September 27, 2011

DENVER ZOO ZOOKEEPER JOINS
POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL'S LEADERSHIP CAMP
Participants will Study Polar Bears, Climate Change

Denver Zoo zookeeper Sue Peters will travel to the tundra near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, in early October for a week-long Keeper Leadership Camp sponsored by Polar Bears International (PBI), the world's leading polar bear conservation group. Denver Zoo, which is part of PBI's network of Arctic Ambassador Center zoos, selected Peters based on her past outreach and community involvement. She will join 14 other zoo professionals from across the U.S. and Canada.

"Zookeepers have the ability to reach a wide audience with a conservation message," said PBI president and CEO Robert Buchanan. "Participants will spend a week in Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, during the fall polar bear migration, where they'll learn about polar bears, climate change, and how each of us can help."

The experience will include several nights at the Tundra Buggy? Lodge, with polar bears just outside. Despite the remote location, participants will stay connected with the rest of the world through blog posts on the PBI website. Peters will also send updates on the zoo's Twitter and Facebook pages.

Participants learn how to create carbon-reduction programs in their communities and to inspire public involvement.

"I am incredibly excited for this opportunity. This will enable me to share with zoo visitors the most up to date information available about how climate change impacts polar bear populations and hopefully inspire them to conserve," says Peters. "I am looking forward to finding new ways that I can make a difference and how I can motivate others to do the same."

Denver Zoo was invited to send a representative to the camp because of its role as a PBI Arctic Ambassador Center (AAC). These centers focus on animal well-being and enrichment and play a leadership role in carbon reduction and stewardship efforts. Past AAC graduates have inspired real change in their communities by taking part in roll-up-your-sleeves projects like the Acres for the Atmosphere initiative—a bi-national tree-planting effort created by Leadership Camp participants—as well as action-oriented outreach programs through their zoos.

"If we're serious about conserving polar bears and their ecosystem we need to act quickly," says Buchanan, "and our Arctic Ambassador Center zoos and Leadership Camps play an important role in inspiring people to make simple lifestyle changes that become part of a larger stewardship ethic."

Denver Zoo has made significant strides in reducing its carbon impact and, through energy conservation initiatives, aims to reduce its energy consumption by 30 percent by 2020, significantly decreasing its carbon footprint. The staff at the zoo has offset nine tons of CO2 by using alternative transportation to commute to work and have reduced their use of single occupancy vehicle trips to work by 50 percent, compared to this time last year. For these and many other accomplishments, Denver Zoo was awarded The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) first Green Award, bolstering the zoo's belief that it is the greenest zoo in the country.

In addition to PBI, camp sponsors include Frontiers North's Tundra Buggy® Adventure, Canada Goose, Calm Air, and Four Points by Sheraton Winnipeg.

About Polar Bears International: Polar Bears International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the worldwide conservation of the polar bear and its habitat through research, education, and stewardship. Visit their web site to learn more about their mission and the upcoming 2011 Leadership Camps at at www.polarbearsinternational.org.

Frontiers North's Tundra Buggy® Adventure (FNA) is a PBI Platinum-level corporate partner that has sponsored PBI Leadership Camps since their inception. FNA provides authentic adventures in Canada's north and boasts the best access in the world to wild polar bears. Visit their web site at www.frontiersnorth.com.