Fall is here and the bears are in town! Recently there have been bear sightings reported in every neighbourhood in Revelstoke. Bear Aware is educating residents about the importance of managing bear attractants such as garbage and fruit trees to decrease human-bear conflicts.
Most bears that come into Revelstoke are being rewarded with an easy meal of garbage or fruit and will continue to return to these areas as long as a food source is provided. Eating food provded by humans renders a bear food-conditioned. So far this year, two bears have been destroyed in Revelstoke by the Ministry of Environment’s Conservation Officer Service.
Garbage is consistently available to bears and is the number one bear attractant in Revelstoke.
Currently, the City of Revelstoke‘s Garbage Collection Bylaw No.1759 restricts garbage being placed on the curb between the hours of 7am and 7pm on the day of collection. While most residents adhere to the Bylaw, many people place their garbage on the curb the night before pickup.
Bear Aware, along with Ministry of Forests Resource Compliance Officers will be conducting a Fall Garbage Tagging Campaign in the next few weeks. Residents placing their garbage on the curb the night before garbage day may wake up to a bright yellow sticker on their can that states “Garbage Attracts Bears, Store Containers Inside Until Collection Day.”
If you have fruit trees, consider taking part in The Gleaning Project, which gathers surplus fruits and vegetables from our community, helping to reduce bear attractants as well as decrease potential human-bear conflict. Residents with excess fruit can contact Bear Aware to arrange for volunteers to harvest their fruit. The volunteers receive some of the fruit and the remaining fruit is donated to Community Connections Food Bank. The project also invites all residents to donate their extra fruit, berries and vegetables directly to Community Connections Food Bank. If you are away when your fruit is ripening or unable to pick it yourself, please contact Bear Aware to arrange for volunteers to come to your home. Take part in The Gleaning Project, and feel rewarded that you have prevented food from going to waste, provided produce to people in need, and have helped to keep our community safe from bears!
Contact Bear Aware at 250-837-8624 or beaware@telus.net. To take part in The Gleaning Project, to view the Google Earth Bear Sighting Map, and for more information on how to manage bear attractants, visit www.revelstokebearaware.org. To report bear sightings or problem bears please call the RAPP Line at 1-877-7277.
Bear Aware gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Columbia Basin Trust as well as the BC Conservation Foundation. Bear Aware also appreciates the ongoing in-kind support from Parks Canada and the Ministry of Forests Resource Compliance Officers.
