Every morning our valiant leader, Robert Buchanan, woke us with a rousing round of “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning” from the musical, Oklahoma. This morning, however, we (the student ambassadors) decided we were going to turn the tables on the man we have grown to love despite his wake-up duties. At five this morning, I aroused all the girls in the bunkhouse and we silently traipsed into the boys’ bunks to wake them. Together we huddled around Robert’s bunk and bellowed to his infamous tune: “I hate to get up in the morning/ I hate to get out of bed/ I hate to get up in the morning/ I’d rather just sleep instead!—Good morning Robert!” He laughed and complimented our leadership in executing our prank, before all of us headed back to bed to catch a few more zzzzzzz’s before the seven o’clock rendition of “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning.”

Once again, we awoke to the sound of rain on the tundra, but by nine o’clock the temperature had dropped significantly and the droplets had changed to fluffy white snowflakes that blanketed the ground. We all were very excited to finally capture the coveted picture of a white polar bear in the first snow of winter. Although the snow was a definite distraction, we managed to focus on our morning’s task. Because each of us (students) came to Polar Bears International Leadership Camp to prepare for our return home as Arctic ambassadors, we each created an action plan for our communities back home.

My action plan includes activities that I hope to facilitate in schools and other organizations in San Diego. I also hope to initiate new programs in my city. The activities I want to lead include an Eco-Day at local elementary/middle schools that will engage students and their families in a carnival including food, fun, and eco-friendly, educational activities that demonstrate the benefits of an eco-friendly lifestyle. This is a program I hope to organize by the end of the school year. I plan to engage my high school’s Eco-Club to assist me in this endeavor.

Additionally, other ambassadors suggested several programs that I hope will create future tradition in my community, including:
· “Green Line” fashion show that promotes the style of eco-friendly clothes
· “Power Down for Polar Bears”—a day where my school/community would turn off all electricity to conserve energy
· Climate Change Leadership Summit to inspire, inform, and empower concerned teenagers on global climate issues

Finally, throughout this trip I have toted Aurora, a stuffed penguin. I have snapped pictures of Aurora doing everything I have done on this trip. I am planning to write a children’s story about Aurora’s travels in the Arctic to inform youngsters about what they can do to help the cause, using Aurora, the “traveling penguin,” as my emissary to their age group. I also hope to visit Antarctica someday, so that will be Aurora’s “homecoming.” Maybe there is a whole line of children’s books in the works….

Through my experiences over the past two weeks, I have acquired so many leadership skills from my fellow ambassadors and from the scientists and teachers who have facilitated the camp. Everyone brought a different skill to the camp. Tomorrow, when we depart the tundra, we will retain and bring home a part of each other that will contribute to our work as Arctic Ambassadors. I realize, more than ever, the power and obligation I have to INSPIRE, INFORM, and EMPOWER my peers, my community, and my world toward the goal of acknowledging and addressing the issues of global climate change.

From the last day on the tundra,
Ronit

On a few occasions we did try to intervene when she was in the holding facility, but didn’t have much success. The outcome of that also included getting Tatqiq upset and causing her to be mistrustful of us. So we decided not to continue to bother her. On the first day after, there was a good play session with all three. Kalluk almost had it off but bodies turned opposite ways and play seemed to peter out. On several other occasions either Kalluk or Chinook would grab hold of the trash lid but used it more as leverage rather than trying to pull it over Tatqiq’s head. But with each day that passed, the lid had more rips and tears, so we were still optimistic that it would come off on its own.

On the fourth day, Sunday afternoon, I received a call from my co-worker letting me know that the trash lid was off Tatqiq’s neck and floating in the water. And of course in usual polar bear fashion, Kalluk was doing his best to now try it on himself! So a pull off quickly followed and all three bears happily came off exhibit. The trash lid was retrieved and paired with its perfectly removed center circle piece.

I don’t really know what we’re going to do with the memorabilia but, pardon the pun, I just can’t bear to trash it. I appreciate all of you who understood the situation and helped to pass on that Tatqiq was fine and there was nothing to be concerned about. From now on, I will always be taking a moment to consider what type of enrichment I might actually be offering the bears.

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Watch the bears daily on Polar Cam.

When we finally arrived at the site of the maternal den, we piled out of the helicopters to find ourselves in the midst of a snow-covered mossy field. We immediately commenced in a flurried, frantic snowball fight, which only ceased when we discovered the softness of the moss and collapsed in a pile onto it. When it was my turn to don a headlamp and crawl into the maternal den, I was astounded at the immense complexity of the construction and the dampness of the peat into which the den was built. The journey back to the Lodge by helicopter was just as awesome and really made me appreciate the vastness of the tundra and gave us an excellent view of the Lodge. Upon returning to the Lodge, we had a heart-to-heart discussion about the future and what we as ambassadors hope to bring back to our communities from this trip. Our last night is coming to a close but my arctic family and I still have some time together so I won’t say goodbye yet!

Love from the chilly tundra,
Ronit

This morning we again worked on presenting the information from our required reading, Impacts of a Warming Arctic, to specific audiences. My group chose to present the impacts of global climate change on coastal climates to a Parent/Teacher Association (PTA) at a school in the Midwest USA. These mock performances are giving us chances to prepare presentations that we can use when we return home. Our group created a plan for the PTA to host an Eco-Day at the school that would provide environmentally educational activities and information. I am really excited about the many activities we made for this Eco-Day and am planning to bring the plans back to local elementary schools in San Diego. I think I would provide a very effective platform for education in younger children and families.

Unfortunately, the Internet connection went down because of the strong winds and storm on Thursday. It really doesn’t affect our daily business, except that we were scheduled to have a videoconference with a 5th grade class from Oregon. We couldn’t make the connection even though many people in the Lodge worked through the night in an attempt to fix the link. We didn’t want to disappoint the kids so we decided to video record our answers to the questions they had sent us and then we will send the tape to the class. Not quite how we wanted it, but as our wise leader Mr. Robert Buchanan said, “Mother Nature always wins!” In the tundra, you must get up and keep going after you fall, no matter what happens—a lesson I will always carry from this trip.

Learning lots from the Tundra and my arctic family,
Ronit

This may sound strange to us, but to them a trash can lid offers flexibility, resistance in the water, and tug-of-war opportunities; it sometimes even doubles as a Frisbee! All three of the bears have had the chance to interact with these lids on several occasions over the past six years. The other day, one of the bears thought it would make the toy more interesting if they ripped the center circle out of it, making it more like a doughnut. That seems fine and all, but if you recall, I have made mention before of how they like to put things on their heads. And Tatqiq, of course, IS a princess.

I received the call Wednesday afternoon that one of the bears had something stuck on its neck. Sure enough, Tatqiq had tried on the new toy and found out the hard way that it goes on easier than it comes off. I am happy to report that she is perfectly fine and seems unfazed by this event. But it does, however, prove to be one heck of a sight! Since we can’t share the same space as our bears, our only option would be to use anesthesia to put her to sleep and then safely remove it. Since she is resuming her normal lifestyle (and in my opinion showing it off a little) I’m not really eager to do that. Through some varied attempts while she’s in the bedrooms as well as the play that continues to occur with her companions, I’m optimistic it will come off on its own.

While it’s not quite what I had planned, it does still fall under the guidelines of enrichment, especially for our guests. And just like the child who gets taken to the doctor for sticking a toy somewhere it shouldn’t be, I have to give Tatqiq an A+ for creativity.

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Photo: Kalluk is shown above “kissing” Chinook, with Tatqiq in the background.