Word on the tundra is that the bears are looking really good this year. Due to a mild spring the ice broke up around the time is was breaking up 30 years ago. This is about 3 weeks later than they have seen in recent years. This allowed the bears to stay out a little longer and catch just a few more seals. That extra fat storage last spring is showing up this fall as healthier bears wait for the ice to freeze so they can go back out. Unfortunately, the ice is not freezing at the time it was 30 years ago so the bears are still here waiting. As soon as that ice freezes, however, the bears hightail it out of here.

On a scale of one to five, with one being skinny and 5 being obese, most bears we are seeing are classified with a three. This is an improvement over years past. This doesn’t mean that polar bears are out of trouble, because the time of ice melt each year depends on weather and not climate. Weather is the day to day changes we see in temperature and precipitation, while climate deals with averages and extremes. If we average the temperatures across the globe, temperatures are still on the rise, but fortunately, the bears in this area are doing well this year.

The bear on the left showed up shortly after all the tourists left the lodge this morning. The scientists on the buggy were excited about her condition. I like this picture because it shows the beautiful colors of the tundra. We got a fair amount of snow this afternoon so the terrain looks a little different now, but it is neat to see the area with the brilliant colors of the different types of lichen that grow out here. The bear walked up very close to the buggy and as I took the picture below, I was reminded that these animals are wild and curious. The bears I have seen in the past pay no attention to humans because they are acclimated to our presence, but this girl looked right into my eyes. WOW!

Other than the bears, the highlight of my day was the way my St. George’s kids represented our school during our videoconference this morning. The panelist were particularly impressed with the kids’ interest in what is happening to our planet and their desire to make a difference. Their attention to global citizenship was evident as they asked intriguing questions! I am very proud of these juniors and seniors and know that they will make a difference.

Spending time in wild places has always been rejuvenating for me. I find peace and see God in these wild places. I am lucky to have the opportunity to visit this cold corner of our planet, and hope that one day my children and my grandchildren can do the same. It is worth making some small changes around my house and in my community to ensure that this ecosystem is around for them.

The great thing about this adventure is that I am traveling to another country to help kids see that they don’t have to travel to another country to make a difference. The Arctic tundra is such a foreign place to most of us and I am glad for the opportunity to visit. It is a biome that is changing fast; too fast. It is a biome that is being impacted by the choices of people thousands of miles away, and it is a biome that brings our globe together. For many, it may seem like a desolate wasteland, and while it is a harsh climate with gnarly terrain, it is filled with life that can be found nowhere else. There are arctic fox, arctic hare, snow bunting, and polar bears that live here year round. There are countless species of birds that pass through here during long migrations.

The polar bear receives the most attention of all these animals, and it is easy to see why. While seeing polar bears at Memphis zoo is always fun, it can’t compare to seeing a bear on the banks of Hudson Bay waiting for his time to venture out and eat for the first time in months. The bear I saw this morning sat around lazily all day conserving his energy for the long journey out onto the ice where his limited diet can be found. He must eat seals because nothing else has a fat content high enough to sustain him. Often, he will only eat the seal blubber because it is a waste of time to finish off the rest. The fat has the most energy per gram and he will need all the energy reserves he can store. This is great for the little furry white fox that follows along behind him. Without the polar to bring this seal up from its den in the ice, the fox would surely starve. An ecosystem with such a fragile food web is dramatically affected by small changes in abundance of animals, and scientists are beginning to detect these small changes already.

I never really considered myself an activist, but I think I may have acquired that title during my time at St. George’s. I don’t really know how it happened, but maybe I am starting to live up to my reputation. After all, I am at the polar bear capital of the world discussing how climate change is affecting these animals. As an environmental science teacher and someone who truly believes the way to make a difference in this world is to impact the lives of young people, I hope my time here can do just that.

Read the article  “No common ground at first polar bear summit” written by Patrick White and published by Globe and Mail or the article “Minister Prentice HIghlights Progress Made at Polar Bear Roundtable” that is published on MSNBC. Then, post your comments here to join the debate!

If each of us takes steps to reduce our carbon footprint, we can all join together to make a real impact on the environment. The problems that are affecting the polar bears are difficult to resolve because they are being affected by the actions of people globally. There is not one regional or local situation that can “fix” this. The remedy and the responsibility for positive change lies with each of us. It is a problem that knows no borders, countries, regions, or states. This is a “world” problem.

I challenge you to find five things you can change today that would make a difference in your carbon footprint. Then, keep looking for more ways to change privately at home, in your community, and in ways that would influence and promote change globally. 

Share your ideas for change here! Post a comment that shares what actions YOU are going to take to make a difference in the world and especially for the polar bears. Ideas and additional information and resources can be found on the “Rolling on the Tundra” website’s carbon footprint section.

“Rolling on the Tundra, A Polar Bear Adventure” is a related exhibit on the Apple Learning Interchange that has interdisciplinary curriculum and resources for the study of polar bears, global warming, etc.

The Jane Goodall Institute and its education outreach for youth, “Roots & Shoots,” is also involved with this trip and will be hosting some of my videoconferences and curricular content. Dana Lyons, musician, is composing original music to raise awareness about polar bears, and he will be conducting a webcast from the tundra in mid-November.

Polar bears are a threatened species. Their habitat is changing quickly, and we must all work together to educate our youth, raise awareness, and promote actions that will help save the polar bears and their environment. What is happening to polar bears is symptomatic of problems being experienced in other parts of the world related to climate change. Animals are being affected in many ways globally, and we can educate youth and encourage them to become active in being good stewards of our planet, its resources, and all of its inhabitants.

Join us in the live events that will be taking place the first week of November. And watch for other ways in which you can be involved in the activities we are conducting. We will also be announcing ways that you and your students can create content that can help make a difference for the polar bears of Canada! And, we will be sharing curriculum and ideas for global ecology that will benefit our planet and all of its inhabitants.

You can find updated information and join the webinar by visiting the “Rolling on the Tundra” exhibit on the Apple Learning Interchange.

Julene Reed, Director of Academic Technology
Apple Distinguished Educator Advisory Board
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Advisory Council
St. George’s Independent School
Collierville, TN USA