over the Niagara Falls in a barrel. As he paddled his kayak past the icebergs in the Atlantic Ocean, even Mr. Wheeler at times doubted his sanity.

Surely, this was no way for a grandfather of five to be seeing in his 62nd year.

But the grim look on the American naturalist's face -- captured in an hour-long TV documentary -- told the world there was no going back. After all, he had a mission to fulfil: to save the world from man's greatest enemy -- man himself! Mr. Wheeler had set out from Newfoundland to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, following the migration path of the great auk -- a flightless sea bird hunted to extinction some 150 years ago.

And he hoped his journey would become an inspirational lesson for man not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

This week Mr. Wheeler, who hails from Cape Cod, took his lesson into the classrooms of two Bermudian schools, Sandys Secondary and Warwick Secondary.

"Children seem to respond to what I say more than adults. They always ask better questions,'' Mr. Wheeler told The Royal Gazette yesterday after arriving in Bermuda with his wife, Sandra.

"They have a better sense of preservation than adults. I don't think the evils of the free market have infiltrated into their systems. They are not motivated by greed and the desire to hunt and kill.

"I find females have a better understanding than males about the effects of human stress on the environment.

"I don't pretend to have all the answers, but if I could change people's mind-sets I would be happy.'' He added: "There are hundreds and thousands of creatures which could go the same way of the great auk if we are not careful.'' Mr. Wheeler, who left Bermuda yesterday, is currently creating a curriculum kit in the United States for middle schools next fall, containing the NOVA film and a one-hour account by world-class storytellers.

"I'm also finishing a text book for the curriculum project,'' he explained.

His first-ever visit here was part of a series of environmental events by the Bermuda Biological Station, which includes an evening on November 10 with local poet Jerry Frith.

Also, on December 8 the Biological Station will burst into colour as local artists display their interpretation of the theme "The Nature of Science''.

Part of the proceeds will go towards environmental research. All events start at 8 p.m. and cost $8.

Mr. Wheeler's epic journey was featured in the NOVA documentary "The Haunted Cry of a Long Lost Bird''.

"I should have done the trip when I was a young man. I was stretching to do it at my age, but I think being 60 years old gave me better judgment than a younger man.

"There were times, I admit, when I was terrified, although I was pretty confident I could make it through.'' He added: "I learned a lot about myself. I was by myself all day long and somehow it made me more relaxed as a person. I really felt at peace with myself.

"I learned other things, too -- that fishermen have a wisdom that university types tend to overlook.

"I also learned about the hospitality in Newfoundland. It makes hospitality of America seem very pale by comparison.

"The reception I got was almost Biblical, with people accepting me into their homes.

"You could almost parachute into their communities and they would be very warm, open, hospitable and generous. It helped you forget the pain of the journey.'' It was in mid to late July 1991 that Mr. Wheeler began his trip from Funk Island -- some 40 miles off the coast of Newfoundland -- paddling up to ten hours day. He was armed with a camera to record the trip.

"There is a lot of mystery about Funk Island -- it looms out of the ocean and is all rock. It's a very rough part of North Atlantic which inspires fear because of the weather and the danger that lurks there.

"I took exactly the same route as the great auks, going 1,500 miles. While I paddled in a kayak, they paddled in their webbed feet.

"I stopped at night, staying in fishing villages and camping out. It took me about four months, about the same length of time it took the great auk to complete its migration.

"Initially the Newfoundlanders thought I was a little crazy. They have a great fear and respect of the water and wondered what this guy was doing in his kayak.

"The weather was also pretty lousy, but I believe I earned the respect of the Newfoundland fishermen.'' Mr. Wheeler, who was dubbed "Auk Man'', said the fishermen understood his mission -- and the need to conserve.

"They saw the forthcoming collapse of the fisheries. Fishermen have a great wisdom.

"They would tell me their industry was going to collapse, and now it has been shut down.

"The main reason is overfishing, pure and simple. That really pushed the industry over the edge, although there were other reasons, such as a change in water temperature.'' Mr. Wheeler detected a sense of guilt in Newfoundland over the extinction of the great auk.

"I also found some of them were in denial. Some people blamed the demise on the English.'' Mr. Wheeler pointed out the extinction of the sea bird was well documented.

"We even know who killed the last birds. It was in July, 1844 that two Icelanders clubbed the last mating pair on a small island southwest of Iceland. They also stepped on the last egg.

"You may ask why these birds were killed. They were killed as food, first and foremost, although their fat and oil were also used for lamps. And their feathers for mattresses.

"They were flightless on land which made them very susceptible to slaughter and they were killed in the tens of thousands.

"This ritual slaughter went on for 300 years, with people believing there would always be more great auks. That is the mind-set I'm trying to change.'' Are there any grounds for optimism? "In a word, no. Mankind seems to be making the same mistakes over and over again. We have done a terrible job in taking care of our fragile resources.

"Denial is what I'm trying to shake out of people. For instance, buying swordfish and other fish is going to push these creatures over the edge into extinction.

"I don't think we can comprehend that we might cause certain fish to become commercially extinct.''