Brad Allen, Betty Brower and Isaac Akootchook judge polar bear poster coloring contest entries at Arctic Refuge bunkhouse in Kaktovik, September 23, 2005. Photo by Jennifer Reed.

Be Safe in Polar Bear Country - poster contest entry, September 23, 2005. Photo by Jennifer Reed.

Perched on the coast of the Arctic Ocean and the edge of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), the village of Kaktovik is home to generations of Inupiat Eskimos who share their lives with polar bears. This small, remote community is located in an area that is visited by some of the Southern Beaufort Sea stock of polar bears during the months of August through October each year.  In order to meet the common goal of teaching youth to learn to live safely with and respect these magnificent animals, North Slope Borough, US Fish and Wildlife Service Marine Mammals Management (MMM) and Arctic NWR staff partnered to design a poster that contains key safety messages about polar bears and highlights local artwork.

Students from pre-school through eighth grade eagerly visited with MMM Polar Bear Biologist Susanne "Susi the Polar Bear Lady" Miller and Arctic Refuge Visitor Services Specialist Jennifer Reed, who called upon them to create colorful renditions of the safety poster in a coloring contest.  The school principal and village elders judged student entries and on Sunday, September 25, over fifty people looked on as youth received recognition for their contributions toward promoting safety while living among polar bears.  Posters made from winning entries will be displayed around the village of Kaktovik.