In conjunction with Polar Bears International and in celebration of the Year of the Polar Bear, the Columbus Zoo has selected Elaina Wahl as their Arctic Ambassador. Elaina agreed to share her experiences with Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears and is today’s guest blogger!

Hi, my name is Elaina Wahl, and I’m a junior at Bishop Ready High School in Columbus, Ohio. I run track, volunteer at the Columbus Zoo, and currently am preparing to go on the trip of a lifetime.

In May, the Columbus Zoo chose me to attend Polar Bears International (PBI) Leadership Camp. I will accompany other teens from across the globe. We’re travelling to Churchill, Manitoba Canada, where we will study and learn about polar bears in their natural habitat.

We will also be trained by PBI in the ways of public speaking. Our mission is to learn everything we can while in Churchill, and take it all back to share in our communities. This way, teens all around the world are helping the polar bears.

PBI is a nonprofit organization. Their main goal is to help save polar bears through education and research. This camp is one of many programs designed by PBI to educate more people on the issues of the Arctic.

During the camp I will get to visit the Winnipeg Zoo, experience life on a Tundra Buggy (a giant lodge on wheels), and possibly take a helicopter ride to an abandoned polar bear den. Well, hopefully it’s still abandoned!

I leave for Winnipeg on Oct. 9, and return from my journey Oct. 16. It will be a week of adventure, learning, and of course, no homework!

When I come back, I intend to do everything I can to educate others about the polar bears. With the help of the Columbus Zoo and Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, I know I will be able to fulfill my duties as an “Ambassador of the Arctic”. I’ll be doing that and catching up on all the schoolwork I missed- Ugh!

While in the field, Elaina will keep an electronic journal. Be sure to check it frequently to learn all about polar bears and her amazing adventure!