Pavlos

Many of us know what it is like to be far from home. For Pavlos the Polar Bear the perilous journey from his Arctic home takes him far, far away. Only through the help of strangers is he is able to get home. The world is changing fast, especially for Arctic animals. They face many dangers ahead and will need help from people of goodwill around the world.

"Umki is a traditional Chukchi name for a girl that means Polar Bear. The Chukotka region in Russia has a motto, "The Land of Real People!" Scientists have recognized that indigenous people have a special bond to nature and animals There are wonderful stories of elders talking to and learning from whales when the whales talk to them in their dreams. I bet you have a special bond with animals too. I hope you will continue to explore the natural world and especially the land, people and animals who live above 66 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, the Arctic Circle. You could start learning more at this website from the Arctic Council: https://caff.is/education Thanks for joining Pavlos on his adventure and keep exploring!

Tom Armbruster visited the Arctic in Alaska, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Russia as a "Polar Affairs Officer" at the U.S. State Department. He helped the U.S. become a founding member of the Arctic Council, an international body dedicated to solving problems for the people of the Arctic. Along the way, he slept in an ice cave in Greenland as part of an Arctic survival course and kayaked in the Arctic sea. Tom is a retired United States Foreign Service Officer who was Ambassador to the Marshall Islands from 2012-2016. (He had to go somewhere to warm up.) He is married to Kathy and they live with their dog Skipjack.