If you are confused about when and how you should be celebrating polar bears, you aren’t alone.
International Polar Bear Day, founded by Polar Bears International, a conservancy, is celebrated on February 27. It also has a Polar Bear Week, but that is in November. The WWF, another big conservation group, celebrates a Polar Bear Week of its own, but has chosen to schedule it in the same week as Polar Bear Day.
Regardless of which calendar event you observe, the aim is the same: to raise awareness about the impact of global on polar-bear habitat and the effect that has on their populations.
Polar Bears International goes about this somewhat indirectly. Instead of asking people simply to help “save the polar bear,” it asks people to look for ways to reduce their impact on the climate. In recent years, it has used the day to encourage people to save energy by turning down the heat, offering them a literal and symbolic act.
WWF takes a more traditional approach, suggesting that members use the week as inspiration for participating in Arctic-related fund-raisers, or organizing one of their own.
For more information
polarbearsinternational.org
wwf.org
Further reading
Slowing Arctic warming called the only hope for polar bears in the long term
arctictoday.com/slowing-arctic-warming-called-the-only-hope-for-polar-bears-in-the-long-term/