Parting Words From Each Ambassador

Chris Kraljevic
I have had the week of my life at the Tundra Buggy Lodge! I will never forget this amazing experience. Sixteen people from Canada, the US and Australia met in the furthest reaches of Manitoba to find out how to help others save the world through stewardship of the planet. I’ve met so many great people and learned so much. I’m awed at how many young people from around the world share my passion for taking care of the earth. I love this place! Everyone here is awesome! Look out, world, here comes the ’09 Teen Arctic Ambassadors!

Fallon Murphy
I think the thing that best describes this trip is beauty. The Polar Bear’s reflective fur and the contrasting autumn colors illustratively shows this beauty, and waking up every morning to the colorful sunrise shows also this beauty. The first day started with a cold snowstorm, today will end with the warmth of hugs. I pray that I will be able to come back one day to experience, once again the beauty.

Crystal Almdal
This PBI teen leader ship camp has been incredible. You learn so many new things, get new perspectives on different issues, and see amazing animals (polar bears, arctic fox’s, rabbits, and a paragon falcon). You also meet these fantastic new people who are just so nice and have a lot in common with you. There are also the facilitators who are the most amazing people, especially Robert Buchanan and his wife, Carolyn (though I’m not saying that the rest of them aren’t incredible people). They make you really understand how you can help, and make you feel like wonderful people. This camp was a chance for us to connect with others and get their thoughts on how we can save the polar bear. If you were to ask me my favorite part of this camp I honestly wouldn’t be able to pick just one, but because I don’t have a lot of time, I will have to keep it short. I loved watching the polar bears, and seeing them come so close to us and when they look in your eyes, it’s as if your heart is melting. It’s a very powerful feeling, coming eye to eye with such a beautiful creature. I can’t imagine not coming on this trip, like they say when you get here; you really are leaving as a different person. You learn so much you can’t help it. Good luck all you PBI teen ambassadors, I believe we’ll all be making changes in our communities very soon.

Daniel Straub
Last night seeing the Northern Lights for the first time was definitely the appropriate farewell to the Arctic. It was so spectacular; it seemed as if they were building up all week for this final show. The streaks of green were brilliant; they each seemed to be placed so methodically and it was like they were painted on. This morning was hard for me to get up because I knew that would be one step closer to going home and having to help fix this wayward world. Seeing these bears in their natural habitats, almost as if the tides had turned and I was the critter in the zoo and the environment was our visitors. I knew it was my duty, as a creature on this planet to help protect these regal beasts. Seeing the bears so free made me feel wonderful inside except for the fact that I knew these bears are in danger, humans are destroying these animal’s lives and we won’t even vaguely try to help. I realized then this could be my last wild polar bear, and my grandchildren may never even get the option of seeing wild polar bears. This is a realistic prediction that sadly I see coming true unless we change it and I know we can.