It’s Polar Bear Week!

This Week in Churchill

It’s Polar Bear Week, our annual awareness event timed to coincide with the fall gathering of polar bears on the shores of Hudson Bay near Churchill, Canada. Chilled winds and dustings of snow have firmed the tundra under foot, but there is still no sign of sea ice on the bay. Polar bears are moving into the area in anticipation of the return of their sea ice hunting grounds—eager to catch a substantial meal after over four months of fasting on land. Last week our staff also spotted a scampering Arctic fox and a surprise blue heron surveying the coast, well outside of its normal range.

During Polar Bear Week, we’ve planned a range of educational programs and other outreach. In addition, we’ve launched an effort to raise funds to develop “Detect and Protect” technology to alert communities of approaching bears—an important safety measure as more polar bears are forced ashore by melting sea ice, and for longer periods, where they risk encounters with people.

As part of our Polar Bear Week celebration, our live Polar Bear Cams will continue from the tundra, letting you join the migration from afar. So far there have been many sleeping and stretching bears and a few seaweed snackers trying to pass the time. Our Northern Lights Cam has been active, too, with shimmering displays of dancing lights. In addition:

• We’ve scheduled two live Tundra Connections webcasts: Polar Bear Research: Impacts and Insightson Tuesday, November 1st at 1 pm Central and Decision-Making Mamas on Thursday, November 3rd at 12 pm Central. To join, sign up for a reminder through the links above and watch here at the appropriate time.

• Also tune in for two live chats, Storytelling in Culture and Conservation, on Monday, October 31 at 12 p.m. Central, and The Future for Polar Bears, about climate solutions, on Wednesday, November 2nd at 1 p.m. Sign up for calendar reminders through the links above and watch them here.

• And, finally, we’ve created a free eCard to share during Polar Bear Week. Check it out here and spread some polar bear cheer!

P.S. This year’s Polar Bear Week will be followed by midterm elections in the U.S. on November 8th, an important chance for you to cast your ballot for candidates who support climate action. Also, the COP27 climate summit will take place November 6th-18th in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Watch our social media channels for dispatches from our team.

P.P.S. If you missed our broadcasts last week, you can watch the archives here.

Field Highlight

Knowing that a polar bear is approaching a community before the bear reaches the first street or house is an important first step in preventing surprise encounters, which can end in tragedy for both polar bears and people. This fall in Churchill, where polar bears reliably gather each fall, we are refining the use of three types of radar, ranging from simple to complex, to serve as early warning systems of approaching bears—building on earlier promising tests. These systems are able to penetrate darkness, as well as heavy fog and snow, sending a signal that will allow communities to respond with non-lethal steps, from noise-makers to flares. The goal is to help polar bears and people live safely with each other in a changing Arctic.