2008 is the Year of the Polar Bear and Zoe Stoy will soon be in the polar bear capital for an up-close look at polar bears and their environment. A Wilson High School junior, Stoy will become an Arctic Ambassador when she travels to Churchill, Manitoba, in October to attend Polar Bear International’s (PBI) Polar Bear Leadership Camp. “She is the only student from Washington in the first group of international students at the leadership camp,” said Cathleen McConnell, academic programs manager at the Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.
Stoy represent PBI and the zoo, which was invited to participate in the student selection process for the first time this past year. Pt. Defiance was added to the participating zoos because of its polar bear exhibit.
One of the requirements to be an Arctic Ambassador is to give presentations in the student’s community after the leadership camp. McConnell and Stoy will develop an action plan which will include a Polar Bear Night in November. McConnell said, “The students who become Arctic Ambassadors are the cream of the crop and have the passion and the ability to communicate that passion. The students must go through a rigorous application and interview process.”
Stoy has been involved in 4-H for nine years with both dogs and horses, and aims for a science career working with animals. Stoy is also in the Running Start program this year.
Polar Bear International’s (PBI) Polar Bear Leadership Camp attracted worldwide attention when it was launched in the fall of 2004, and it has continued to grow every year since, according to the PBI Web site. This year high school students and teachers from around the world will travel to Churchill during the fall polar bear migration to work with scientists in the field, collecting data and reporting back to their classmates via daily Web journals. One week of intense field work will expose the students to all sides of the issues facing polar bears, humans and the environment. After the camp, each student will create a forward action plan to help educate their peers and create a new mind-set on conservation issues.
"Every year, we select a group of bright, motivated students who are eager to learn about the bears," said Robert Buchanan, PBI's president. "While in Churchill, they communicate with their peers through online journals. After they return, they share what they've learned through talks, slide presentations, and media interviews."
During their time in Churchill, the students meet scientists and learn about their work; visit a maternal den site; discuss the implications of climate change; and discover how local residents coexist with their bears. They also take part in role-playing exercises that help them understand the complexities of the issues involved. "They leave with an in-depth knowledge of polar bears and the problems they face," said Buchanan, "and they help us communicate those problems to the world."
Check the Web site at www.polarbearsinternational.org for more information on PBI and polar bears.