Field Ambassadors

Polar Bears International’s Field Ambassador program brings graduate students and zoo professionals who study or work with polar bears to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada during bear season to serve as representatives at our interpretive center, Polar Bears International House, and on Frontiers North Adventure’s Tundra Buggies.

Field ambassadors spend approximately 10 days each year in Churchill between October and November for at least two years, working as interpretive guides — and a few stay longer. They talk about polar bear biology and ecology, research projects, climate change, sea ice loss, and the importance of taking action, while also assisting the drivers and guests with various other tasks.

They tell stories. They answer questions. And, once they're back home, they continue to spread the word about climate change and its effect on polar bears everywhere they can.

In 2023, we expanded the Field Ambassador program to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, during the summer Arctic cruise season, through a pop-up interpretive center known as the Polar Bears International Ice House. There, ambassadors share a conservation message with Arctic travelers.

Special thanks to JoAnne Simerson for her vision in starting this program and leading it in its early days.