We want to hear from you! Please send biennial reports of your CO2 reductions and community impact as they occur or in batches.

Access the report system here or on the PBI website. 

We're just finalizing a few changes to our annual Project Polar Bear contest and will be announcing both the launch and the new rules of the competition soon . . .

Have you participated in the contest on a substantial level? Do you have opinions on a new direction the contest might take? We hope you'll take a moment to email us with your ideas!

New Resource

Renowned polar bear scientist Dr. Andrew Derocher recently published a new book we're proud to display

on our bookshelves.

Not only are the copies signed

by Derocher himself, but we're selling them at the wholesale price of $25

PBI is partnering with myActions, The Social Network for the Planet, on an online and mobile action campaign that allows users to share the conservation actions they've completed, simultaneously measuring their CO2 and monetary savings in the process.

The campaign recently challenged each member of Arctic Ambassador teams to complete 21 actions for polar bears in 21 days. The result: Phenomenal! Be sure to read the summary in our upcoming e-Newsletter at the campaign's completion.

 Conferences

This year, PBI is

striving to lead by example by cutting back on the number of conferences we're attending, thereby reducing our carbon footprint.  

But we still enjoy the opportunity to connect with each of you face-to-face! We'll catch up with 

    you at the following

         conferences:

EAZA Sept 25-29 in Innsbruck

AAZK Sept 23-27 in Syracuse, 

where a team of our Leadership Camp graduates will lead the program

International Polar Bear Day is February 27th, and it's never too soon to start planning to make every day a conservation action day for polar bears.

More to come . . .

Ambassador

Highlights 

We had so many highlights

from which to choose this quarter,

we couldn't go with just one.

Please take a look

at the following efforts:

Best Word Choice

As we all know, conservation behavior change is not "simple."

So Roger Williams Park Zoo asks people to take small steps in their calls for action. Great suggestion!

The Green Revolution

hits the Kansas City Zoo!

This temporary exhibit helps guests better understand how lifestyles can easily become more environmentally friendly. The digital template provided by SITES was interpreted and constructed by the Zoo's

Roots and Shoots team to give it that Kansas City flavor! 

Cool Link  

Global Climate Change

Vital Signs of the Planet

 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Check out this site for

scientific explanations about

climate change.

Stay Connected

Find and interact with us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, and Flickr. You'll also find links on the right-hand side of the PBI website!

Please help spread awareness
about PBI and our programs by asking others to sign up for our electronic newsletter!

Who's Who at PBI 

Important Changes to Note

In light of Apple's recent elimination of iDisk, PBI has created a new DropBox account!

When you visit The Toolbox, you will find PBI and AAC logos, Media Guidelines, International Polar Bear Day celebration ideas, Be Cool Tour resources, and many other tools. Please access the new link here.

The redesign will also include a powerful new community gathering place--My Planet. My Part.  We invite you to join us there as we work together to create a stewardship ethic. Here's what it's all about:

What is it? My Planet. My Part. is a tool to engage polar bear conservationists all under one roof. It will serve as a community center where individuals and groups can gather to learn, be inspired, commit to reducing their carbon footprints, and illustrate their actions and share ideas.

Why have we created this tool? While PBI implements successful campaigns to create actions that reduce carbon footprints, we have yet to provide a centralized location or tool to illustrate and celebrate champions and to inspire others to take action--until now!

When can you find it? We'll launch the microsite in November 2012, with a soft launch in October.

How Do You Use It? Use the My Planet. My Part. microsite at www.polarbearsinternational.org to share, to learn, to inspire. Look for more about this project and how you and your institution can get involved in the next few months.

All the planning's done--now let's get ready to roll!

At this point, we hope institutions sending participants to camp are finalizing media plans and reporting them to Kathryn Foat. Participants should be working on the advance reading, completing the pre-camp survey, and starting to network and plan what actions they will take upon return from camp.

We'll post participant bios on PBI's website in early September along with the first of the blogs. We hope you'll follow campers' Tweets, Facebook entries, and daily blogs during Teen and Project Polar Bear Camp, September 30-October 6, and Communicator and Keeper Camp, October 7-13.

And don't forget--we'll present a live webcast from each camp! 

Camp participants will give a 20-minute presentation, then take ten minutes of emailed questions. We strongly encourage you to organize a brown bag lunch for staff and volunteers and to invite your membership and any schools connected with your ambassador to join in. Family and friends are welcome too! Please find an electronic invitation to share in the Templates folder of Media Information.

Then please join us for the following:

    Thursday, October 4 1:00 p.m. CDT Teen Leadership Camp

    Thursday, October 11 1:00 p.m. CDT Keeper Leadership Camp**

Questions? Please contact Kathryn at kfoat@pbears.org. 

While we're in the final stages of confirming topics and speakers, we've mapped out the dates and times for our Fall 2012 program schedule of webcasts.

Week One (Geared to primary & secondary grade audiences)

10/22-10/26

Thur. Oct. 24: 1:30 p.m. CDT

Week Two 

10/29-11/4

Wed. Oct. 31: 1:30 p.m. CDT

Thur. Nov. 1: 12:30 p.m. CDT

Week Three

11/5 - 11/9                     

Tues. Nov. 6: 12:30 p.m. CDT

Wed. Nov. 7: 1:30 p.m. CDT

Thur. Nov. 8: 12:30 p.m. CDT

You may have heard that in September, PBI's Chief Scientist Dr. Steven Amstrup will be awarded the Indianapolis Prize--the world's leading award for animal conservation. As part of that celebration he will be doing a special webcast:

Can Polar Bears Be Saved? 

A Conversation with Steven Amstrup

A LIVE, INTERACTIVE Webcast, October 2, 2012

1 p.m. EDT and 7 p.m. EDT

Join Dr. Amstrup in this live conversation from the studios of Ball State University. Originally produced videos for the program help us understand what inspired him as a child to study polar bears, how his ground-breaking radio collaring research helped us understand polar bears' dependence on sea ice, how his research helped protect polar bears under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and why he gave up the research he loved so much.

Viewers can e-mail, text, Tweet, Facebook, or even call in with questions.

Large groups can register in advance by contacting Heather Grisham at hgrisham@indyzoo.com. Smaller groups and individuals can tune in on October 2, 2012, at www.indianapolisprize.org

Outcomes & Outputs, Goals & Objectives

Whatever the expression you choose to use, these are the goals we hope to accomplish when we visit next:

1. Offer training or discussions with the staff and volunteers who interact with your public to provide up-to-date information and strategies to invite conservation behaviors.

3.  Celebrate the green actions you're taking within your institution and community--or help you implement a new plan. Help us understand how PBI can best showcase your work!

In 2012, PBI tried a few new twists and we liked the direction they took! We know working with your whole institution requires time, so let's get planning now.

First, start looking at your schedule and see where a program like this best fits. Then, submit your suggested dates to Kathryn at PBI no later than November 1, 2012. And finally, set up a follow-up call to confirm a plan sometime in December.

After attending PBI's Leadership Camp and serving as Field Ambassadors, some highly motivated Keepers created two programs, Acres for the Atmosphere and Trees for You & Me. Over time, we collaborated with AAZK National to extend the reach of these programs.  

Unfortunately, in May, AAZK terminated the formal MOU with PBI, and we began to redefine the partnership between our two entities that will provide a platform to best support these two flagship conservation projects.

We continue to work with the AAZK Executive Director and Board to find a way to allow AAZK to comply with its required responsibilities and also to continue our partnership. We apologize that these negotiations were publicly shared with incomplete--and confusing-- information. PBI will continue to work with the AAZK in re-negotiating the MOU, keeping you in the loop as appropriate. We are committed to individuals and organizations that create change in their communities and will continue to do all that is possible to support these efforts. 

www.polarbearsinternational.org 

Conservation through research, education, and stewardship 

Join us on your favorite community sites and share
PBI with your friends and family!

We thank you for your continued support. 

Photo Credits:

Dr. Steven C. Amstrup © Daniel J. Cox/NaturalExposures.com

Paw of Approval, Courtesy of the Denver Zoo 

Siku Diving © Dean Massalsky

© 2012 Polar Bears International. All Rights Reserved.

Marks and texts appearing in this resource guide including, but not limited to, Polar Bears International name, logo, and programs are trademarks, registrered trademarks, or service marks of Polar Bears International.