by Katie O'Connell

The subarctic – it's cold, it's flat, but it's magical. I learned so much during my one week stay with Polar Bears International (PBI) on the Tundra Buggy Lodge just outside of Churchill, Manitoba during PBI's 2009 Leadership Camp. We live in such a beautiful country, yet so few of us have had the chance to experience all that Canada has to offer. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to spend time with sixteen amazing teen leaders and wonderful facilitators who I learned so much from, and still continue to appreciate.

The main focus of the camp was to learn about polar bears and climate change, and then for all of us, teen leader or not, to share our new passion with others once we got home. Before we even went out on the tundra, we visited some of the locals in Churchill. We learned about sustainable hunting and trapping from an expert trapper and walked through the local school/community centre. It's important to realize that the animals here often provide a way of life for the residents, and that if it's done sustainably and humanely it's acceptable to trap. Our teen leader from Churchill, Dylan Burton, was asked multiple times what would happen if these animals (not just polar bears) were to disappear, and he said every time that it would have major effects on the community. For example, a lot of Churchill's economy is dependent on polar bears and other wildlife, whether it be hunting and trapping, or ecotourism. We left Churchill, and headed out onto the tundra with new informed attitudes.

The theme of the week was "FIVE" – we have five years to lower our carbon emissions and save the Arctic and its residents. It's not hard to be inspired to do so once you look into the eyes of a polar bear. When I saw my first bear, all I could think about was how beautiful he was. He was a young male, and after a few minutes of quiet investigation he carefully sauntered over to the Tundra Buggy. I felt a tremendous amount of respect for that bear, and his presence and his eye contact told me that that respect was mutual.

Sixty five per cent of the world's polar bears live in Canada. It is our animal that is going extinct, and it is our job to teach the world just how important they are. If we don't care, the rest of the world won't either. I carry with me at all times Jane Goodall's messages of hope and her plea to young people to make a difference, for as she so adamantly insists "every individual makes a difference." Robert and Carolyn Buchanan, and the countless dedicated staff at PBI make this possible for so many young people. As a YLC member and long-time Roots & Shootser, I am very excited about the collaboration between Roots & Shoots and PBI. I am happy that future YLC members will have the chance to partake in this incredible opportunity.