Parting Words From Each Ambassador:

Chris Kraljevic
I have had the week of my life at the Tundra Buggy Lodge! I will never forget this amazing experience. Sixteen people from Canada, the US and Australia met in the furthest reaches of Manitoba to find out how to help others save the world through stewardship of the planet. I’ve met so many great people and learned so much. I’m awed at how many young people from around the world share my passion for taking care of the earth. I love this place! Everyone here is awesome! Look out, world, here comes the ’09 Teen Arctic Ambassadors!

Fallon Murphy
I think the thing that best describes this trip is beauty. The Polar Bear’s reflective fur and the contrasting autumn colors illustratively shows this beauty, and waking up every morning to the colorful sunrise shows also this beauty. The first day started with a cold snowstorm, today will end with the warmth of hugs. I pray that I will be able to come back one day to experience, once again the beauty.

Crystal Almdal
This PBI teen leader ship camp has been incredible. You learn so many new things, get new perspectives on different issues, and see amazing animals (polar bears, arctic fox’s, rabbits, and a paragon falcon). You also meet these fantastic new people who are just so nice and have a lot in common with you. There are also the facilitators who are the most amazing people, especially Robert Buchanan and his wife, Carolyn (though I’m not saying that the rest of them aren’t incredible people). They make you really understand how you can help, and make you feel like wonderful people. This camp was a chance for us to connect with others and get their thoughts on how we can save the polar bear. If you were to ask me my favorite part of this camp I honestly wouldn’t be able to pick just one, but because I don’t have a lot of time, I will have to keep it short. I loved watching the polar bears, and seeing them come so close to us and when they look in your eyes, it’s as if your heart is melting. It’s a very powerful feeling, coming eye to eye with such a beautiful creature. I can’t imagine not coming on this trip, like they say when you get here; you really are leaving as a different person. You learn so much you can’t help it. Good luck all you PBI teen ambassadors, I believe we’ll all be making changes in our communities very soon.

Daniel Straub
Last night seeing the Northern Lights for the first time was definitely the appropriate farewell to the Arctic. It was so spectacular; it seemed as if they were building up all week for this final show. The streaks of green were brilliant; they each seemed to be placed so methodically and it was like they were painted on. This morning was hard for me to get up because I knew that would be one step closer to going home and having to help fix this wayward world. Seeing these bears in their natural habitats, almost as if the tides had turned and I was the critter in the zoo and the environment was our visitors. I knew it was my duty, as a creature on this planet to help protect these regal beasts. Seeing the bears so free made me feel wonderful inside except for the fact that I knew these bears are in danger, humans are destroying these animal’s lives and we won’t even vaguely try to help. I realized then this could be my last wild polar bear, and my grandchildren may never even get the option of seeing wild polar bears. This is a realistic prediction that sadly I see coming true unless we change it and I know we can. 



Michael Teichman
It is almost impossible to imagine that we are finally leaving this amazing experience behind. Today is the last day of the PBI Leadership Camp in Churchill and I am sure that everyone in the Lodge is sad that we are leaving to our own corners of the world. We had an amazing experience, which opened our eyes in ways we never knew existed. And although that sounds very clichéd, it’s the truth. Ask any of the 2009 Ambassadors and they will tell you they had the time of their lives. But this is only just the beginning. When we go back, we are going to do everything in our power to protect these beautiful creatures. You would understand why if you saw these animals for yourself. This is an important issue that should not be ignored. Polar bears are in serious trouble and will continue to be unless we all take action and do something to prevent this. This trip has been inspirational, changing perspectives and views, motivating us to make difference in the world. But for me, I will always remember the good times we had on the Tundra Buggy, the new friends we made along the way and the Great White North, which is home to one of the world’s greatest treasures.


Patricia Billette
All I can really say is that the past week has been unbelievable! It’s been a week full of so many new, incredible experiences….I saw the Northern Lights for the first time, been face to face with a wild polar bear, and watched the tide come in on the Hudson Bay beneath an Arctic sunrise. It’s so difficult to convey the beauty we’ve seen, the change we’ve felt, and the relationships begun in a short blog paragraph! The whole week, from seeing the bears to meeting and getting to know these awesome people from all over the world, has really changed me. We’ve heard from and met many inspirational people, including all the amazing facilitators, and Robert, and Caroline (head bears). All the other Teen Leaders have been great, and it’s been quite eye opening to be able to live and talk with people who’re passionate about the same issues as I am. It’s going to be really hard to say goodbye to the friends I’ve made here, but I’m excited to come home and teach others about what I’ve learned here. It’s hard to describe, even hard for me to understand, but this experience has changed me so much more than I would have thought possible. Now I understand what I should do and why, and I’ll come home ready and determined to do my part in saving this incredible environment we’ve been a part of for the past week.

Taylor Goerke
From the first day I arrived in the freezing cold of Winnipeg, to the last day of this amazing experience in Churchill, I have learned so much. It is hard to imagine that my time here in Churchill is coming to an end. While I have been here, we have seen the first snow of the year and the northern lights. I have been able to meet intelligent teachers and great friends. Talking to the local people of Churchill, I have realized how much they need our help in saving the beautiful Tundra and all the wildlife creatures found here. When I looked into the eyes of my first polar bear, I realized how important these animals are to me and that I need to do everything I can to help save them. Most importantly, I have learned to spread the word about the importance of conservation, global warming, stewardship, and polar bears. It is our responsibility as teen ambassadors to change the world and I will make a difference in my community when I return to Memphis. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with others, and hopefully make a change in their lives and the world. This week has been an amazing opportunity and I thank everyone involved in the PBI family for this.


Hayden Shea
Wow! What an experience. This week has been the most amazing week of my life. This place is so special, and I feel extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to be here. The tundra was so incredible. The beautiful colors and the water of the Hudson Bay have surrounded our everyday lives. The powerful polar bears that allowed us to gaze into their eyes made us become inspired. For me seeing a polar bear up close was the most powerful experience of the trip, and I will never forget it. I also was awed by the amazing energy of all the people that were here (students and facilitators). They are definitely the most passionate group of people I have ever met, and I know we will make a difference. Thank you all for inspiring me to make a difference in the world. Now the week is coming to the end but it is the beginning of a new powerful journey.


Kaley Norris
My trip to Churchill, Canada, was the most amazing experience I have ever had in my entire life. Meeting people from around the world and being with people that believe in the same things and are equally as passionate as me was incredible. I have listened and spoken to some of the most inspiring people and have learned so much. I cannot find the right words to describe how I felt when I saw our first polar bear on the tundra. Looking into the bears eyes gave me hope, inspiration and the motivation to do all I can to help the earth and these beautiful creatures. Coming to this camp and drawing out the passion from within has given me the power to make a difference, I know that as the Arctic Ambassadors of ’09, we will make a difference. I can honestly say that because of this camp, my life has changed.


Stephanie Walker
This has been the most amazing week, and it would be an understatement to say that I have had some of the most memorable experiences of my life. I have been looking forward to this trip for so long, and I have met the most amazing people. But as with all the great things in life, the time flew by way too quickly and now we find ourselves tearing up as we say our goodbyes to the people, the bears and this beautiful place hidden at the top of the world. I guess coming up here has really made me realize how important this is, how magnificent the animals are, how amazing the local people up here are, and it just makes it 1,000 times more real knowing that they really need our help. Like Robert always says, they had the least to do with the problem, but they will be affected the most. They are counting on us! I now have a network of people who I know will support me in all of the projects I endeavor to do back home, and who care about the same issues as I do. I can’t even begin to imagine not coming on this camp, because it has really changed something within me and I have a totally new outlook on life and what I can do if I really try. Now it’s time to head back down under, but I will never forget the beauty I saw on my adventure to the arctic and I hope to go back to my own community and create change. 5 years, it’s all we’ve got!

Hayley Gilbert
It is unbelievable that this experience is now wrapping up. I have met so many amazing and inspirational people, seen a polar bear from about 10 feet away, and learned so much from everyone. From understanding how to present our information to move others to change, to learning what causes the northern lights; everything I have learned, I know will be beneficial when I go back home. The most inspirational thing was being able to capture the personality of the polar bear in my pictures. On one of our polar bear search adventures on the buggy, the bear we named “Bear-nard”, walked right up to the side of the buggy. I was out on the back deck and it walked straight towards me, looking right into my camera lens, and it sent a feeling right through me, that made me realize I have to do something now to help save the polar bears. This trip has really changed me as a person, by giving me the confidence and knowledge I need to go out a make a difference in the world.


MiMi
J’écris cet adieu en français, car je le veux éloquent et sans équivoque.
Une étrange tristesse me saisit au moment du départ. Une semaine passée ici correspond sans doute à plusieurs dizaines d’années d’expérience. Les inconnus débarqués il y a 5 jours dans cette ville inconnue qu’est Churchill, dans cet environnement inconnu qu’est la toundra arctique, forment maintenant une famille des plus hétéroclite et singulière, mais une famille à part entière. Nous avons vécu ensemble le froid, le vent et la toux, pour plusieurs, mais aussi les levers de soleil les plus magnifiques qui soient, les fugitives aurores boréales et la présence inspirante de ces symboles de la force et de la fragilité de la nature que sont les ours polaires. Cette famille n’aura plus en commun que de magnifiques souvenirs et un rêve, le rêve de faire une différence pour cet environnement féérique qui l’a vu naître. Je rentre chez moi à Montréal, le cœur à la fois brisé et plein d’espoir. Je jure de ne jamais oublier mes sœur et frères amoureux de l’arctique et de contribuer à notre rêve collectif au meilleur de mes capacités. Adiós my friends! Mimi…

Dylan
Your northern friendly polar bear

I think the best part of this week has been the moment when we saw the bear for the first time because everyone on the Buggy went crazy and they all looked so happy and were so filled with joy because, for a lot of them it was their first time seeing one. This is what I would be constantly forgeting that they do not see the wild life almost every day so for me this was the best part of the trip. Also something that was really cool about everyone was how nice they all were, and how much they all love the place I live in. All I can say is that this trip was one of the most memorable experiences of my life because I have been on many trips to this area but none have been as fun or more sad to leave. Now all that is left to do is pack up and power down the camp for us and start to head home and hope that everyone does not forget what they learned here in Churchill.

Thursday, October 1, 2009


Even though we are thousands of miles from home, today we were still able to connect with students back in our hometowns and share information and our experiences. Today, the Ambassadors talked with the grade 8 class of Charleswood Junior High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba as well as various students who joined them from Shaftsbury High School also in Manitoba. The second videoconference of the day was held with, the 11th and 12th grade Environmental Science class of St.George’s Independent School in Memphis Tennessee. Some of the topics mentioned included: reducing our carbon footprint, the impact of global warming to the Arctic region, the changing global perspectives of the students, facts about polar bears and much more! We emphasized the importance of stewardship of our planet in the modern world. Stewardship is defined as the caring and advocating for the world we live in. Previously, we spent hours preparing and rehearsing for these conferences to maximize our message. After much discussion, we came up with a format in which we felt was the best way to present our information to others. After those videoconferences, we felt confidence in ourselves regarding our way of communicating our message to others.

After the delicious lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup, we headed back onto the tundra in our buggy to spot more polar bears and presentations. We drove thirty-minutes away from the Lodge and spotted a new polar bear, which we named Bearack. Bearack gladly posed for multiple pictures (see below!). After getting distracted by the bear, the final groups (Orange and Black) resumed their presentations. Much laughter entailed! More people were able to drive the Tundra Buggy and it is one bumpy ride!

It I hard to believe that we are leaving this place tomorrow. But we know that we are going out into our communities to spread the word of stewardship of the planet. As the saying goes, “Time flies when you are having fun!”

From the Blue Team,

Chris, Patricia, Taylor and Michael

"Bearack" the bear

Wednesday September 30, 2009
Today the energy of the group changed because of a profoundly moving presentation last night. We have realized that we are not just here to make friends and see polar bears, but now we have a responsibility as teen leaders to literally change the world. The presentation came to a climax when we watched a taped speech given to the United Nations by a twelve-year-old girl. It gave us a lot to think about in terms of how we can spread the same message in new ways that balance hope and pessimism, emotion and logic. With those thoughts, we went to bed.
This morning we rose to see the gorgeous sun rising over the Hudson Bay, giving us hope and renewing confidence in our cause. With these lofty purposes, we got down to the concrete business of preparing a video that would relay our message to people all over the world. We are working a lot, and one glance out of the countless windows at the gorgeous tundra is enough to keep us inspired and focused on our mission to save our beautiful surroundings and the creatures that roam it.
We saw some more bears, too! A couple got close enough that we could watch them from the Lodge. The young male we saw yesterday, that we aptly named Bernard, made another appearance today. The excitement was still there, though many of us lost feeling from the neck up due to the icy bite of the wind. All of us have really come out of our shells and shown our goofy sides. Some of us even had the courage, though perhaps not the skill, to drive the Tundra Buggy! The only thing that would make this day better would be a chance to see the Northern Lights. With all this fun, we can’t help but savor the moment.
Dylan, Georgia, Mireille and Fallon

Stephanie at the Wheel of a Tundra Buggy!

Hey There!!!!!!

We set our feet on solid ground for the first time in two days. Stepping through the moss and kelp we found a connection to this place that we hadn’t had so far. Having the opportunity to walk on the same ground, as the polar bear was a rare and mind blowing experience.

After spending a few hours out on the tundra buggy in search of arctic wildlife (higher hopes of seeing a polar bear) we ended back at the lodge with no luck of seeing our elusive friend. It wasn’t long till we got word that one was spotted not to far away.

We hopped in the buggy filled with hope and excitement that we would finally see a polar bear up close. We found it snoozing on the rocks in the brush; rushing to the window camera’s in hand we eagerly took our pictures trying not to scare the bear away. Before long the bear got up and began to move closer to the buggy. With each step it took our emotions rose higher and higher. With the bear only a couple feet away, our jaws literally fell to the floor with a loud thud.

Robert Buchanan (head Bear) had us close our eyes and face the bear. We began to listen, taste, touch and smell our surroundings. When we listened we heard what seemed like nothingness. With our tongues to the wind we could taste the salt coming off of Hudson’s Bay. When we stuck our hands out the window you could feel the cold air lightly brushing across your skin. Our sense of smell brought us to the oceans front. He said, “Imagine that you are the last one to see this bear.” Time stopped, the thought that these beautiful and iconic creatures would not be here one day was extremely overwhelming. Many of us were moved deeply and some even to tears. We realized at that moment, we did not want our generation to be the last to see this amazing creature. Now is the time for us to make a difference and if we all come together, we can!

As our day comes to an end we are looking forward to what tomorrow will bring.

Great Big Bear Hugs
Arctic ambassadors over and out
Kaley, Crystal, Hayden and Rachael

Monday September 28, 2009

We all came to Canada for the same reason, we share the same passion and we believe in one important mission. We are here to gain knowledge, experience and be a part of a very powerful team dedicated to saving our species, our arctic and our planet. We are the Teen Arctic Ambassadors. For some people, the most amazing moment so far was discovering the small, secluded paradise of Churchill on the shores of the Hudson Bay and realizing the way that the local people thrive off the land and their beautiful surroundings. For others, it was being able to try something new, like shooting a gun, touching the arctic ocean, seeing our first ever wild polar bear or for the North Americans eating vegemite all the way from Australia, and for the Aussies... seeing snow fall! Many of us were in awe of the rich colors found on the tundra while we were really expecting the classic white backdrop for this majestic animal. It’s hard to imagine this amazing place without the big white polar bear roaming freely, which could sadly be the case if change is not achieved in five years. It’s safe to say we are looking forward to experiencing many more of these exciting and memorable moments in the coming week, a week we will never forget!


Arctic Ambassadors Stephanie, Daniel, Courtney, Hayley over and out!