The Bear Researchers

Last week when I asked what she was doing Parker told me she was "killing bears" Slightly alarmed, I asked her why, to which she replied,

"We're just killing dem and putting dem in a cage so the Mama bears don't kill them."*

"You're killing the bears, so that the other bears don't kill them?" I clarified.

"Yes."

"Okay then."

So today when the kids started loading up to kill some more bears, I told them that instead of killing bears to save them from being killed, why didn't they use tranquilizer guns to put them to sleep? Scientists do that, I explained. To see how big they are, and to track them, and give them medicine if they need it. Then the sleeping medicine wears off and they wake up and go back to the forest. The kids latched onto that idea and have been "in the forest" researching all morning. In fact, I was busy cleaning and emailing, so I had nothing to do with any of this:

Here's their computer (an old DVD player that no longer works). The guns are also hooked up to the camera, and go off when a bear passes by.

This is their telescope/big gun for seeing bears that are far away

Here's Parker (and I quote) "writing notes about the bears"

Fin is completing his "check marks" while Parker mans the computer cam

Not sure what the safety gear is for, but you have to admit it does make them look pretty official. Later Fin put on some suspenders too, which really completed the outfit. Before I put them down for nap they were bringing books out to put in their "forest school" so it seems like this is a long research assignment...

*hey Gammie! Thanks for showing us that awesome clip of the tiny baby bear clinging to a tree for dear life while the voiceover contemplates whether or not the other Mama bear is going to kill and eat it! ;)