Page 11 - ECF-Thrive-Nov-Dec_2024

← A subadult polar bear on a frozen lake in Hudson Bay west of Churchill, Manitoba waiting for the sea ice to freeze.
Bear Necessities
A new fund helps preserve Arctic wildlife
By Andrew Paul
↓ Dynamic and highly variable polar bear habitat in Hudson Bay during the spring peak feeding period when the bears accumulate their critical fat stores.
DIANNE JOHNSTONE HAS always felt drawn to the North. Her vacations haven’t been to tropical beaches or sun-drenched resorts. They have been to snowy landscapes, mountain ranges and the vast, breathtaking Arctic.
“That’s where I feel comfortable,” she reflects.
Her travels, including a trip to the Arctic Circle last year, inspired something deeper: a desire to protect the unique and fragile Arctic environment and its most iconic inhabitant—the polar bear.
“We’ve always had an unbelievable appreciation for these majestic creatures,” Dianne explains. “They’re powerful, they are so amazingly adaptable to their surroundings. They are the most amazing things I’ve ever watched.”
Dianne and her husband, Peter Wright, have turned their love for the Arctic into a lasting legacy by establishing the Johnstone-Wright Polar Bear Fund at Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF). The fund will support research, education and conservation efforts for Arctic wildlife.
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