Topics for Today - Lynn Rogers, PhD

Angela Campbell introduced Lynn Rogers, with a history going back to 1994 from the Bear Center. Lynn is famous as a bear researcher who has been instrumental in starting the Bear Center, as well as his research beginnings. 

He began his interest in bears as a youth, leading to a summer internship with Michigan DNR studying bears. He detailed the Minnesota bear field study changing the attitudes toward bears from being varmints to be shot to game to be studied. Later, after retirement from the Forest Service, both he and Dave Mech wanted to build centers - Mech for wolves and Lynn for bears and they both ultimately succeeded. 

He described his fundraising for the center from national foundations, including the NRA and Wildlife Federation and also leading to his enhanced research. He described the early days with local and other support to get it built. 

He then described the beginnings of his research into bear behavior and how he doing ground breaking work, now highlighted around the world via social media. His most famous project showed Lily who became known around the world, leading to an annual get-together here in Ely. 

People are always interested in the behavior of bears and he is gratified to be able to teach people around the world.