Polar Bear Week
It’s Polar Bears Week! (#PolarBearWeek #SaveOurSeaIce)
The week ran from the 27th October through to the 2nd November 2024, and it’s a great chance to celebrate these beautiful bears and for us all to raise awareness of the challenges facing them in the Arctic.
So what happened during Polar Bear Week?
- 535 people stepped up in support of Polar Bears International's coexistence work and other conservation efforts across the Arctic, raising $109,022 for polar bears!
- 38 peoplesigned up as monthly Polar Bear Patrons
- Thousands of people joined the Tundra Connections webcasts with polar bear experts, live from Churchill, Manitoba! And the Polar Bear Cams and Tundra Connections webcasts and live chats will continue through mid-November!
So why is the week held at the end of October/start November?
It’s to do the polar bear schedule! Every autumn, polar bears gather on the shores of Hudson Bay, which is near Churchill in Manitoba, Canada. The bears are waiting for the sea ice, so that they can feed themselves on prey there. In summer, the area is ice free – and this period is lasting three to four weeks longer than it did, which means the bears’ fat reserves are being strained to the limits.
So this is why Polar Bears International founded Polar Bear Week. And there’s a heavy emphasis on co-existence – the conflict between bears and people is increasing due to the warming Arctic. The bears are having to ashore in more places and for longer – and this is inevitably going to cause problems, so Polar Bears International want to keep everyone – bears and people – safe.
This Polar Bear Week 2024, Polar Bears International are working to raise funds to support their efforts in helping polar bears and people live safely with each other. Polar bears are spending more time on shore because sea ice is melting. Polar Bears International are hoping to raise $100,000 - and thanks to generous donors, all donations will be MATCHED up to $50,000, so doubling the impact of your gift!
The fundraising will help efforts such as:
- Conducting research – why are polar bear attacks critical to protecting polar bears and people; which deterrents are most effective? Tests are being done on radar systems or ‘bear-dar’ to warn residents of nearby bears, which gives people time to respond. Polar bear safe waste bins are important so that the bears can’t access them and so won’t return.
- Producing safety materials such as posters, videos and colouring books which can be adapted for use in other places where there are polar bears
- Becoming ‘bear smart’ – the aim is to help Churchill become the world's first Bear Smart Community and that this will be a template which could be a model for other communities.
- Community support, working on bear-safe measures
- Bear tools may include bear spray, hand-held flares, high powered flashlights, proper waste disposal – and sharing the best tools and practices and helping Arctic communities identify the tools they need to stay safe
How can you help Polar Bears International help polar bears?
Polar Bears International have got a new Take Action area on their website and they’ve got talking points you can share. Don’t forget that the COP29 Climate Summit is from 11th to 22nd November so this is a good opportunity to tell those representing you at all levels of government why this all matters. There are graphics you can download and use.
And, if you’re not sure where to start on talking to people about climate change, Polar Bears International have ways to tackle the subject with tips here:
Vote for polar bears!
Polar bears, wildlife in the Arctic and sea ice do not have a voice in the electoral process - we need to be their voice.
"The most important action you can take is to vote with the climate and polar bears in mind, in each and every election. Let your civic leaders know you support bold climate and conservation action—write them a letter or email, call their office, or visit them in person if possible"
Polar Bears International
You can support an #EnergyShift.
There’s always something we can do about our own individual use – do we really need the car, let’s turn the heating down and put more sweaters on instead, type of thing – but we can also pressure those in power into making the right decisions for our planet and all life on it. It’s not just about the humans! We are but one species but what an impact we’ve had and continue to have. We need to move that impact int the right direction. Look out for and use these hashtags:
#SaveOurSeaIce #ClimateActionNow #EnergyShift #TalkAboutIt #COP29
Again, Polar Bears International have sample posts you can use on social media in their toolkit.
So what else can you do?
- Donate to support Polar Bears International’s human-polar bear co-existence efforts and conservation work
- Tune into the live events – there’s a schedule of them here
- Learn about polar bears – be informed
- Watch them live! You can see polar bears on the cams which Polar Bears International do in partnership with explore.org
- Sign up for free e-news to find out what’s happening and read the Annual Newsmagazine here
Comments