Teen Arctic Ambassador shares experiences with peers and highlights impacts of climate change, bears' struggle for survival

(Mission Times Courier, San Diego, CA) - From San Diego to the Arctic Circle, one Patrick Henry High School student has traveled abroad for the first time to learn about one of his favorite animals and the challenges facing the largest land meat eater on Earth - the polar bear.

In September 2009, Daniel Straub embarked on the trip of a lifetime. The high school junior traveled to Churchill, Manitoba Canada as the San Diego Zoo's Teen Arctic Ambassador. Straub was one of 16 high school students from around the world selected to participate in last year's Polar Bears International Teen Leadership Camp. The program is designed to inform, inspire and empower students to motivate change within their communities, especially with regard to the effects of climate change on polar bears.

One of the hardest parts of the trip for Straub was packing warm, winter clothes and leaving San Diego when it was 90 degrees and transitioning to daytime highs ranging from 20-40 degrees and single-digit lows at night. Almost immediately after arriving in Churchill, Straub and his peers forgot about the chilly temps after each was given a winter jacket warm enough for even the tundra's harsh weather conditions.

Located on the Hudson Bay, the town of Churchill is known as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World." The area is especially popular among researchers and eco-tourists in the fall when many polar bears move from inland toward the shore. More than ever though, scientists say polar bears in this part of the world are facing a fierce struggle for survival.

Straub has been a frequent visitor to the polar bear exhibit at the San Diego Zoo throughout his childhood and has even spent time with the bears behind the scenes, but this experience in the tundra was one he'll never forget seeing how the bears are struggling to survive firsthand.

"It was an unbelievable experience," Straub said. "It's one thing to see animals in a zoo. It's a completely different experience seeing them in the wild!"

The "Tundra Buggy", actually five of them transported the group on their adventure. Straub stands just a head taller than the Tundra Buggy wheels. The buggies connected together to form the research laboratory, dining facility and sleeping quarters. The teens had some amazingly close encounters with polar bears while navigating the tundra landscape.

During one afternoon, a polar bear that had been napping about 1,300 feet in the distance came close to the buggies to investigate the arctic ambassadors. The male bear stood just a few feet from the buggy and was so close the group could see the bear's ear tags, which was an indication the bear was being tracked by scientists in the area. Scars could be seen on the bear as well as a bloody ear, which was likely a sign the bear had been in some sort of scuffle with another bear.




"To see all of this detail on a wild bear so close was super inspiring," Straub said. "It struck me when he came over to look at us - we were in our rolling zoo exhibit, and the bear was the curious visitor."

Throughout the week-long trip, Straub and his peers learned about the challenges polar bears are facing in their struggle for survival. Scientists in Churchill attribute a decline in the polar bear population to a steady reduction in the amount of snow and ice in the Arctic Circle. Straub demonstrated a computer animation created by researchers illustrating a significant reduction in the amount of ice from 1979 to 2008.

Straub said people are speeding up the process by creating greenhouse gases, which contribute to higher surface temperatures. As a result, a reduced amount of snow and ice is available for polar bear feeding and breeding. The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere is currently about 385 parts per million (ppm), and scientists believe this number could reach 400 ppm in just five years.

Polar bears are among the top 10 list of animals to watch for becoming endangered, but Straub is hopeful everyone can "make it better and do it better" in an effort to protect the world's polar bear population. "Make it better and do it better" means making sure all products used in everyday life are fully used before being discarded. The students learned that everyone has an opportunity to help reduce greenhouse gases by recycling more, buying recycled products and conserving energy. Straub said things as simple as turning off lights and unplugging appliances when not in use can make a difference. Appliances plugged in can draw energy even when in the 'off' position.

Since the trip, Straub has shared his experiences with countless peers and others. The Arctic Ambassador has done presentations for several classes at Lewis Middle and Patrick Henry High schools.

"It makes me feel really good," Straub said. "It's a really good feeling to see others learning from my experiences."

One of the most memorable trip highlights 16-year-old Straub likes to talk about was when he was given the opportunity to take the wheel of a Tundra Buggy.
"It was beyond incredible," Straub said. "It was not similar to driving a car. It felt more powerful, but I felt ok driving it because I didn't have to worry about hitting anyone, and as long as I stayed on the dirt road, it was easy."

Straub's love for animals started early in his life. He has been going to San Diego Zoo camps since he was just 7 years old and has volunteered for the Zoo Corps since he was 12. Straub encourages everyone to visit the new polar bear exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. The exhibit highlights the impacts of climate change on polar bears and even features a research helicopter used to track bears in the wild.

Straub is looking forward to getting some more passport stamps while studying other international wildlife habitats. He hopes to travel to Africa and Russia some day and perhaps even return to Churchill for a reunion with his fellow Arctic Ambassadors.

He still has one more year of high school, but Straub is already eyeing a career in zoology and/or environmental science. When Straub isn't at the zoo, there's a good chance you'll find him competing in a swimming pool. Straub is on the Patrick Henry varsity water polo and swim teams and has been named on The San Diego Union-Tribune's list of athletes to watch.

Another San Carlos student will be representing the San Diego Zoo as a Teen Arctic Ambassador this fall. Rachel Juhnke, a sophomore at Patrick Henry High, is looking forward to making the trip after hearing about her classmate's experiences. Juhnke and Straub are planning to lead some environmental projects locally in the near future.

Straub wishes everyone could have the opportunity to share his experiences firsthand. His first trip to the Arctic Circle is one he'll never forget.  "It was an unbelievable experience," Straub said. "I came back extremely different, a whole new person. This has sparked my interest in polar bears and made it so I genuinely want to protect these fantastic white giants."

The Polar Bear Teen Leadership Camp is made possible through a partnership between Polar Bears International and the Arctic Ambassador Center network of zoos, which is headquartered at the San Diego Zoo. For more information about Polar Bears International, visit www.polarbearsinternational.org.