Sweden : Lergy

Update from our Sweden bear volunteer project

Greetings from Sweden everyone. Louise and I travelled up to Mora together, started feeling ill and tested positive for Covid yesterday; no idea where we picked that up. This is a bummer, but not the end of the world, as Covid no longer is the health issue it once was and because Sweden no longer has any restrictions in place (they never did have many). Today we feel pretty rough, but can still function, so because of this and out of courtesy to everyone else, this is how we will run the expedition:

• Louise and I will isolate ourselves as much as possible in the main house, where the kitchen is located. Louise will cook there and we will put the food out for you to carry over to the fireplace house to eat (we will eat in the main house).
• Also in the fireplace house will be the equipment and where Andrea will conduct her training sessions.
• You will all have twin share cabins to keep your things and sleep in at night, as normal.
• Louise and I will wear FFP2 masks (the thicker type) whenever we are in contact with you. We recommend that you also wear FFP2 masks when around us (make sure you buy some before you arrive and we will also have some on site).
• Andrea has drafted in her husband Gunther to help with training sessions. If I am needed for training sessions, they will be held outside or in the well-ventilated/draft barn and I will be masked up. We recommend that you mask up too.
• Andrea will lead all field training activities during the first two days and Louise and I will stay back at base.
• As people usually stay infectious for 10 days after testing positive, this will bring us towards the end of the expedition. Louise and I will monitor for symptoms and only stop using masks and join the group as normal if we have two negative tests 24 hrs apart; you are of course free still to use masks around us if/when we re-join.

I hope this explains everything clearly. We can discuss details on site, if you want to.

Apart from that, the expedition preparation is going well and to plan. We have bought what looks like an enormous amount of food, but is exactly the right quantity as calculated in Louise’s spreadsheet.

Our base camp is looking good and will be ready to welcome the expedition team on Sunday. The weather forecast is looking good. Cloudy and sunny days ahead, not much rain, temperatures up to 25C on some days. Don’t forget your sun hat!

Roland Arnison
Expedition leader

Sweden bear conservation holiday update