It's up to each of us to do our part. It's up to each of us to create change. Meet some of the people who inspire us and give us hope—for polar bears, the Arctic, and the planet. Have accomplishments to share? Email us at info@polarbearsinternational.org.
Emily Goldstein
As a Project Polar Bear contestant, Emily, left, and her team members coached local businesses on how to save money and lower CO2. The total carbon reductions? Nearly 17 million pounds!
Pat Murphy
This indefatigable Wisconsin forester reached out to PBI to suggest partnering on tree-planting initiatives to combat global warming. Out of that effort, the Polar Bear Forest program was born. The goal is to plant 500,000 acres.
The Vickerys
Wow, what a team! Together the Vickery family has inspired the entire city of Winnipeg to go green. Through their participation in our Project Polar Bear contest, they've racked up savings in their community of more than 80 million pounds of CO2.
Christy Mazrimas-Ott
One of our PBI Field Ambassadors and a keeper at the Brookfield Zoo, Christy started a Trees for You & Me initiative to inspire her fellow keepers to raise money to plant trees. All told, AAZK chapters raised nearly $10,000 in the 2009-2010 challenge, enough to plant 10,000 trees! What will they accomplish this year?
Marissa Krouse
After attending PBI Zoo Keeper Leadership Camp in the Fall of 2009, Marissa went on to involve the North Carolina Zoo in green activities from planting trees (as in hundreds of trees) to reducing the use of plastic bags. She's shown here, center, with a polar bear made from plastic bags to help motivate the public to switch to reusable bags.
Michelle Bergh
What's a 10-year-old to do to help the polar bears? Why, organize a talent show to raise money for conservation efforts. The total? Nearly $5,000.
Stephanie Hartman
An energetic and committed keeper from the Alaska Zoo, Stephanie gives dozens upon dozens of presentations each year that motivate the public—reaching school groups, zoo campers, radio audiences, and people at lecture series and special events. Her inspiration? PBI Zoo Keeper Leadership Camp.
Tony Smailes
Sheep, not polar bears, come to mind in the Yorkshire Dales … but the Polar Bear Man was so moved by a trip to Churchill that he gives talks about polar bears and climate change throughout the region. He charges an honorarium for each talk—which he then donates to our conservation efforts.
Kara DeLanty
Let there be trees! This keeper at the Milwaukee Zoo, one of our Zoo Keeper Leadership Camp grads, took part in a seedling give-away to encourage families to plant trees to help save polar bear habitat. She had graphics and displays made for their booth … and helped distribute 3,000 white spruce seedlings and planting information.
Angela Johnson
Now here's something different: After the state of Kentucky took her house by eminent domain to build a road, this PBI Zoo Keeper Leadership Camp grad from the Louisville Zoo recycled and reused almost the entire structure. She's also active with Acres for the Atmosphere tree-planting initiatives through her zoo.
Heather Kalka
One of our Zoo Keeper Leadership Camp grads, Heather inspired her employer, the Toronto Zoo, to reduce paper by switching to electronic pay stubs for employees. She's now working with them on other green projects and is serving as the adult leader of a PBI Project Polar Bear team.
Andrew Fore
An avid photographer, Andrew is tireless in his efforts to give presentations on polar bears, climate change, and how each of us can help—all inspired by a trip to Churchill to see the bears.
The Green Teens
Did you know that each minute spent idling in your car releases a pound of CO2? Three Oregon teens organized a campaign in their local school district to encourage parents to turn off their engines while waiting to pick up their kids. They came up with the idea as part of our Project Polar Bear contest.
Owen Husband-Meyer
Who says that little hands—er, little legs—can't make a difference? Owen helped his favorite animal, the polar bear, by holding a swing-a-thon. He and five of his friends collected pledges for each minute they were able to pump their chubby legs. They raised over $2,000—and inspired another group of kids to organize a jump-a-thon!
Anthony Nielsen
Lake Michigan in winter? Yikes. This zookeeper's passion for change led him and the Lincoln Park AAZK Chapter to organize a Polar Plunge in Chicago to raise money for PBI's conservation efforts.
Jill Magnum
Gorgeous images of polar bears and the Arctic help inspire people to care for the bears ... and we have Jill to thank for helping us find the perfect shots, choosing from photos in the Natural Exposures and Guravich Library collection.
Erica Wills
Not only is she a green activist in her home community, but this PBI Teen Leadership Camp grad had a letter published in the New York Times. Her message: "While the simple, easy things that each of us can do at home may seem inconsequential—be it buying a reusable water bottle, using public transportation more often, or turning your power strip off at night and when not in use—it truly does make a difference."
Sarah Bachman
This energetic keeper and PBI Field Ambassador organizes tree-planting efforts at the Indianapolis Zoo as part of our Acres for the Atmosphere prorgram. She's been so successful that she's slated to give a talk on the subject to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Docents (AZAD).
Jim Liskovec
Jim was so inspired by a trip to Churchill in 2006 that he's started giving talks on polar bears, climate change, and what each of us can do to help to schools, clubs, and conservation groups near his home in Los Altos, California.
Diane Brown & Cathy Lavoie
This polar-bear team is tireless in their outreach to schools throughout Victoria, BC, with a program called "Polar Bears: Up Close and Bearsonal," based on Diane's travels to Churchill. They also give talks to senior groups and adult library programs.
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