Polar Bears International Opens Svalbard "Ice House"

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway and Bozeman, Montana, United States  – July 1, 2023 – Polar Bears International (PBI), the only nonprofit organization dedicated to polar bears and Arctic sea ice, today opens the Polar Bears International Ice House (“Isbjørn Internasjonalt Ishus”) in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. Polar Bears International has been conducting polar bear den studies in Svalbard since 2015, and now expands its presence through this temporary visitor center with scientist ambassadors and a dynamic exhibit about the regional Barents Sea polar bear population, sea ice, and climate change. The Polar Bears International Ice House is located in front of the Svalbard Museum in Forskningsparken/Svalbard Research Park, and will be open for free to the public from July 5 through August 10, 2023. [Access more info here]

“We’re excited to open our first-ever pop-up interpretive space and look forward to welcoming visitors to chat about all things Arctic with us, combining inspired storytelling and scientific education,” says Krista Wright, executive director of Polar Bears International, adding, “Public outreach and education, along with scientific research, are key pillars of our organization, and the Ice House expands our outreach efforts in a location that’s already been very important to our research. We’re honored to be in Longyearbyen this summer and are grateful to our local partners and the community here.” 

Located at 78° North, the Polar Bears International Ice House is the world’s northernmost pop-up interpretive center. Longyearbyen welcomes 31,000 visitors in July and August, with travelers passing through before heading on expeditions to see landscapes including glaciers, Arctic foxes, walruses, beluga whales, and polar bears. The Barents Sea population, shared by Norway and Russia, has roughly 2,650 polar bears and is rapidly losing sea ice. 

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average. Certain regions within the Arctic, such as Svalbard, are warming even faster due to the dramatic loss of surrounding sea ice, which used to reflect back sunlight but has now been replaced by dark ocean surface.  Sea ice serves as the earth’s air conditioner, helping to keep our planet cool. Because polar bears rely on sea ice to travel, hunt, breed, and sometimes den, sea ice loss from climate change is their biggest threat. 

Following a recent report that the Arctic may have ice-free summers by the early 2030s, Polar Bears International is hosting Arctic Sea Ice Day on July 15, 2023, an annual event created by PBI to spark actions and conversations about the rapidly melting Arctic ecosystem, why it matters, and how people can slow this warming trend. More information about Arctic Sea Ice Day can be found here.

The Ice House represents an expansion of Polar Bears International’s efforts in Svalbard, which includes ongoing maternal den studies in partnership with the Norwegian Polar Institute and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The research uses remote, solar-powered cameras to noninvasively study key aspects of denning behavior for polar bears, answering questions about the timing of den emergence, the condition of moms and cubs, and their sensitivities to human disturbances. In addition, in more recent years, scientists at PBI, Brigham Young University, Simon Fraser University, and NORCE have been testing promising new den-detection technology in Svalbard’s snowy mountains. This could greatly improve our ability to locate maternal den sites under the snow, helping to protect vulnerable denning areas. Svalbard is an important denning region for females, but accessing dens is becoming more difficult due to sea ice loss.

The Polar Bears International Ice House is inspired by the success of the Polar Bears International House in Churchill, Canada which provides conservation education to visitors. Since opening in 2019, the Churchill House has welcomed thousands of visitors and also acts as a community building, hosting local workshops, meetings, and events. The architectural firm Lupien + Matteau designed the exhibits for both spaces. 

The Polar Bears InternationaI Ice House was made possible by generous support from performance luxury brand, Canada Goose. Partners include the Svalbard Museum, Hearts in the Ice and the Norwegian Polar Institute. Special thanks also to the University Centre in Svalbard and Bring Transport.

About Polar Bears International

Polar Bears International’s mission is to conserve polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. We also work to inspire people to care about the Arctic, the threats to its future, and the connection between this remote region and our global climate. Polar Bears International is the only nonprofit organization dedicated solely to wild polar bears and Arctic sea ice, and its staff includes scientists who study wild polar bears. The organization is a recognized leader in polar bear conservation. For more information, visit www.polarbearsinternational.org.

Media Contacts

Annie Edwards, for Polar Bears International
annie@fabricmedia.net
T: +44 07307 139782

Melissa Hourigan, for Polar Bears International
melissa@fabricmedia.net
T: +1 720-608-1919