Scientists go to school for many years to learn how to design experiments, collect data, analyze information, and summarize results. But did you know that anyone can play a role in advancing polar bear science?
At Polar Bears International, we are proud of our Citizen Science initiative that takes place on the Frontiers North Adventures Tundra Buggies® each fall. Cassandra Debets, a graduate student from York University, leads this project that encourages tourists to help gather demographic, group composition, and body condition information from the polar bears. Tourists are encouraged to take side-profile photos of polar bears using a camera and laser range finder. These photos allow Cassandra to gauge the size and condition of each bear, helping us to monitor this population one picture at a time.
While we can’t attach a laser range finder to the Polar Bear Cams for this project, we would still love it if you would become a citizen scientist and post your screenshots of bears throughout the season. Your pictures can help us get a good idea of bear body condition and activity so we’d love to have your help.
