Polar Bear Week

Polar Bear Week is the first week of November! In 2026, the dates are Nov. 1-7. Join us by donating, watching our live cams, tuning into our webcasts, and more.

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Join Our Awareness Event

Polar Bears International created Polar Bear Week to coincide with the annual gathering of polar bears near Churchill, Canada, as they wait for sea ice to form on Hudson Bay so they can return to hunting seals. During this week, we draw attention to the threats polar bears face in a warming Arctic.

Polar bear face with nose close up, snow on snout
Photo: Emily Ringer / Polar Bears International

Let’s Make An Impact

This year, we’re raising funds to underwrite our coexistence projects as well as our other conservation efforts across the Arctic. Helping polar bears and people live safely with each other is critically important as more polar bears are spending more time onshore as the sea ice melts.

Protecting Polar Bears and People

Across the Arctic, melting sea ice from climate warming is driving more polar bears ashore in more places — and for longer periods. This is leading to an uptick in encounters with people, encounters that too often end in tragedy.

To keep people and polar bears safe, communities need reliable techniques to minimize attracting bears and to deter or frighten them away from areas of human activity. Your generosity will help fund a range of coexistence projects. These include:

  • Conducting researchThis workranges from researching the best tools to deter polar bears to funding waste management studies and testing ground-based radar to detect approaching bears.

  • Producing safety materials – From easy-to-follow posters to colouring books tailored to the unique situations in different communities, these outreach tools share best practices on staying safe and avoiding conflict.

  • Becoming "Bear Smart" – By supporting the efforts of the town of Churchill to become the world’s first “Bear Smart Community,” we're helping to develop a template that could serve as a model for other northern communities.

  • Community support – We're working with Cree communities in northern Ontario on bear-safe measures that meet their unique needs and have started collaborating with the Ny-Ȧlesund community on Svalbard on safety materials, deterrence tools, and training.

Get Involved This Polar Bear Week

Alysa in a Classroom with School Kids - Handcraft
Photo: Handcraft Creative

Tune In To Live Events

While we wait for Polar Bear Week 2026, check out our educational broadcasts and special performances from 2025!

Check out events
Photo: Simon Gee
Mother polar bear with 2 coys. One cub is sniffing her, the other is looking at the ground.

Check Out Our Toolkit

Interested in using your voice and platform to raise awareness? Our toolkit provides extra action tools, resources, and ways to get involved!

Polar Bear Week Toolkit

Learn More About Polar Bear-Human Coexistence

Polar bear sniffs the air outside of the Churchill landfill during fall
Human-Polar Bear Coexistence

Garbage and Polar Bears: A Better Solution?

Turning a polar bear attractant into a resource — Arctic communities in Greenland are part of a national network that converts waste into heat and electricity.

Read more

Article | 4 min | Sep 2, 2026

Bear-dar screenshot, Eureka
Human-Polar Bear Coexistence

Bear-dar Prevents a Surprise Encounter with Polar Bears

An innovative AI radar system has successfully prevented an encounter between people and polar bears for the first time.

Read more

Article | 2 min | Jun 11, 2026

Coexistence exchange group, Svalbard
Human-Polar Bear Coexistence

The Power of Collaboration

The surprising partnerships at the heart of polar bear conservation.

Read more

Article | 6 min | Mar 30, 2026

Explore Other Events

International Polar Bear Day

Take part in this special day by donating, tuning into our live events, starting a fundraiser, and more.

Arctic Sea Ice Day

Arctic Sea Ice Day is July 15th! Join us in focusing on sea ice loss in the Arctic, why it matters, and how we can help.