Well today is our last day in Churchill and I am very sad. I don’t want to leave because I’ve had such a good time. I’ve met and become friends with so many interesting people. I have learnt a lot about polar bears and global warming here. I have found out what more I can do when I get home to educate my school and community. I am ready to go back and do as much as I can in any way to help the situation. I am planning to do an action plan with my school and elementary schools around in my community (meaning that I will go and make a presentation and get them involved in ways they can help out too; then later on, I will go back and see if they have followed along with the plan). Because of this experience, I am inspired to do as much as I can to help the global warming situation.

Yesterday I didn’t write a blog because it was my group’s day to help cook all of the meals. In the morning, the polar bears (same mother and cubs) were exploring right around the Tundra Buggy Lodge. We watched them for a while, but then it was time to get ready to go on a HELICOPTER RIDE!!! We drove out a bit on the Tundra Buggy and then we went out on the deck of the vehicle. All of a sudden four out of the five helicopters came flying in and landed by us. Everyone got into groups and got into the helicopters. My group got assigned the fifth helicopter that took a few minutes to get there. So when it came we got in and I was sitting in the middle back seat. When we were flying I couldn’t really see, but it was still fun.
Then we landed on a part of ground that had very squishy lichen. My foot actually sank in all the way to the waist at one point. It was the weirdest ground I had ever seen. We got to go into a maternity den, which is where polar bears go to have their cubs. The den had caved in a bit so we couldn’t really crawl into it, but we got to sit in it and take pictures.
Then it was time to fly back. I got to sit in the front seat of the helicopter. It was amazing from the moment that we took off. You could see everything, especially when the pilot made tight turns and we were practically sideways. It is hard to explain how incredible it felt, it was as though I was flying on my own because a part of the floor was see through.
We also saw a moose from the helicopter, so, we circled around a bit to see it better. I absolutely loved the helicopter ride, and really appreciate that they took the time to take us because I know that it must have cost a lot.
Later on in the afternoon, my group presented our chapters from the textbook. We did a news report to incorporate the information. It worked out well, and everyone had a good laugh.
For dinner we had to plan a theme and since yesterday was Sarah’s birthday, we had a surprise birthday pyjama party. Everyone started singing “Happy Birthday” in different languages to her, which I thought was cool.
After dinner, Lisa-Joy (an adult facilitator) showed us a video about how making products for consumers makes so much pollution and waste. I really liked the video because it was true and really put it all in perspective. I am hoping to incorporate that information from the video into my presentations to schools and my community.
Then we came up with our own action plans of what we can do when we get home. I got a lot of ideas of what I can do from listening to everybody’s ideas.
Well, today we fly back to Winnipeg where everybody gets to stay at the hotel, but Ruth (the other ‘Winnipegger’) and I have to go home because we live there.
I am going to miss everybody, and I hope that everyone stays in contact.
I would just like to thank Polar Bears International for this amazing experience.
I LOVE YOU POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR ME, I LOVE YOU!!!

This is Breanna and Ruth, both of the Winnipeggers, co-blogging today!

When we come back as Arctic Ambassadors we’re not going to force everyone to SAVE THE POLAR BEARS IN THE ARCTIC. We’re not going to tell everyone what they’re doing wrong or how much harm humans are doing forcing us all down some kind of downward spiral. What we can share is the awe of the tundra. This evening after supper, Stacey from Queensland, Australia who is one of the adult facilitators, gave a presentation explaining the basic science behind greenhouse gases, Aurora Borealis, and Global Dimming. We were abruptly interrupted by three unexpected guests: the mama bear and her two COYs that we’ve seen every single day since we’ve been here actually came right up to the Buggy Lodge!

On the Tundra Buggy Lodge, we try to follow the set schedule as closely as possible; when a bear comes, everything stops.

We were standing on the deck of Buggy 1 within 6 feet of two COYs. One of the cubs came over and literally stood up right beneath us, and had its chin on the wall of the Buggy staring up at us in the eyes. It was incredible!

At 11:16pm, we need to go to sleep. Tomorrow we have to get up at 6:30am cook breakfast, ride a helicopter, visit a bear den, host two videoconferences, practice and present our chapters from Impacts of a Warming Climate, and plan the most fabulous last supper PBI 2008 has ever seen! (And plan Sarah’s surprise 17th birthday celebration…)

Well last night the Northern Lights came out and they were amazing! They were intense green and went across the whole sky. It was my first time seeing them and it was truly incredible. I was standing outside without shoes on, but I didn’t want to go inside to get them in case I missed the amazing sight.
This morning we got up and headed over to have some breakfast. The first group presented their information from the textbook after breakfast. They did a Jeopardy type game, which I thought was a very creative way to inform us on their topics (plus our team won!).
After that we headed out on the Tundra Buggy to look for more bears. We were driving around for a long time and I was getting a little tired. Our group started working on our presentations for our assigned chapters from the textbook when James (a fellow ambassador) said that there were three polar bears right out the window. Nobody would have even noticed them if it wasn’t for him (thank you James!).
It was most likely the bears that we saw yesterday, a mother and two cubs. They were walking along the shore, blending in with all of the rocks. The bears actually walked through the water from one shore to the other, which Robert said that we were lucky to see. ‘The polar bears don’t usually walk through the water, they’ll go around’. So, we watched them for a while and then drove back to the lodge for lunch.
Then after lunch, a guy named Parker and two first nation locals named Betty and Jim came to talk to us about animal trapping. They trap wild animals and sell the furs to people that want them to make things. They brought a bunch of furs with them to show us. There were furs from foxes, wolverines, and even a whole wolf (which was huge). We got to hold the furs and see how soft they actually are.
They said that they had been trapping for pretty much their whole lives. They told us that trapping wasn’t as much as a job for them, it was a way of life. I thought that there was a very powerful message in their presentation.
Later on, Kevin(one of the first four Tundra Buggy drivers) came to talk to us. He told us stories of when he first started driving the Tundra Buggys, and how they were just a flat floor with the giant tires and a steering wheel, no walls. Later on the Tundra Buggys model changed and now the actually have walls and a roof!
After that, we watched the second group of presentations from the textbook. They did a debate style to tell us about their information. It was very informative to see the different sides of the topics that are affecting the world and it’s economy.
Right now there is an incredible sunset that goes from blue to pink right at the horizon. The view here is amazing. I would highly recommend anyone to come here!

Well my goal has been fulfilled! This morning we saw three polar bears, a mother and her two cubs! We were touring around on the Tundra Buggy for a while when somebody spotted three white specks that were very far away. They just looked like a few white rocks. We looked through binoculars and saw that they weren’t rocks, but polar bears!
We followed them around and got close enough to actually see them. The cubs were C.O.Y.s (cubs of the year), which means that they were born this year, probably in January. We spent about two hours following them around, driving very slow so that we didn’t scare them away. We spent a long time just watching them and taking pictures. It was an incredible experience seeing the bears in their natural habitat, instead of seeing them kept in an exhibit at the zoo. It was so fascinating to just watch the bears walk around very peacefully, even though we were so close to them. I guess that some of the polar bears around here get used to the Tundra Buggy’s driving around all the time.
After our little expedition, we drove back to the Tundra Buggy Lodge and had lunch. Then we got into our little groups that we got assigned into on our first night (we had to pick a coloured paper clip out of an envelope and that was our group). Each group was assigned two chapters from the “Impacts of a Warming Climate” textbook that we were given over the summer to study. Then we had to come up with how we were going to present the information from the chapters. We can present it in any way we want. Our group is going to do an interview style presentation to share our information.
Later on we received a lesson on “Presentation Skills” by Lisa, who is an adult facilitator. It was very interesting to learn some correct techniques on public speaking. She is a very good public speaker and she taught us some of her tricks. I am going to use what she taught us today to speak about what we are learning here at PBI camp to my school and community.
Life on the Tundra Buggy Lodge is pretty cold and small. There is a kitchen and dining area train car connected to the “common area” train car that we have meetings in and that we are currently writing our blogs in. Connected to that is the girls train car where there is bunk beds, and connected to that is the guys area. To go from each train car you have to go outside. It is a nice, cold little blast going in and out without jackets on.
Last night there was a faint trace of the Northern Lights, but I could hardly see them from the small window right next to my bunk. So tonight I am hoping that they are brighter.
Well that is pretty much all from me for tonight. I’m pretty tired after that jam-packed day!
P.S. Just one more thing… Hi to everybody at home! I’m having an amazing time. I can’t wait to share all of the pictures I’ve taken!

Today was our first real day of the trip. I got up at four in the morning having only about four hours of sleep. The night before we met with all of our fellow ambassadors at the hotel. We had dinner and watched a slide show of pictures taken in Churchill. Then we all went up to our rooms and got ready for bed.
We all met in the lobby of the hotel and then walked over to the airport. After boarding the extremely small plane, we were finally on our way!
We were on the plane for about two and a half hours. As we flew over Churchill, we got to see how it looked for the first time. There were very little trees and the ground was all brown. There were small lakes and ponds everywhere.
After we got our bags (at the smallest airport that I’ve ever been to) we took a bus to Parks Canada Interpretive Center. We got to walk around the exhibits for a while, learning about life in Churchill.
After that we walked over to Gypsy’s restaurant where we had an amazing lunch. The food was great and so was the service.
After lunch we walked to the post office that is also in the same building as a liquor store and a bank. At the post office we got out passports stamped with a special Churchill stamp.
Then we got a tour of the local school led by one of our fellow ambassadors, Donald, that we met here in Churchill today. Their school is completely different than the schools that I’m used to, partially because it’s right next to the Hudson Bay! Other than the fact that it is next to a large body of water, it is different because there is a slide in the middle of the school and they have music playing in the hallways. There is also a library in the same building.
Then we all got on the bus and traveled to the “Polar Bear Jail” where we got to see the traps that they catch the polar bears that are disturbing people. They treat the bears as if they were in the nature, only that they are kept in a building with cells so that the don’t keep venturing into town. A Manitoba Conservation Officer explained to us that they don’t feed the bears when they are in there because the bears don’t really eat during those months in the nature. When the ice on the lake freezes over, they take the bears to the ice so that they don’t keep coming back.
Later on we drove to the Tundra Buggy launch station where we got on a tundra vehicle that is a very tall, rectangular vehicle on very big wheels. We took the Tundra Buggy to go to the Tundra Buggy Lodge where we are staying for the next few days. The Tundra Buggy goes very slow and took us about one and a half hours to get to the lodge.
So far we haven’t seen any polar bears which is a little disappointing, but hopefully we will get to see one tomorrow. They said that we might get to see the Northern Lights tonight since the sky was pretty clear today.
My goal for tomorrow is to see our first polar bear!