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A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE
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Polar bear adoptions
are a fun and meaningful way
to mark birthdays and other special events--and help support our conservation efforts.
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FEATURED SPONSOR
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Lowepro is internationally known
for purpose-built, professional-grade camera bags, backpacks, shoulder bags, and other protective cases.
Every year, the company sponsors our Project Polar Bear contest,
which challenges teens to create and carry out projects that reduce carbon emissions in their communities.
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Andrew Fore
Ambassador Extraordinaire |  What can we say about Andrew? He's tireless in his visits to local schools in his home state of Kentucky. He gives talks on polar bears and inspires kids to take action. He volunteered his time at last year's Teen Leadership Camp. And he shares his photos with us! For all that and more,
he deserves a huge bear hug.
We appreciate you, Andrew! |
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FLICKR PHOTO
OF THE MONTH
"I'm forever blowing bubbles..."
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Willy, a polar bear rescued
from a Mexican circus and now
living at the North Carolina Zoo,
blows bubbles underwater
in the zoo's large pool in this image captured by Valerie Abbott.
Willy spends hours swimming
each day with toys, which
his keepers continually swap out to keep him engaged.
Like Qannik, the rescued cub,
Willy serves as an ambassador for his species, helping people to care about wild polar bears,
learn about their status,
and find out how they can help.
Visit our Flickr group to view
more polar bear photos--or
to share your own.
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POLAR BEARS MYTHS
Are polar bears left-pawed?
Do they suffer from snow-blindness?
Brush up on fun facts
in this short video.
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SCIENTIST PROFILE
DR. GREGORY W. THIEMANN
YORK UNIVERSITY
Greg Thiemann thinks about fat and blubber--a lot. Specifically, he thinks of fat and blubber as they relate to the arctic food web and polar bear ecology.
Meet him in this short video and learn more about his work.
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Teamwork Saves Orphaned Cub
The thin, frightened polar bear cub rescued in April on Alaska's North Slope is now plump and playful--and busy exploring her new home at the Louisville Zoo.
Named Qannik, which means snowflake in the Iņupiat language, the cub arrived in late June after spending two months at the Alaska Zoo, where her weight jumped from 15 pounds to 60. The success of the tiny cub's rescue was based on advance planning for the likelihood of an increase in orphaned cubs as the sea ice melts.
Dr. Steven C. Amstrup, chief scientist with PBI, said Qannik faced certain death without human intervention. "Cubs that young can't make it on their own," he said. "They stay with their mother for over two years as they learn how to survive in the Arctic." |more
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Polar Bears in National Geographic
If you haven't yet seen the polar bear article in the July issue of the National Geographic magazine, you can check it out online.
 On Thin Ice offers a rundown of the current status of polar bears, emphasizing that it's not too late to save them. It includes interviews with two PBI-affiliated scientists, Dr. Ian Stirling and Dr. Steven C. Amstrup. |
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Farm to Table
Ahh, the taste of summer! Fresh corn on the cob. Plump red tomatoes. Blueberries, peaches, and watermelon.
Summer choices vary depending on locale, but the key to shopping sustainably is to buy in-season produce from local growers.
Why does this matter? You reduce the food-miles needed to ship these goods, thereby reducing your carbon footprint.
Want to learn more? PBI scientists have put together a list of the most impactful actions you can take as part of a polar-bear-friendly lifestyle.
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Arctic Species of the Month
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Sometimes called the canaries of the sea because of their high-pitched vocalizations, beluga whales have a thick layer of blubber that enables them to survive in frigid arctic waters.
 Every summer, they gather by the thousands near the town of Churchill to feed on crustaceans and enjoy the warmer waters of the Churchill River. You can view them on a Frontiers North Adventures tour. Photographer Daniel J. Cox is documenting species like these--and the changes taking place in the Arctic--as part of the PBI Arctic Documentary Project. |
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Be Cool for Polar Bears
It's been great meeting many of you as we continue our Be Cool for Polar Bears Tour at PBI Arctic Ambassador Center zoos!
 Over the past month, we visited the Denver Zoo, Utah's Hogle Zoo, and the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, where we celebrated the strides each has taken in reducing their carbon output. We also joined these zoos in awarding PBI Paws of Approval to local businesses demonstrating green leadership. Salt Lake City Green, for example, is setting a model for other cities to follow with a sustainability plan that includes bicycle transit centers, an idle reduction program, and refillable water bottle stations. To learn more about this outreach, and to see the list of Paw of Approval recipients, you can visit the Be Cool section of our website--and get involved. |
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Do Your Part to Help Polar Bears Swim
into Summer--and Back to the Arctic Ice
 Your tax-deductible DONATION helps
us do our work. Give as a GIFT or in
HONOR or MEMORY of someone special. Or, add us to your monthly budget with an ENDURING PLEDGE.
You can also join us on your favorite
community sites and share PBI with
your friends and family.
   
We thank you for your continued support.
Conservation through research, stewardship, and education
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PHOTO CREDITS
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Blowing Bubbles, Valerie Abbott;
Bear Paws, Beluga Whales, and Roving Bear,
Daniel J. Cox NaturalExposures.com;
Greg Thiemann, Suzi Eszterhas;
Andrew Fore, Courtesy of Andrew Fore;
Pittsburgh Be Cool, Paul Selvaggio;
Qannik, Kyle Shepherd/Louisville Zoo;
Eating Melon, Cary Whitt
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Š 2011 Polar Bears International. All Rights Reserved.
Marks and text appearing in this newsletter including, but not limited to,
Polar Bears International name, logo, and programs are trademarks,
registered trademarks, or service marks of Polar Bears International.
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