Frontiers North Adventures, Polar Bears International celebrate their 25 years of alliance

Frontiers North Adventures (Frontiers North) and Polar Bears International (PBI) are celebrating 25 years of official alliance. Over the past quarter-century, this collaboration has set a global standard for how ecotourism operators and conservation scientists can unite to support vulnerable species and habitats.

The roots of this unique collaboration are deeply embedded in the history of polar bear conservation in Churchill. Polar Bears International was born on a Tundra Buggy in 1992, founded by a grassroots group of photographers and wildlife enthusiasts whose awe at the annual polar bear migration inspired them to form a dedicated non-profit.

Over the last 25 years, that initial passion has evolved into a powerful alliance that connects cutting-edge research to responsible travel. Since 2001, Frontiers North has contributed more than $5.7 million CAD in monetary and in-kind services to directly support PBI’s critical research, education, and field outreach. Quarter-century partnership highlights collaborative conservation, cutting-edge education outreach, fieldwork, and sustainable ecotourism in Churchill, Manitoba.

Rather than settling for passive sightseeing, the alliance champions “transformational tourism”: an immersive experiential education where guests engage directly with trusted messengers, returning home with the tools and inspiration to take action on climate change.

Furthermore, the alliance emphasizes a deep, transparent investment in the local community; for example, proceeds from Frontiers North trips directly fuel PBI’s essential conservation and polar bear coexistence work on the ground in Churchill.

Highlights of the alliance include:

!!! Global Educational Outreach: Using the roving broadcast studio Tundra Buggy One, the alliance pioneered free, live Tundra Connections® webcasts in 2009. This STEM-focused educational program has brought scientists and polar bears directly from the tundra into the classrooms of millions of students and lifelong learners worldwide.

!!! Polar Bear Cams: After a 2-year pilot program by Frontiers North, PBI entered the collaboration, and the popularity of these annual live cams exploded. Today, in partnership with explore.org, more than two million people each year have the chance to experience polar bears live from the tundra.

!!! Climate Alliance: For over two decades, Frontiers North has provided dedicated space, housing, and ground transportation at the Tundra Buggy Lodge for PBI’s Climate Alliance training. This program brings together representatives from PBI’s Arctic Ambassador Center network—zoos and aquariums that see over 200 million visitors a year—building a highly trusted community of messengers equipped to shift the public discourse around climate change.

!!! Pioneering Sustainable Tech: In 2025, the alliance took a major step forward by retiring the original Tundra Buggy One and launching a custom, zero-emission EV Tundra Buggy One. Powered by clean hydroelectric energy, this project demonstrates the viability of electric vehicles in extreme cold while providing a quiet, low-impact viewing experience that respects the bears’ natural behaviours.

John Gunter, CEO and co-owner of Frontiers North Adventures, observed: “What I really like about Polar Bears International’s origin story is that it underscores the power of a person visiting a wild place, falling in love with it, and then converting that inspiration into action.”

Gunter continued: “From the beginning, we shared PBI’s passion for polar bears and realized early on that we could work together to benefit them, with Frontiers North providing access to one of the largest aggregations of the bears anywhere in the world, and PBI bringing scientific expertise and the conservation angle. Those two strengths, combined, have been incredibly powerful.”

Krista Wright, Executive Director of Polar Bears International, said that: “This alliance has had an incredible impact. The Tundra Buggies provide us with a unique opportunity to bring polar bears to people around the world through programs like our Polar Bear Cams and Tundra Connections webcasts.”

And Wright added: “Frontiers North also provides access to the bears for some of our research projects, hosts our annual Climate Alliance training for zoo professionals, and works with us and the town of Churchill on bear-safe measures. It’s hard to imagine our work in Churchill without them.”

Go to www.pbears.org/frontiersnorth for more.