PBI’s mission statement—Conservation through research and education—says it all. Our approach to saving polar bears continues to be two-pronged: first, to learn all we can about polar bears by funding projects prioritized by our Scientific Advisory Council, and second, to educate the rest of the world—because each individual has an important role to play in saving the bears and the planet.

As a PBI member, you already know that 100 percent of your donation goes directly to initiatives, not to administrative overhead. We value every donation and take our responsibility to provide a return on your investment very seriously. Here is what we’ve accomplished so far in 2008.

Nearly completed the first step of our Polar Population Project (Tri-P)—the calibration of the aerial-surveying methodology
Once we have an accurate census of the world’s 19 polar bear populations (made possible in remote areas through aerial surveys), scientists hope to pinpoint the areas where the species has a higher chance of survival so we can move to protect those areas.

Launched Arctic Ambassador Centers at 15 zoos, with 30 more to be established by the end of May
At the beginning of 2008, we made an alliance with the Zoological Society of San Diego, and with their help are providing partner zoos with the materials they need to educate up to 150 million visitors about the importance of polar bears and the North, the challenges that the bears face, and how individuals can make a difference.

Completed data collection for the polar bear hearing study
PBI-funded researchers have been testing the hearing range of captive polar bears in collaborative effort involving the San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. This knowledge will help scientists protect wild denning bears from human disturbances.

Added Project Polar Bear to our Adventure Learning programs
Project Polar Bear invites teams of students to develop community projects that will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Finalists will be brought to San Diego and showcased to media, corporations, and other interested parties. The winning team will be sent to Churchill, compliments of The Tundra Buggy Adventure, to see polar bears in the wild.

Created Interpretive Kits and distributed them to zoos with polar bears
Each kit includes materials to engage the public and educate them about polar bears. Kits include polar bear skull and claw replicas, a sample of polar bear fur, a satellite collar, ear tags, images, maps, and mini-posters.

Created 40-by-60-inch story panels to help tell the story of the scientific research that is being done
These panels utilize Daniel J. Cox’s images on field research and will be displayed in the polar bear exhibit areas in our partnering zoos. Our goal is not only to educate, but also to help raise funds for this important research.

Continued to fund long-term research studies
Only through long-term studies can scientists obtain the data needed to document change. We are continuing to fund studies of bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Western Hudson Bay, Chukchi Sea, and Wrangel Island. Because of this research, we now know that the two best-studied populations (Southern Beaufort Sea and Hudson Bay) are showing the effects of climate change: the Hudson Bay bear population has decreased by 22 percent since 1987.

Our plans for the remainder of 2008, and especially this year’s polar bear season in Churchill, are more expansive and wide-ranging than ever. Stay tuned!