PBiNews Banner 2011

January 2013
A New Year for Polar Bears
State of the Polar Bear
Guest Post: Snug in their Dens
Arctic Species of the Month

VALENTINE'S DAY

New 250 Adopt

It's that time of year: February is just around the corner! A symbolic polar bear adoption is a sweet and thoughtful way to show you care.

GIFT CENTER

Mug A cup of tea, a snuggly throw, and a signed copy of a polar bear book--what a cozy way to spend a snow day. And best of all, we're having a winter clearance sale on many of our titles, along with other vintage items!

FEATURED SPONSOR

Natural Exposures

Daniel J. Cox

Month after month, year after year, Daniel J. Cox of Natural Exposures generously donates

his remarkable photographs for use by PBI.

 

He also heads up the Arctic Documentary Project, documenting the changes in the Arctic to help people understand that climate change is real and happening now. You can help support this work on the ADP donation page.

 

Thanks, Dan, for your unending dedication to polar bear conservation and sharing the beauty of the Arctic with our Champions!

SCIENTIST PROFILE

John Whiteman

University of Wyoming

John Whiteman

 Every summer, Ph.D. candidate John Whiteman
of the University of Wyoming heads to

northern Alaska to study how polar bears

adjust their physiology in response to longer,
warmer summers with less sea ice.

 

He hopes his findings will also shed light on the long-held speculation that polar bears enter a state called walking hibernation during the melt season. Whiteman also joined us last fall in Churchill for our Tundra Connections broadcasts, helping to reach out to a worldwide audience about polar bears and climate change.

 

You can learn more about his project on the University of Wyoming's website.

VIDEO OF THE MONTH
http://myplanetmypart-gallery.com/entry/1163181

We love how this Project Polar Bear team,

the Polar Protectors, braved the snow and cold

in Pennsylvania to create their climate change and take action video, Live from the North Pole!

PB Snow Gauge

 

PIN OF THE MONTH!

  

Looking for a fun winter craft?

Visit our Pinterest page

to learn how to make

Give A Gift Icon

Adopt Icon
Honor Icon
   BBB VerticalBest of america 

A New Year for Polar Bears

 

As we flip the calendar to a new year, we feel a surge of optimism that momentum is growing for action on climate change--and we celebrate the 

Bear Pledge
roles each of you play in helping polar bears and the planet.

Now is the time to turn down the heat and save the polar bear's sea ice home. That's why we continue to focus our programs on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions--and why we invite you to
join us by making a New Year's pledge to further reduce your carbon footprint in our My Planet, My Part gallery

 

Will this be the year you switch to reusable bags? Go meatless X days a week? Work with your city to add bike lanes?

 

And after you pledge, how will you sustain that behavior? To help turn your intentions into habits, we've gathered some key tips from behavioral scientists|more
State of the Polar Bear:
An Interactive Map

 

Move over Angry Birds. On the scale of cool, we much prefer the new interactive map on polar bear populations by the Polar Bear Specialist Group. It features all 19 populations along with information on whether they're declining, increasing, stable, or data deficient.

Interactive Map
You can view how many polar bears live in each of the five polar bear nations and learn about the
four sea ice eco-regions and where they're found. The map also includes information on the threats to polar bears and projections on how each population is expected to fare in a warming Arctic. 
 

Be sure to click through the various tabs and on the map itself to view the interactive features.

Guest Post: Snug in their Dens 

By Dr. Andrew Derocher

Cub and Mom

 

It's amazing to ponder that deep under the snow all over the Arctic, the miracle that brings us a new generation of polar bears is upon us.

 

Hundreds of pregnant females have settled down for a long winter's nap, snug in their dens with their cubs. It's amazing to me that an animal so large gives birth to cubs not much larger than the blocks of butter we use to make shortbread.    |more 

Arctic Species of the Month

Built for a life in the frigid cold, arctic cod ply the waters of the far north, often swimming under the sea ice.  

Arctic Food Chain

Arctic cod feed on small copepods and other types of zooplankton. Ringed seals, in turn, prey on them, making them a key part of the polar bear's food chain. Small and slender, they usually measure less than 30 centimeters long and are a nondescript brown with small black spots and a silver belly.

 

Fun fact: Scientists have discovered that arctic cod have a special protein that keeps their blood from freezing in the ice-cold waters of the Arctic. 


 

Donate Icon

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.

Facebook Icon  YouTube Icon  Flickr Icon  Google Plus Icon  Twitter Icon  Pinterest Link 2   Tumbler Logo
 

   www.polarbearsinternational.org

 

 Conservation through research,

education, and action 

 

PHOTO CREDITS

 Pledge Bear, Cub and Mom, Daniel J. Cox,

Daniel J. Cox/NaturalExposures.com;

John Whiteman, Cristina Galvan;

Arctic Food Web, Modified Graphic from George Durner, USGS

� 2013 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.

divider bar
Polar Bears

Partnerships
About Us
Research  

Gift Shop
Programs
Arctic Ambassador Centers