Be COOL for Polar Bears

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden was presented with a Champion for Polar Bears award by Polar Bears International (PBI) President & CEO, Robert Buchanan during his recent visit to Cincinnati.

Thane Maynard and PBI President
Thane Maynard is presented with an award from PBI President Robert Buchanan

Accompanied by his wife Carolyn and Arctic Ambassador Andrew Fore, Buchanan is visiting many of the zoos in PBI’s Arctic Ambassador Center network this spring as part of its Be Cool tour. He is celebrating the accomplishments of member zoos and raising awareness about the need to take action on climate change to save polar bears and their sea-ice habitat.

“The zoos in our network play an important role in informing and inspiring the public,” he says. “We’re pleased and proud to support them in their efforts.”

The Champion for Polar Bears awards which serve to heighten climate change awareness and promote action within the ACC network are framed and customized polar bear photographs by Daniel J. Cox.

During their visit to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, the Buchanans and Andrew Fore visited behind the scenes at the polar bears’ exhibit, learned about the Cincinnati Zoo’s Go Green initiatives, polar bear research and education programs at the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) and the Zoo’s ongoing conservation efforts to raise public awareness of the threats facing polar bears due to climate change.  Both Robert and Carolyn shared their expertise and personal experience with polar bears through lectures, storytelling, marketing and PR tools and visits with CREW scientists and Cincinnati Zoo staff, volunteers and visitors.