After much travel over the summer, it is exciting to start the plans for the upcoming season of polar bear watching in the Churchill area near the Hudson Bay in Canada! In conjunction with the tourism and all of the excitement of another year of visitors and celebrities who travel to see these amazing creatures, there is even more excitement as Polar Bears International finalizes plans for this fall’s initiatives!
The main goal of PBI for the next five years is to reduce the effects of climate change in order to protect polar bear habitat. My charge (along with other PBI volunteers and staff members) in relation to this is to continue to plan, design, and implement educational initiatives related to the “Digital Stage” on the tundra and, more specifically, the “Tundra Connections.” Technology affords us the opportunity to educate and inform a global community about the challenges and issues of the Arctic that relate to climate change…the same issues that are affecting the health and habitat of the polar bears. Climate change not only is negatively affecting the Arctic and the polar bears, but it is also affecting the environment, animals, and humans globally.
The bad news is that the messages shared through the “Tundra Connections” are messages that are critical to everyone. The good news is that everyone truly can take action to make a difference in regard to this dilemma. Thus, the messages that will be shared through this year’s education initiatives for the events that will take place on the tundra will relate directly to this message – making a difference and taking action to reduce the negative effects of climate change.
So, know that we are busy getting ready for the upcoming season with interdisciplinary lessons, webcast plans, videoconferencing plans, a podcast series, etc. And, be sure to keep up with us through the Polar Bears International website, PBI’s Facebook, and our Twitter! We’ll also be at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conference in Portland, Oregon in mid-September, and there will lots of exciting announcements at that conference.
I look forward to sharing lots of great information with everyone here as we begin another exciting year of travels on the tundra!
Tags: Animals, arctic, AZA, canada, churchill, climate, Climate Change, facebook, Hudson Bay, Manitoba, PBI, polar, polar bears, Polar Bears International, tundra, Tundra Connections, twitter, warming
