NOTE: This is an archive of a trip by staff biologist Cindy Roberts, who visited Churchill, Manitoba to work with other conservation experts to learn about habitat preservation for polar bears. Check back soon for a continuation of this story!

Cindy Roberts’ trip was made possible with support from Polar Bears International and The Zoo Society’s Dr. Holly Reed Wildlife Conservation Fund.

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015

I’m Cindy Roberts, a staff biologist who has worked with the polar bears at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for the last several years. Two of our polar bears, Blizzard and Glacier, were rescued from the Churchill area back in 1996. I am excited to collaborate with other zoo keepers from around the world and Polar Bears International staff when I join the PBI’s Climate Alliance team in Churchill.

I look forward to working together to learn more about climate change and how we can protect polar bear habitat.

Monday, Oct. 5, 2015

Today was my first day in Churchill, Manitoba, the gateway to the Arctic. Along with a few select keepers from around the world, as well as Polar Bears International staff, we began our adventure with a day out on the tundra buggy. While out on our adventure I experienced my first wild polar bear. The polar bears are coming in closer to Churchill waiting for sea ice to form along the coast so they can hunt for ringed seals. They have gone the entire summer without eating. It was a life moment that I will never forget. I look forward to the week ahead and learning more about how climate change is affecting polar bears and their habitats and what we can do to help.