Welcome back to Emma’s ultimate guide to national parks. Today we’re heading north – WAAAAAY north to Wapusk National Park – the land of the polar bears.
Buckle in, the adventure continues NOW!

In this episode Emma greets us from marvelous Manitoba, specifically Wapusk National Park.

She’s here to find a friend of Adelia Goodwin’s: Nellie Peters. But also to visit this awesome park!
Wapusk National Park is found in a rather remote area of Canada. It is known for its stunning landscape, from open snowy plains to boreal forests, frozen wetlands, and coastal shores home to various marine animals.

The park was created as an area to protect polar bears while they sleep in their winter dens, as well as home to caribou who raise their calves during the summer seasons.

Now…Emma can’t exactly explore Wapusk on her own the way you might visit Yellowstone or Pacific Rims’ national parks. Why?
Well, although polar bears are extremely cool animals, they’re also large carnivores (males can weigh up to almost a thousand pounds and be up to 9 feet long). They can be unpredictable, and they have been known to attack people in the past. Best to have an expert along with you!

Have you ever wondered why polar bears are white? It turns out that polar bear hair is really special: it’s clear. When the sun hits the hair, it reflects and scatters the sunlight. Our eyes interpret it as white. Polar bear fur also has keratin protein in it, which is slightly white. And polar bears look the whitest when it’s really bright outside with a lot of sunlight, and when they’re clean.

Polar bears aren’t all that you can find in Wapusk! On land, you might be lucky to see animals like the arctic fox, wolf, moose, caribou, wolverine, or smaller mammals like weasels or lemmings. In the water, seals, arctic char, and beluga whales swim around. Emma had a lucky run-in with a pod of beluga whales. She asked us to share some cute pictures!

After belugas and bears, what was left for Emma to see in Wapusk National Park? That would be a beautiful beaded pouch! This gift that Emma received from Ranger Nellie was something that Adelia herself had gifted many years ago.

What is inside the pouch? It’s a secret! Emma was told to open it when she really needed to. Who knows when that moment will come?

Do you have any ideas what might be hiding inside the pouch? Why do you think Adelia gave it to Emma? Now that Emma is back on course, where should she head next for her summer vacation?

Greetings from Pacific Rim National Park, in beautiful British Columbia. It’s time to dive in and hop into Emma’s kayak as she explores the epic wildlife on these rugged shores.
Tune in to join the adventure!

In today’s episode, Emma explores a particular park on the west coast of Canada: Pacific Rim!

Pacific Rim National Park is known for its interesting biodiversity. In one part you can find yourself in a lush rainforest, and another, you can go swimming along its beautiful beaches! The forest and waters of this park shelter many different animals, from black bears, wolves, and otters to seals, whales, and various marine birds.

The diversity of Pacific Rim National Park means there is a ton to do and a lot to see! People can come here to enjoy camping, hiking, surfing, kayaking, and so much more! The park’s stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife make it a paradise for photographers looking to capture the beauty of nature. You can spend time birdwatching, or go on whale-watching tours. Organized boat tours can take you to areas specially designed for safe wildlife viewing. Some tours might even have hydrophones to listen to the whales’ underwater vocalizations! How cool is that?!

One animal you can find on these whale-watching tours is the grey whale. Grey whales are large –about 50 feet long and weigh nearly 90,000 pounds! Despite their size, they enjoy living in relatively shallow waters. Each year, these whales will swim from the Arctic waters down the Pacific coast, past Vancouver Island, to California, making one of the longest migrations of any mammal! An interesting fact about grey whales is that they don’t sing like many other whales. They communicate with grunts, ‘knocks,’ and croaks.

Emma’s time at the park was interrupted by an old friend – Adelia Goodwin! Adelia wants Emma to go to Wapusk National Park next. There she is to find someone called “Nellie Peters”. What does Nellie Peters have for Emma? Why is Adelia calling Emma up so suddenly?
All of this sounds very strange…

What do you think of the Pacific Rim National Park? What awaits her in Wapusk National Park? Shouldn’t Emma be resting?
Let us know what you think in the comments below!