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.

Once the torch run was completed in Churchill, then we actually had free time to participate in the town’s celebrations of the Olympic torch run which included speeches by dignitaries, a drum performance by a First Nation’s group, the transfer of the torch to the traveling lantern, and a celebratory barbecue. There was also time to browse the local gift shops. With the freshly fallen snow, the decorative lights on many of the gift shops, and the festive atmosphere, many of us commented that we suddenly felt ready for the upcoming holiday season. Churchill really has us in the mood for the winter holidays.

Upon returning to the PBI lodging, we held planning meetings with the panelists who would be participating in the upcoming Tundra Connections webcasts and videoconferences. We ate (again…it seems that is all we do here) and then those of us who were traveling to the Tundra Buggy Lodge for those upcoming events packed up our suitcases and prepared to depart for the launch area. However, there were some buggy repairs needed first, so our departure was delayed. But, at last we were on our way to the launch area.

When we arrived at the launch area where the buggies are stored at night, we had to drive around the area first, looking for bears as a safety precaution. There have been several bears in the area of Churchill at night, so it is highly recommended that we don’t walk anywhere at night unless we are in a large group. Polar bears usually will flee when there are three or more people in a group. Then, we boarded the buggy and headed across the tundra in the snow on our way to the lodge.

The fresh snow was magical as we drove across the tundra, but the evening became even more magical as it progressed. We hadn’t driven but about fifteen minutes, when suddenly a polar bear that had been sleeping on the road jumped up in front of us. So, we stopped to take photos of the bear with the glistening snow crystals on is fur before proceeding.

Once again we started toward the lodge when B.J. Kirschoffer, our driver and PBI’s field operations manager (I call him the techie guru of the north…) stopped the buggy a second time and turned off the lights. The one thing I missed during my trip to the Subarctic last year was seeing the northern lights, and to the excitement of all of us, the night had cleared, the stars were brilliantly shining (and there seemed to be millions of them), and the northern lights were “putting on” an amazing show of brilliant curtains and bands of dancing, moving lights! And, there were shooting stars repeatedly flying across the sky. It was truly a glorious sight. We stayed and watched for almost half an hour.

But, alas, we still had to get to the lodge where we were spending the night. So, we once again started our drive across the tundra. And, just when we thought the evening’s magic certainly had ended, a gorgeous and giant half-moon appeared on the horizon with a brilliant mirrored reflection shining brightly from the Hudson Bay. It truly was a magical night full of nature’s wonders, and it is was night all of us will remember.

So, the Sunday’s adventures were ones of great wonder in many ways…being a part of an Olympic experience, viewing the Northern Lights, and seeing the snowy world of the tundra under sparkling stars and a beautiful moon. We must all do our parts to help preserve this wondrous part of our world.

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.

Blog entry from October 19, 2009 – Bill McClain, Environmental Science Teacher, St. George’s Independent School, Memphis, TN – on the tundra in Churchill, Manitoba

My world just got a little smaller. I have always thought of the North Pole and the Arctic tundra as being a distant, foreign land; almost like another planet. Visiting here, I see that it is not all that alien and not all that far away after all. In fact, I talked with a United Airlines pilot on my way up here and he explained to me that when he flies from Chicago to Japan he goes through the Arctic Circle. Now, I know that the earth is a sphere, and that flight patterns seem a little different because of this, but Chicago to Japan through the North Pole? That is kind of mind boggling. In a way this part of our planet brings us all together which is just what needs to happen if we are to protect it.

It has been quite an experience so far, and even though I have not seen a polar bear yet, I have met a number of incredible people that have dedicated their careers to helping this animal. I am excited for tomorrow and further opportunities to explore a new place and meet interesting people. The photo below is of us preparing to go out on the tundra.

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”

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!

(Note: The entry below was written by Geoff York

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live for a time on the Arctic tundra surrounded by polar bears who are awaiting the return of winter sea ice? Have you ever considered living for several days in a large bus-like vehicle that stands six feet off the ground and awaking to northern lights or a curious white furry face staring into your “bedroom” window?

Neither had I. However, this is exactly what I did for 10 days this autumn in Churchill, Manitoba. Following the invitation of Polar Bears International (PBI), a new conservation partner with WWF, I travelled to Hudson Bay and participated in a series of international outreach and education opportunities.

There are no roads to this far northern town, so you have to fly via small aircraft or take a very long and slow train. Three hours later, my flight touches down on the small airstrip next to Hudson Bay. The winds are blowing 50 knots and gusting to 70.  Sparse snow is scattered across the tundra landscape and the small ponds are just starting to freeze. I have a few hours to arrange my gear and grab some lunch before heading out to meet the rest of my team on PBI’s Buggy One and the Tundra Buggy® Lodge.

The “Lodge” is actually a series of buggy cars joined together, a uniquely Northern train. It is located on the shore of the Bay about 20 miles outside of Churchill. The trip out takes about an hour by the slow moving Tundra Buggy® vehicles- specially designed and standing over six feet off the ground with large wheels for the rocky trails. As luck would have it, a helicopter was heading out the evening I arrived with space for one more passenger. A short flight later we touched down at PBI’s Buggy One- a customized Tundra Buggy® turned mobile production studio designed to deliver real time HD video, web casting, and video conferencing for education and outreach on polar bear conservation.

WWF, PBI and other partners, including North America’s top polar bear researchers and conservationists, joined together this year to report on climate change, its impacts to the Arctic, and the subsequent impacts on polar bears. During my stay we conducted video conference calls to thousands of people across North America. We also partnered with the Apple Learning Interchange and the “Rolling on the Tundra” exhibit to conduct a series of webcasts which at last count had received over 7,000 hits!

As the polar bear viewing capitol of the world and the epicenter of climate change impacts on polar bears, Hudson Bay is the ideal backdrop for these public science and policy discussions. Polar bears gather every year in October and November along the shoreline of Hudson Bay while they wait for the bay to freeze.

The polar bears in this part of the world are unique in that they have been onshore since early summer. Most of the world’s polar bears remain with the retreating ice pack and do not come ashore.  In Hudson Bay the sea ice melts completely each summer forcing the bears to shore where they spend 4-9 months fasting. The bears rely on the sea ice returning to resume hunting their primary prey- ice seals. Trouble is, the ice is freezing later each year and is also melting earlier each spring.

The situation in Hudson Bay is clear- the climate is warming, the sea ice is rapidly melting, and as a result these polar bears have lost five weeks of feeding time in the last 20 years. Adult bears are returning to shore in poorer condition, the females are having fewer cubs, and fewer cubs are surviving to adulthood. Research from the Canadian Wildlife Service documents an average decline of over one percent per year for the Hudson Bay population (a staggering 22% decline since 1987). With less and less time on the sea ice, this iconic group of polar bears is in significant trouble.

Our mission in Churchill was twofold: alert people that higher temperatures are having a direct and harmful effect not only on polar bears in Hudson Bay, but on populations across the Arctic; and let them know they could do something about the situation.  The messages from the Arctic are grim, but it is important people realize it is not too late to reverse these trends.

Through sharing the troubles facing polar bears, we engaged and encouraged people to join us in efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Global warming is a problem of enormous reach and significance to every living thing in this world. The issues are so big and complex that we sometimes think there is nothing we can do. The exact opposite is true. It is only through personal leadership and individual action that we can collectively make a difference. It is only through leading by example in reducing our energy use, in becoming smarter consumers, in voting with our feet and dollars that we can truly become the change the world desperately needs. It is only through personal action and grassroots leadership that we will create a chain reaction from the local to regional to national to global scale that will ultimately decarbonize our economies and create the conditions needed for a sustainable and living planet

Living with polar bears in Hudson Bay is transformative. One cannot leave the experience without being impacted by seeing these magnificent animals interact with one another and with their environment. We simply must do everything we can to turn down the world’s thermostat and give the ice and the bears a fighting chance. As the Arctic acts to regulate and cool the rest of the world, we also need to save the sea ice to save ourselves. 

Geoff York Biographical Information:

Geoff York recently joined WWF as the Arctic Program polar bear conservation coordinator and is currently based in the WWF Alaska field office. In this role he is responsible for WWF’s circumpolar polar bear conservation efforts. Geoff completed his BA from the University of Notre Dame and has lived in Alaska since 1990 when he came north to pursue a Master’s degree in science/biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He has 12 years of field experience in the Arctic, most recently as a Biologist and Program Manager for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Polar Bear Project, the leading polar bear research team in the U.S. His work included leading field efforts in the capture and handling of 100s of bears, tagging them, collecting a variety of biological samples to assess disease and health-related parameters, and collaring adult females with radio telemetry devices to tracking the bears’ movements on sea ice. Geoff also led development of Infrared (FLIR) detection techniques for locating maternal dens remotely and pioneered work with radio frequency identification tagging of bears while at the USGS.

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…