This 2006 initiative will consist of locating noninvasive cameras at a key migratory intersection of the Western Hudson Bay polar bear population. This will give scientists a better understanding of how polar bears behave when humans are not present. Six teams of high school students from around the world will assist Dr. Jane Waterman and Dr. Jim Roth with observation and data-collection work during a nine-week window in the fall. These 300-plus students will actively participate in polar bear research.

The set-up will allow them to operate cameras from computers at remote work stations. Two sophisticated software systems will be employed: one that can give estimates of height and weight and one that will help the team identify individual bears via whisker patterns. The closed-circuit high definition images will be relayed back to Wapusk National Park Headquarters in Churchill, where over 4,000 visitors will have the opportunity to experience this wildlife phenomenon while gaining a better understanding of the researchers’ work. The same closed circuit broadcast will have a viewing audience of 20,000 people at educational institutions, and the highlights of the program will be broadcast via our Web site where an additional 50,000 viewers are expected.