Polar Bear Students

Polar Bear Students

Program

Students from the 2004 adventure learning camp. Click image to enlarge.
This fall, 12 students from four different countries will embark on a remarkable adventure to the Far North. They'll don parkas and boots and travel to Churchill, Manitoba, to take part in PBI's Polar Bear Science Leadership Camp, where they'll explore a range of issues relating to polar bears, humans, and the environment. The camp will help create the leaders of tomorrow on issues facing the North.

"We've selected a group of bright, motivated students who are eager to learn about the bears," says Robert Buchanan, PBI's president. "While there, they'll communicate with their peers through online journals. After they return, they'll share what they've learned through talks, slide presentations, and media interviews."

The innovative camp is just one component of PBI's highly successful Adventure Learning Program, which generated worldwide publicity last fall.

"We have a number of different projects that fit under the umbrella of the Adventure Learning Program," says Buchanan. "They all take place during the fall polar bear migration. Through them, we'll create 250,000 'Ambassadors of the Arctic' who will help people understand the importance of the Far North and the role that it plays in the health of our planet."

Hands-on Experience
During their time in Churchill, the students will meet scientists and learn about their work; visit a maternal den site; discuss the implications of climate change; and discover how local residents coexist with their bears. They'll also take part in role-playing exercises that will help them understand the complexities of the issues involved.

"They'll leave with an in-depth knowledge of polar bears and the problems they face," says Buchanan, "and they'll help us communicate those problems to the world."

The program's major sponsor is the Tundra Buggy Adventure®. Additional sponsors include the Four Points by Sheraton Winnipeg Airport, Calm Air, Hudson Bay Helicopters, the Tundra Inn, the Aurora Inn, Northern Nights, and Tamarack Car Rental.

Participating organizations include the Maryland Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, the Oregon Zoo, the Alaska Zoo, the Cologne Zoo, Sea World Australia, Parks Canada, Manitoba Conservation, and Frontiers North.

Science Conferencing Classrooms
The Adventure Learning Program also includes PBI's Science Conferencing Classrooms, which link polar bear scientists in the field with students in remote locations. Teens prepare for the satellite link-ups by studying a variety of materials provided by PBI. These include our "Bear Facts" sheets; a Power Point presentation on polar bears; a summary of the conclusions reached by the Polar Bear Specialist Group; the book, "Impacts of a Warming Arctic," prepared by the Arctic Council; as well as a list of 10 things that people can do to make a difference.

Scientists who will participate from the field include Dr. Steven Amstrup of the U.S. Geological Survey; Dr. Don Moore of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and Drs. Jane Waterman and Jim Roth of the University of Central Florida. These individuals will make a total of 14 broadcasts to students at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage; Homestead, Indiana; the Oregon Zoo; Silver Heights Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba; the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island; Sea World Australia; the Toledo Zoo; and the University of Central Florida.

The conferencing classrooms are a joint venture with the Tundra Buggy Adventure.

In-Field Lectures
PBI's Adventure Learning outreach extends to adults as well. This year, JoAnne Simerson of the San Diego Zoo, Amy Cutting of the Oregon Zoo, and Diana Weinhardt of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center have volunteered to provide visitors to Churchill with background information on polar bears and their environment. Armed with a replica polar bear skull, replica polar bear claws, and a sample of fur, they will step aboard tundra vehicles to give talks on the bears.

"Bear-watching tours are a great way to reach people and help educate them about polar bears," says Weinhardt. "Visitors to Churchill are invariably curious and intelligent—and they want to know what they can do to help. We reached hundreds of people this way last fall."

In-Town Lecture Series
Yet another facet of the program is a lecture series in Churchill during the polar bear season. Last year, crowds filled the Churchill Center theater night after night to hear invited speakers, with Churchill residents attending along with people on bear-watching tours. "There was a great deal of interest," says Carolyn Buchanan, who volunteers full-time as PBI's special projects coordinator. "It was especially heartening to see such enthusiasm from the town."

This year's speakers include Dr. Steven Amstrup; photographer/tundra buggy guide John Bykerk; Michael Goodyear of Churchill's Northern Studies Center; and Drs. Jane Waterman and Jim Roth. In addition, Dr. Don Moore will give a series of talks to Churchill schoolchildren.

Polar Bear Cam
The final component of the Adventure Learning Program is PBI's popular polar bear cam, a joint project with the Tundra Bggy Adventure. The cam allows viewers from around the world to watch the polar bears of Churchill during their fall migration. Highlights from each season are shown on our Web site year-round, giving visitors a window into the Arctic.

PBI would like to thank all of our volunteers, donors, and sponsors for making the Adventure Learning Program possible.
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