The “TUNDRA TROOPERS” from Judge Memorial Catholic High School will be participating in Project Polar Bear to motivate Salt Lake City residents to participate in the Idle Free Utah campaign. We want to raise community awareness about the positive impacts reducing emissions will have by not idling. Vehicle exhaust is one of the leading sources of air pollution in the state of Utah and it can be hazardous to human health. Reducing excess emissions by not idling will not only benefit the health and environment of the Wasatch Front, but will also reduce our collective community carbon footprint that impacts the vanishing polar bear and their arctic habitat. The “TUNDRA TROOPERS” are not only high school students, but we are also volunteers at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. In June, we had the opportunity to hear Robert Buchanan address the staff and volunteers. We wanted to make a difference for polar bears and participate in the Polar Bear Challenge. Our adult advisor is Rebekah Egbert, the Visitor Experience Coordinator at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, who works in the Education Department. There are opportunities for us to work with Green Team at the Zoo to increase awareness of the Idle Free Utah campaign with Zoo Guests and Volunteers. Partnering with Idle Free Utah will help us motivate community involvement in the “turn your key, be idle free” campaign that is sponsored by Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah Clean Cities and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. In addition to partnering with Idle Free Utah we plan to work with local environmental organizations. We will start at our High School and involve the students at Judge Memorial in the campaign. One plan is to engage Jaun Diego High School in a competition in who can generate the most pledges to be idle free. The University of Utah and Westminster College have students involved Environmental Studies. Working with the students at the University level will broaden the scope of our community involvement. We hope to increase community participation in this campaign by highlighting the benefits each of us will receive by not idling. Each of us can save money, breathe easier, protect the environment and help protect polar bears by reducing our emissions by not idling. It is a simple local act that has exponential global impacts. Our efforts as the “TUNDRA TROOPERS” to engage our community in an idle free lifestyle that will help protect the polar bears and their fragile ecosystem.