in days past. We’ll keep our eyes out for the Aurora Borealis again tonight!
Day 8. Service Project
Today we’ll join local students and conduct a community service project with them. The project will be something that the students feel fulfills an important need in their community. Back at the CNSC, we have the pleasure of seeing a slide show from a local research scientist. Following the slide show presentation, we have time to ask questions and share our thoughts and observations at a round table discussion.
Day 9. Churchill Explorations
Today we relax and enjoy our final full morning at the CNSC. We’ll then head into Churchill to visit the Eskimo Museum and Parks Canada’s Interpretive Centre, tour the town and do some souvenir shopping. Tonight, we’ll have a farewell party complete with a traditional feast of caribou, char, bannock and local jams! We’ll finish the evening with a memorable closing ceremony before drifting off to sleep beneath what we hope will be an active Aurora Borealis.
Day 10. Home
After an early breakfast, we head to the airport for the flight to Winnipeg and then home.