The Storm Devastation is Immense

Minutes after loading the last bale of hay, the sky darken, clouds thicken and the wind came rushing into Lac Indien valley. I remember the lights flickering at the lodge while showering moments before a tree came crashing down outside my window. Within thirty minutes the storm had done its damage. Staff members can recall various starts to the storm that Sunday evening. The property looked like a scene from Jurassic Park; thankfully no animals were loose on the front lawn.

Sequoia’s newly completed enclosure suffered the worst damage. She had six days of forest freedom until half of the fence line was wiped out. Three of our sled dogs, Lucky, Avalanche and Achmen, were equally as fortunate — a large Balsam Fir fell on their kennel placing enormous weight on their roof. Shoshone won the award for cutting it the closest when a section of White Pine and an old Poplar cleared the new kennel by mere feet. Two hours later, when we thought it was all over another storm blew through and it rained all night. Thankfully, all people and animals were unharmed.

The storm on July 17th was the worst ISES has ever seen and serves as a warning for the future destructive effects of climate change. Due to unbalanced temperatures, displaced water vapor and other factors, storm intensity is increasing. The storm devastation is immense and its projects out weigh the number of present ISES work crew.

The animals are eager for their homes to return to normal. As a result, we ask all ISES alumni, future students and ISES friends to help us reconstruct the animal enclosures that the wind and trees dismantled. We are offering a 3 to 5 day work-trade program. Room and board will be provided in exchange for reconstructing the critters’ homes. We ask those whose schedules are flexible or can be opened to respond as quickly as possible.

ISES programs will continue as scheduled and workers may choose to participate at the end of their work-trade arrangement. Thank you for your support! We look forward to seeing you.

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Avalanche is hoping the rest of his roof will be fixed a.s.a.p. Most of the fir tree has been removed to ensure the safety of the dogs. The snapped beams must be replaced as well as much of the wire. On a positive note, the event of the falling tree yielded names for the two puppies: Tabernac and Sapine. If the story of the naming is not obvious, Lucky will gladly tell you.

The fallen trees in the new extended bear enclosure was the most upsetting. Sequioa had less than a week of play in the forest. Now we must act quickly so that she can get outside again before her fall release. She was really enjoying her private jungle gym.

Shoshone’s new kennel is barely visible beyond the roughage. This little bear cub was very brave to face not one but two fallen trees.

Many of you recognize the Medicine Garden. Thankfully, Derek was able to clean up the fallen Maple limp so now a piece of art remains leaving a reminder of nature’s force. We are waiting to see if the lilies, rhubarb and comfry bounce back.

Can you spot what’s wrong here? Any one want to go for a swim and get it?

Most of the trails and roads around campus looked or look like this. Can you recognize where this is?

Letter from the Founder

It was the winter of 1978. I was staring across a wind-swept ridge during a mountaineering course when a dream to change the world was born. On the other side of the continent the “Le Grande” river in James Bay region was being turned into a series of hydroelectric dams & reservoirs. I made a promise to become a voice for natural, sacred places. I wanted to become an instrument for change.

Dog Carting 101

Training our sled dogs is an all season affair. At the end of the summer when the temperature drops a bit we like to hook up the dogs to a cart to condition them for the coming sled season. These dogcarts look similar to a go-cart without an engine. While we love our short summer season we always look forward to the approaching dry land training with the dogs. There has been talk off commencing a “wet land” training with the huskies as well. This would involve doggy PFDs, a paddle boat and 6 wet dogs in the lake. Personally, this writer is excited for the maiden voyage. If the dogs master the water, we will consider them an all terrain transportation with obvious limits.

With 9 young pups, much of our summer training will involve teaching the difference between “Gee”, “Ha” and “Down”. Some of this takes place in the kennel system, on hikes or on walks to the beach.

Recently, ISES has entered in to the Canadian Dog Carting Competition November 13 and 14, 2011 in Bristol, QC. Our huskies might become confused when they see the competition, for they resemble muts like Greyhounds and Rhodesian Ridgebacks rather than traditional sled dogs. No matter our pack can hold its own and we find out come November.

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Upcoming Fall Gap Program

7 weeks to go! Our staff are eagerly awaiting the start of our fall gap semester on August 26th. The students will leave campus on September 2nd for the 3 week study tour toward Western Canada and the States. Summiting 12,000 feet in Waterton National Park, visiting Crazy Horse Monument and spotting wolves in Yellowstone National Park just to name a few highlights. Students will meet Ed McGaa, a member of the Ogala Sioux nation and author of Mother Earth Speaks and many other books on First Nation traditionalism. The program will also involve habitat restoration in Waterton National Park, an area taken over by Knapweed, an non-indigenous invasive species.

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Update

Study Tour

While on a field trip southward into the States, our group stopped at Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. The sanctuary is a migration corridor for many species of hawks and other birds.

Wildlife Release

Within our own campus and wildlife center, we released a Barred Owl this past month. We have successfully taken every raccoon referred to us. We have 25 raccoons! They are all happy and healthy and will be with us until they are large enough to be released at the end of the summer. Thanks to a generous donation by ISES gap graduate 2010, Kenny Silver and his dad, Shoshone, our second bear cub on site was able to be moved outside into a new enclosure. She is happily soaking up the sun. Soon when the bear paddock is finished, she will move in with Sequoia.

Lurking Around Every Corner

Dromy, the rehabilitated vulture, has captured my special attention on campus. He likes the attention and companionship. Dromy spends time with staff and students in the garden, while cleaning dog kennels, building enclosures or during outdoor meetings. He has a tendency to sneak up on Zeus, our Border Terrier puppy, who is a bit intimidated by a large bird. Dromy watches while high in the sky anyone who ventures into the lake for an afternoon swim or nap on the trampoline.

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Staff Update

Molly

My name is Molly Schriber and I am a graduate of the ISES gap program 2006/2007. While the newsletter is a collective effort, I am its current elected publisher. I am finally back on the ISES campus for the rest of the summer. Over the past six years because of my bond with the Cushing family and the ISES clan, I have interned at ISES in between my college experience at Elon University in North Carolina. I graduated this past May with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and International Studies. I will be an on-site member of the ISES staff before my two month excursion to Sri Lanka. I am so blessed and excited to be back on ISES’s campus!

Continuing Education

Corie Jo

Growing up my mom always mentioned attending the Tom Brown Jr. Tracking School, world renowned outdoor survivalist and tracker. This past May l had the opportunity to attend the trackers school ‘Standard Class’ (mandatory for all future students). The knowledge and skills learned during the one week was a life times work. Not to mention, it was barely touching the ice burg.

Which is why, during one of our busiest wildlife animal rescue and rehabilitation months, I received support from family and ISES staff in attending another class in NJ.

There comes a time in one’s life where one chooses to do something, rather than nothing. As society continues to grow, natural and pure places are becoming lost forever, along with lives we share this planet with. How the times living in harmony with the earth are being forgotten. The conscious knowing future generations may never see or experience choices we had. It is then you ask yourself “do people really care”? Will greed and ignorance really overpower one simple truth. Life? I found within these classes in New Jersey how to reconnect and become a child of the earth again, to empty my cup and nurture a vision. Most of all, I found hope in meeting people who really do care. So, like a web, saving the earth, people and animals, I believe we find ourselves called to a higher power in helping to make this world a better place, for all life and to our earth mother.

In one moment at Tom’s Ultimate class I found myself sitting next to a little oak tree, trying to figure out how to make a nice tri-pod without rope or bark. Gazing off to the horizon, I suddenly realized something. Placing each branch with care and support, my little tri-pod took form and became strong. Not because of the biggest and most perfect branches, but through the small and unique ones to become the power of place and community.

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Victories

• CNF has 3 healthy fawns in their care.
• The new little bear cub, Shoshone, has been moved to her new enclosure outside.
• Dr. David Cohen came to visit ISES. Dr. Cohen is an old friend of the family and a veterinarian in Israel. He had a great visit at Lac Indien.

May was a busy transition month chez ISES.  Corie Jo participated in
her first Tom Brown Tracker School course and returned inspired with
new insights about connecting people with Nature. Exploring game
trails with CJ will take on a new perspective. Our extended family
has grown with the recent additions of Celine (UK) and Angus (CT),
both of which have also found their ‘niche’ in the dining room. They
will be with us through June.

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Comment

Once again we find our facilities one of the few in Quebec still
accepting orphaned wild animals. It’s a discouraging thought: with
all the urban sprawl enveloping natural habitat at exponential rates
our municipal governments should be providing rescue shelters for
displaced orphaned wild animals.

Yet, through the misfortunes of
these orphans we meet extraordinary people who commit long hours of
shuttling for the rescued.  It’s these selfless acts of volunteerism
that help fuel our resolve and we thank you for these acts of
compassion and support.  Perhaps municipal governments should be
charging rate payers and land developers a ‘wild animal rescue tax’
to help address the growing conflict between urbanization and the
natural world.

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Animal Rescue Update

One of the recent arrivals – a wee duckling – has a special place in
our hearts. The woman who brought in ‘ducky’ had watched a car drive
over the hen & her entire brood without attempting to avoid them.
Numerous times during Spring I’ve been driving on the Ottawa River
Parkway only to experience 4-lane rush hour traffic came to a
standstill because geese or ducks were crossing the road with their
little troops double-timing to keep up. Go figure! In any event our
smallest addition has settled in.

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Outdoor Recreation

ISES is more than rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned wild animals.
As summer ramps up we look forward to our outdoor recreation program:
husky dog carting, paddling Mackenzie canoes, discovering edible
wilds, staring into sunsets, campfires and starry nights. At ISES
discovering Nature is about connecting with the Land and creating
memories.

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Upcoming Programs

Gap semester 10 weeks: Summer (rolling admission)

Gap semester 10 weeks: Fall (rolling admission)

Insight Quest Session 1: July 2nd- July 22nd (Study Tour: Nemaska)

Insight Quest Session 2: Jul 30th- August 19th (Study Tour: Gulf of St. Lawrence)

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Quote of the Day

Bird Houses

ISES also creates environmental bridging programs with educational partners. For example, during the fall, winter and spring ISES hosts 17 student groups from Ashbury College LEEDES program. To compliment their ISES field trips teachers engage students with in-class projects, such as the construction of bird and bat boxes. Subsequently, in celebration of Earth Day – 2011 we mounted a number of sparrow, wood duck, and palliated woodpecker nesting boxes on campus grounds. The placement of these awesome units coincide with the spring arrival of thousands of migratory birds.

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ISES Wild Animal Rescue Program: Rehabbing Deer

They wintered so well in fact, word went around the game trails that Helishka and Yanka had a good thing going on.  The deer in the foreground staring at the camera seems to be saying “Hey, it’s 5 p.m. – where’s the food?”

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Victories

• ISES representative attended Powershift 2011 in Washington D.C.
• Brought out the canoes for the beginning of the season despite the new 6 inch snow cover
• Geoffrey, the ISES co-founder and director had his first open water swim of the year on Earth Day in Lac Indien.

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Upcoming Programs

Gap semester 10 weeks: Summer (rolling admission)

Gap semester 10 weeks: Fall (rolling admission)

Insight Quest Session 1: July 2nd- July 22nd (Study Tour: Nemaska)

Insight Quest Session 2: Jul 30th- August 19th (Study Tour: Gulf of St. Lawrence)

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Quote of the Day

The ISES family is happy to announce the arrival of our recent additions. After a restless week, under a full moon and during the wee hours of March 20^th our Siberian husky “Mindo” finally gave birth. Sunday morning brought a welcomed surprise (and relief) as two healthy female puppies became the 27th and 28th members of our sled dog pack. 

Mindo and one of her little girls. Photo by Corie Jo Cushing

 

This is Mindo’s third and last litter.  She has consistently shown us her devoted and nurturing nature by being an excellent mom … and a good sport for allowing us to take pictures. 

Full moon on the night of Mindo's delivery. Photo by Corie Jo Cushing

 

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Changing Seasons

Western Québec has experienced quite an interesting winter of extremes – from raging snowstorms and -20˚C to rainfall warnings and +20. Nonetheless, the winter of 2011 has brought some outstanding dogsledding, game-trail hiking, and photography.

Lac Indien and quinzhee hut melting

With the freezing temperatures now giving way to warmer weather, the melting snow is signalling the arrival of our Canadian spring. The ISES animal groups have begun shedding out winter coats, are now basking in the warmer sunshine and are thinking about mischief to  be had.

The girls go out for one of the last sled runs of the season

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CNF Updates

 

Sequoia, our current black bear in rehabilitation before her release in the next few months. Photo by Janna Lee Cushing

Cushing Nature foundation (CNF) will soon be gearing up for the spring arrival of wildlife through the rescue and rehabilitation of critters that become orphaned or abandoned each year.

Stay tuned to next months newsletter for the progress  story of Sequoia – an orphaned bear cub from last year.

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Victories

• ISES celebrated EarthHour on March 26 at 8:30pm by turning off the lights.
• We are proud to join Children & Nature Network, a group to encourage of the connection of children to nature. See more information at http://www.childrenandnature.org/
• After visiting the GreenExpo in Ottawa, we are excited to announce the installation of our electricity energy monitor! This wireless gadget is enabled us to visually educate and take steps toward campus energy reduction.

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Upcoming Programs

Gap semester 10 weeks: Summer (rolling admission)

Gap semester 10 weeks: Fall (rolling admission)

Insight Quest Session 1: July 2nd- July 22nd (Study Tour: Nemaska)

Insight Quest Session 2: Jul 30th- August 19th (Study Tour: Gulf of St. Lawrence)

 

The raccoons are becoming more active as the weather warms up. Photo by Corie Jo Cushing

Quote of the Day

True insight comes from within. – Socrates

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ISES

International School for Earth Studies

www.earth-studies.ca info1@earth-studies.ca    819.647.3226

197 Fierobin Rd, Ladysmith, QC, Canada J0X 2A0