Heading to Churchill with Climate Alliance

I've had the privilege of visiting and living in the circumpolar Arctic throughout my career, but I've never ventured particularly far north in my home country of Canada. Since joining Polar Bears International (PBI) as senior director of communications last month, I finally made it to Canada’s Subarctic: Churchill, Manitoba. I traveled here with a cohort of conservation communications professionals in PBI’s long-standing Climate Alliance program, which is tailored to representatives from the zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks in our Arctic Ambassador Center network.

The immense reach of zoos

Zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks have unparalleled opportunities to drive climate knowledge and action. These institutions reach more people each year than all sporting events combined!  Climate Alliance mobilizes this massive network of trusted climate and conservation messengers.

I’ve long admired PBI for its strong scientific foundation. This approach extends to communications, using well-researched and tested methods to share the story of polar bears and climate change with a wide audience. Climate Alliance helps zoo ambassadors share accurate, effective, and inspiring climate stories across political spectrums and national boundaries.

Why Churchill? 

There’s something humbling about the thought and care it takes to live safely among polar bears. People in Churchill walk wide turns around blind corners. A siren sounds every night at 10, reminding residents of the dangers of wandering around in the dark. A tempting rocky landscape bordering the town’s beach is off limits—it’s too easy for a bear to hide among the stones.

In October and November each year, Churchill is on the path of an unusual migration. Polar bears that have spent the summer fasting on land return to the shore here to await the sea ice. Once it forms, they’ll immediately head out to hunt the blubbery seals they depend upon.

While zoo staff see polar bears up close in their workplaces every day, Churchill offers a unique opportunity to witness the interaction between polar bears and a human community. Visiting Churchill also gives Climate Alliance participants the chance to experience the tundra first-hand and see the challenges polar bears face in a warming climate—stories they can share back home to help move the dial on climate change.

On average, the bears in this area have to fast about a month longer than their grandparents did. This year, however, the ice broke up much later than in recent years, meaning the bears had more time out on the ice hunting seals, and a relatively shorter fasting period. Perhaps as a result, the bears we saw were chubby and in good condition. However, the longer-term trend for these bears is less promising. In just the past five years, the Western Hudson Bay population has declined by 27%. More sobering still, a recent study projects that we will lose this population entirely if nations fail to meet the goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement. 

This year, the Climate Alliance program celebrates 15 years. Over 200 participants have completed the training so far. Each returned from Churchill with plans for action in their communities, stories to share, and greater insight into the animals they care for.

As for me, I’m so grateful that I was able to spend some of my first days at PBI with such an inspirational, thoughtful, and motivated group. For most of them, it was a week of firsts—their first northern lights, first wild bear sighting, or even their first trip to Canada. I loved sharing in their enthusiasm and seeing the Arctic through new eyes. And I’ve returned home with an even greater respect for PBI’s work, and the feeling that, with the help of such passionate partners, we can make a real difference for polar bears and the fragile ecosystem where they roam.

We are immensely grateful to our valued partners, Diamond Sponsor Canada Goose and Platinum Sponsor Frontiers North Adventures (FNA). Every year, FNA donates a considerable amount of resources and infrastructure to the Climate Alliance cohort, including time spent on their Tundra Buggies and the Tundra Buggy® Lodge—an experience central to community-building. We’re also grateful to Canada Goose for providing participants with warm parkas during their week in Churchill and to Courtyard by Marriott Winnipeg Airport Hotel and Calm Air for discounted lodging and flights. And, finally, we wish to thank our education partners: the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) and Parks Canada.