The weather out here has been beautiful for the webcasts, quite unlike previous years. We have seen many bears, but some were pretty skinny compared to previous years (we rated one at between 2 and 3 on a 5–point scale today, because we could see the points of his hips but couldn’t see his ribs showing through). I’m worried about the condition of some of the bears. This lowered bear condition will be exacerbated by continuing warm weather and positive–feedback warming (clear skies, open dark water that absorbs sunlight instead of reflecting it like ice and snow do, etc). My very personal feeling is that it hurts deep in my gut to see thin bears, and to know that humanity has caused this climate change and global warming and that some people are in denial about the facts, so are frozen into inaction when we really need to take action immediately.

We’ve had a lot of viewers of our webcasts and videoconferences, and we have had good and intelligent questions. We were able to hold their attention, of course, by showing the tundra and the bears beyond—we had about 15 different bears today and as many yesterday. During the videoconference yesterday, the drama was a mother and a relatively large Cub of the Year (COY) trying to make it back to shore while the tide was rising under the in–shore ice. We were trying to pay attention to the class and the COY at the same time—as the COY kept trying to jump from ice chunk to ice chunk, it went into and under the  water several times. The COY did NOT drown, and made it to the shore with its mother, then they both rolled in the snow to dry themselves off. We were a little more relaxed as we continued that videoconference!

I think the webcast crew this year has been AMAZING! For all of us to sit on a Tundra Buggy educational platform to have good conversations with students of many ages is just incredible. I wonder if the viewers and others know how much expertise is on this Buggy at one time! Dr. Tom Smith or Geoff York, with decades of experience studying polar bears in the wild, Julene Reed with her knowledge as such a professional educator, or Kassie Siegel with her incredible wealth of knowledge and experience on the legislative front. It has been a real honor for me to sit and chat with these folks, and with the scientists like Andrew Derocher that Polar Bears International had in town last week to do educational talks there for all of us. The overwhelming evidence continues to show that global warming is destroying the Arctic ice habitat, and many of the 19 polar bear populations are in decline because of it. For me, this means sleepless nights. I hope our visitors are understanding our message of Hope—that because the evidence is that people have caused this problem, and people are  smart, PEOPLE can also be the solution. I think a lot of the students understand this, and are trying to take personal action, action within their school, community, and families at home. I think their teachers and families might be listening. This gives me hope for the polar bears and other Arctic animals.

This is an incredible place, and I will hate to leave soon to go home, away from some of my favorite animals and people! I hope I can return to a returning ice habitat…”

Last year when I was here, it was cloudy most of the time that I was on the tundra. This year has been very different. It has been gorgeous and clear and sunny. Last year, I didn’t see the spectacular sunrises and sunsets by the Hudson Bay. Those are magic times of gorgeous blue and green water, bouncing colors of light hitting the snow, and reflections of the sun on the bears themselves. I had to just stop at different times and simply take in the beauty and wonder of this frozen land and the animals that inhabit it. It truly is spectacular. While we could see white ice far off in the distance on the horizon of the Hudson Bay, there is actually less ice forming near the shore than there was last week because of the sunshine and warmer, southern winds. The residents of this area are concerned at how late it is in the year, yet the Hudson Bay has not frozen more than it has. There have been a large number of bears wandering into town, and this is partially attributed to the fact that the Hudson Bay is not frozen. We are all hoping for colder weather very soon so the bears can move out to the ice and once again begin feeding on seals.

During my days on the tundra, the bears were very active. They were sparring (play fighting), ice punching, testing the ice floes by walking on them and jumping from one to another, rolling around, wrestling with each other, and being ever-curious about the humans who were observing them. We also saw a caribou, which is very unusual for this time of year.

The tourists who were guests staying on the Tundra Buggy Lodge were from all over the world. They started the trip not knowing each other, yet ended the trip as good friends because of their common experience and common passion for the bears. The panelists with whom I worked on the Tundra Connections education videoconferences and webcasts were amazing. We all were very diverse in our occupations, yet united by our common passion. We learned with and from each other all week. And, thanks to B. J. Kirschoffer’s technical expertise, the programs were all a great success! But, although this series of Tundra Connections events has ended, we’ve already had a debriefing, and we’ve scheduled a planning meeting for January. Already we are planning how to improve our outreach and make it even more engaging and impactful.

So, after days of watching the amazing bears on the tundra, meeting lots of new friends, being with lots of old friends (the PBI family), and working with iMax and NBC film crews, it is time to wind up my trip to Churchill for this season and focus on packing up and preparing to return back to Memphis. It is a time of celebrations for a season of work “well done,” a time of excitement about what we have accomplished, and a time of sadness as we all go our separate ways and return to our lives around the world. But, wherever we go, whatever we do, we will take the polar bears and the Arctic with us in our minds and in our hearts. We all will do our parts both individually and collectively to take action to stop the changing climate, protect polar bear habitat, and advocate for others to do the same.

So, as I leave Churchill tomorrow, I am re-energized to meet these challenges, knowing that others will be doing the same. And, the visual images of the eyes of the polar bears into which I looked so deeply this week will stay with me. And, the beauty of the Northern Lights on a starry, starry night in the Hudson Bay area of the Arctic in Canada will forever remind me of the beauty of this planet we are all inhabiting…and how important it is for each of us to be good stewards of this pale, blue dot (Earth) that we call home.

In Churchill, Manitoba, members of Polar Bears International took their “350 Photo” to make a statement about their commitment to reduce carbon emissions and preserve polar bear habitat. It is through our collective actions that we can all work to reduce climate change by reducing CO2 emissions…and thus save polar bear habitat and the habitat of all living things.

In 2008, Purdue University released CO2 maps with amazing detail of the emissions across the United States. “The Vulcan Project” provides amazing visual imagery of the CO2 being released in different areas of the U.S. during different intervals. These powerful images certainly make an impression.

What are YOU doing to make a difference? What actions are YOU taking? Share your thoughts and ideas here with all of us!

Today is “Blog Action Day.”  It is an annual event on October 15th every year when bloggers around the world spark discussions on an issue of global importance. This year’s topic or issue is climate change. Millions of blog readers today will be reading blog entries about this topic…a topic that is of great importance to polar bears, their habitat, and other animals around the world, including humans!

Polar Bears International has a mission for the next five years to reduce carbon emissions and stop/reverse the climate change that is contributing to habitat loss for these great bears. Scientific experts who study the effects of climate change on polar bears predict that we only have five years to make the changes necessary to preserve the bears’ habitat long-term.

How can one person help stop climate change from wherever it is that they live? One may think: “I am but one person, and whatever I do won’t really help. And, I live hundred or even thousands of miles away from the polar bears in the Arctic!”

There are many ways that each of us can take action to make a difference for our environment. And, if EACH of us does what we can to stop climate change, then collectively we definitely can make a difference!

So, below are a few thoughts of how we can make a difference to reduce carbon emissions and help stop climate change. Please add your own ideas by commenting on this post! Let’s all work together to stop climate change, save polar bears and their habitat, and protect our environment!

• Start small, start locally
• Connect globally to collaborate on greater initiatives
• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Power down, reduce energy consumption
• Buy recycled
• Increase the green – plant trees, gardens, etc.
• Make it better or do it better
• Leverage technology to spread the message (video “psa’s,” podcasts, publications, blogs, etc.)
• Educate others to do the same!

Resources on climate change can be found on “Polar Bears in a Changing Climate,” an online exhibit for educators and students related to the topic of climate change. Join the upcoming webcasts to learn more about how the polar bears and the Arctic are being affected by global warming. Details are on the exhibit!

Learn more about climate change by watching the Frontline special, “HEATº.”

Watch the video below to learn more about polar bears and climate change!

As some of you may recall, “Rolling on the Tundra,” an interdisciplinary study of polar bears and climate change, was published last year on the Apple Learning Interchange in conjunction with live webcasts conducted from the shores of the Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba. This year, there will be two different weeks of webcasts conducted from the tundra. These both are part of a new ALI exhibit, “Polar Bears in a Changing Climate.”

The webcasts this year are very engaging with live cameras on the bears on the tundra as well as video clips from bears recently encountered. The curriculum in the new exhibit is based on Challenge Based Learning, and the main focus is climate change.

The first series of webcasts includes an environmental science teacher from St. George’s as well as scientists and zoologists on the panel (Oct. 19-21). The second set of webcasts (Nov. 9-11) will include a great panel of experts as well, and I will facilitate that discussion. There is a sheet of FAQ’s for educators to use prior to the webcasts as well as lots of CBL resources that provide framework for educators new to this instructional strategy. And, there are some great resources to go with the lessons and webcasts. To participate in the webcasts, go to the “Polar Bears in a Changing Climate” exhibit for details.

Please share this information with others you know who may be interested. This should be a great series of informative session, and I hope that the resources will be beneficial.

You will currently find some great resources available on the site. More examples of technology-specific products being used to support the lessons and the solutions (psa’s created with iMovie, Pages documents, etc.), additional videos, etc. are being added, so be looking for those.

Below is the link for the new exhibit as well as the link for the one from last year. I hope that you will consider joining the webcasts, and that this information will be of benefit to you, your teachers, and/or your students.

“Polar Bears in a Changing Climate”

“Rolling on the Tundra”

Recently, members of the Tundra Buggy staff spotted a female polar bear with three cubs – something that has not been seen in that area for quite some time! Due to the detrimental effects of climate change on the health of polar bears in that region, the spotting of three cubs is very unique! Because of this year’s milder spring and summer conditions in that area and the delayed melting of the ice, these bears appear healthier than those that have been spotted the past few years. More information about the recent sighting of these bears and the related newscasts can be found on the Frontiers North Adventures blog.

While this is great news, scientists are quick to point out that the threat to this species absolutely still exists. The effects of climate change continue to take a toll on polar bears and other animal species around the world. It is through the continued efforts of all of us that we can make a difference in climate change and in the habitat of animals globally. Keep up the great work!

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.

As the bears migrated out onto the ice this week, the Tundra Buggy Lodge moved to Cape Churchill where many of the bears are making their trek to the ice. Daniel Zatz has great commentary and amazing videos from the week up on his website, PolarBearsHD.com, that you can see. So, enjoy these final days of footage as it is almost time for the bears all to be on the ice and no longer on the tundra. Hooray!

“WARNING: This song stays in your head, and you will be singing it all day long!!”

But, even so, I think you’ll really enjoy the amazing video footage and the really fun song with an important message that is now on the “Rolling on the Tundra” website. The music in this video is by Tom Rugg, and the video is by Daniel Zatz/PolarBearsHD.com.

Enjoy…and don’t blame me when you sing this over and over and over…