NAICCR (North American Institute for Crop Circle Research)
Report on Investigations of Crop Circles
in the Area of Strathclair, Manitoba
18 August 1992
Following media reports about several new crop circles in
western Manitoba, NAICCR representatives travelled to the area
for onsite investigations.
Five crop formations were discovered, one of which was
easily explained as lodging. Of the other four, three were in
the shape of the symbol for Mars: a circle with an attached arrow.
Two were alongside a major highway, while the others were
next to less-travelled farm roads. The two near the major
highway were apparently made on the night of 14-15 August 1992.
Rumours of the circles spread through the community, and
many people went to see the formations. By Monday, 17 August
1992, an estimated 200 people had visited the sites. News media
mentioned the sites in newscasts on 17-18 August, but the
formations did not attract the wide publicity that other, less
impressive and explainable formations had garnered a month
earlier. NAICCR investigators were able to visit the sites on 18
August 1992, after a four-hour excursion from Winnipeg.
Wheat and soil samples were taken from all sites. Mapping
was done, though, because of excessive trampling of the
formations, measurement errors of about six inches were possible.
Compasses were employed, but no magnetic anomalies were detected.
Both VHF and AM/FM radios were tested, but no interference was
detected. Tape recordings taken at the sites were unaffected.
No unusual sounds were heard, and no unusual "feelings" were
sensed. Insects were present in normal quantities at the sites.
According to residents, animals were not afraid to enter the
areas.
At one formation, two youths guarded the entrance and
brandished a sign reading: "A Loonie a Look"; they charged a
dollar to anyone wanting to enter the site. [Note: "loonie" is a slang
term for a Canadian dollar coin.]
At Strathclair No.4, two NAICCR investigators decided to try
an experiment in circle creation. They walked between the rows
of wheat into an unaffected area and began walking around in a
circle. After five minutes, they had produced a circle of
comparable size to Strathclair No.4. The new circle was swirled
and flattened, and examination of wheat stalks showed no breakage
whatsoever. The stalks were only gently bent at a height of
about one to two inches above the ground, and did not appear to
have been subjected to any force. The appearance of the new
circle was relatively "messy", but after a few minutes of "touch-
ups", it began to look more like the "real" circle. Suggestions
were offered as to ways in which more even flattening could be
produced. Since Strathclair No.4 was created on the night of 14-
15 August 1992, only a few days after full Moon, it was proposed
that a hoaxer could easily have created the formation without any
flashlights and ducked down below the level of the five-foot-high
wheat when an occasional car passed by.
The hoax theory is complicated by a CE1 UFO
sighting over the field where the Ipswich formation was
discovered. One close witness and two other witnesses observed
an unusual object moving over the field and then fly away on the
night that that formation was likely created.
On the night of 14 August, a television program about crop
circles had been aired. Residents of the area had recalled
seeing the episode. However, at least two of the formations had
been discovered before the program was aired. It is not thought
that the television program had necessarily precipitated the later
formations.
Wheat samples will be given to several researchers for
testing. As some cerealogists have claimed that seeds from
plants inside circles grow faster/better than those from a
control sample, double-blind tests of this theory will be
performed. Further investigations are continuing.
Descriptions of the formations follow, along with a number of UFO
reports from the same time period.
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Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920801.1
Found: 1 August 1992
A circle of flattened wheat was discovered in a field southwest
of Strathclair. It was 28 feet in diameter. The wheat was
flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise direction. The
circle was approximately 40 feet from a municipal road.
Known as Strathclair No.1.
Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation
was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by
visitors during the interim.
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Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920808.1
Found: 8 August 1992
A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was
discovered in a field southwest of Strathclair. The main
circle was 28 feet in diameter, with no detectable eccentricity.
The wheat was flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise
direction. The formation was approximately 40 feet from a
municipal road, directly opposite a circle which had been
discovered a week earlier.
In the arrow, the wheat was flattened away from the circle,
following the lines of the arrow. The arrow pointed away from
the circle on a bearing of 260 degrees. The arrow was 18.5 feet in
length, with left and right arms of 6 and 6.5 feet in length,
respectively. The width of the arrow was approximately 36
inches. The arrow pointed almost directly away from the road.
Known as Strathclair No.2.
Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation
was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by
visitors during the interim.
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Ipswich, Manitoba UGM 920815.1
Found: 15 August 1992
A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was
discovered in a field just east of Ipswich. The main area
was 26 feet in diameter along its major axis and 24.5 feet along
its minor axis. The wheat was flattened and swirled in a
counterclockwise direction.
In the arrow, the wheat was flattened away from the circle,
following the lines of the arrow. The arrow pointed away from
the main area on a bearing of 65 degrees. The arrow was 17.5 feet in
length, with left and right arms 7.5 and 11 feet in length,
respectively. The width of the arrow corridor was 28 inches.
The arrow pointed toward a farm road, its tip being only 36 feet
from the road.
Known as Ipswich.
Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation
was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by
visitors during the interim.
A UFO had been seen at the site on 14 August 1992.
See: ND Case 920814.1 in UFOROM files.
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Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920815.1
Found: 15 August 1992
A flattened area was found in a wheat field near other crop
circle UGMs. It was roughly 20 feet in diameter. Wheat was laid
down in random clumps, and some sections had rebounded upright.
The area was visible from a nearby road. Examination suggested
the area was caused by lodging.
Known as Strathclair No.3
Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation
was on 18 August 1992. The site had been trampled by visitors
during the interim.
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Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920815.1
Found: 15 August 1992
A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was
discovered in a field southwest of Strathclair. The main
circle was 24 feet in diameter, with no detectable eccentricity.
The wheat was flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise
direction. The formation was approximately 100 feet from a
provincial highway.
In the arrow, the wheat was flattened away from the circle,
following the lines of the arrow. The arrow pointed away from
the circle on a bearing of 120 degrees. The arrow was 16 feet in
length, with left and right arms of 8.5 and 10 feet in length,
respectively. The width of the arrow was approximately 66
inches. The arrow pointed away from the road.
Known as Strathclair No.4
Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation
was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by
visitors during the interim.
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Brandon, Manitoba UGM 920817.1
Reported: 17 August 1992
A television station received an anonymous call that a crop
circle had been found on the property of the Brandon airport.
Investigations pending.
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Miniota, Manitoba UGM 920799.1
July, 1992
It was reported that a crop circle was discovered in a field of
oats. The circle is perfectly round and 32 feet in diameter.
The oats are flattened and swirled in a clockwise direction. The
center of the circle is devoid of vegetation.
The circle was found "in mid-summer". It was reported to NAICCR
on 21 August 1992.
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UFO Reports:
Ipswich, Manitoba ND Case 920814.1
14 August 1992
2115 local time
A woman was driving east from Shoal Lake to Strathclair when she
saw a pair of bright yellow lights over a field to her left. The
lights appeared to be about 50 to 100 feet above the ground. She
stopped her car to get a better look, and watched as the lights
moved in tandem, one above the other, progressing over the field
heading west. As it was not quite dark, she was sure that she
could see a dark object behind the lights, with another very
small flashing light at its "tail".
The witness' daughter and son-in-law were following in their own
car, and they also saw the object before it moved out of view
behind some trees. The object was visible for about two minutes
as it progressed slowly over the field. No noise was heard.
Reported to the media on 15 August 1992.
The next day, a crop circle UGM was discovered in the wheat field
over which the UFO had travelled. See NAICCR case 920815.1
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Shoal Lake, Manitoba NL Case 920814.1
14 August 1992
2300 local
A witness reported seeing a brilliant green flash of light which
illuminated the countryside.
Source: Greg Nesbitt
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Shoal Lake, Manitoba NL Case 920815.1
15 August 1992
2200 local
A witness reported seeing a brilliant green flash of light which
illuminated the countryside. It was visible for "a few seconds".
Source: RCMP, Shoal Lake Detachment
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Winnipeg, Manitoba NL Case 920826.1
26 August 1992
0535 local
A witness reported a bright green object, "like an airplane going
to crash". The object was rapidly moving from the west to the
east, but looked like it was "going up". The object had a "long
tail". It appeared to be over the Winnipeg airport. It was
visible for only a few seconds.
Source: Anonymous phone call from the witness to UFOROM.
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A full report on the incidents, with detailed drawings of the crop
formations, will be available in hard copy from NAICCR at a later date.
The full report will be published in a major UFO journal and cerealogy
journal. The Strathclair flap of UGMs and UFOs will be noted in the
annual NAICCR and UFOROM reports when published in 1993.
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For further information, contact:
NAICCR (North American Institute for Crop Circle Research)
Box 1918
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R3C 3R2
On INTERNET, e-mail can be addressed to:
rutkows@ccu.umanitoba.ca
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