AT the Monthly Meeting of Sarum U3A our speaker was Lynda Thompson, clearly an intrepid traveller to wild places.

She told us about one of her several trips to Isle Royale in Lake Superior in the USA.

The uninhabited island, which is ice-bound and inaccessible in winter, is returning to a wilderness of forest and swamp with moose and wolves the only large mammals.

She went with Earthwatch to collect moose bones for research into how nature is balanced between the moose and the wolves without the impact of humans.

Her group of five people were navigating using infrared and aerial photographs, walking on wolf trails and beaver dams, carrying 20kg packs which had to contain everything they needed.

As the food was eaten the weight was replaced by moose bones.

We learnt about the benefits of her knowledge of first aid when she badly injured her ankle and also the requirements of a good low mosquito campsite (sunshine needed) on an island where even the moose take refuge swimming to reduce their problems with mosquitoes.

The island is a no-go area in July because of them.

Clearly not for the faint-hearted but interesting to do and to hear about.

Phyl Babb reported on her attendance at the U3A National AGM. It included a lecture on ageing research and information about research into a pill which could replace old cells. It came across very clearly the U3A is a vibrant, successful and rapidly increasing organisation with both educational and social contact benefits.

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