Bears. By and large it’s probably fair to say that a lot of us love ’em. Some of us just tolerate ’em. But by and large most people would agree that they help keep life in our mountain town interesting. However we feel about ’em we welcome the Bear Necessities series of events intended to celebrate our ursine neighbours and ways to live in harmony with them that is planned to begin this Wednesday, September 18.
“Several towns now celebrate their local bear populations by having annual events that raise awareness about bears and help remind the community how to live in a bear aware manner,” says Sue Davies, WildSafeBC’s coordinator in Revelstoke.
“Here in Revelstoke we also have a good population of bears, both black and grizzly, and we want to celebrate that fact and do all we can to reduce human-bear conflict in our town.”
She said in a statement that the Bear Necessities event series will start on Wednesday, September 18, with a Garden Guru workshop on how to preserve your fruit, thereby keeping bears out of your yard. On Thursday, September 19, there will be an informative guided hike into the Balu Valley in Glacier National Park from 10 am until 4 pm. Parks Canada staff will teach participants how to recognize the signs left by wild bears and what to do in the event of a bear encounter.
At 5 pm on the evening of Friday, September 20, there will be a workshop on electric fencing conducted at the United Church. Also, a Conservation Officer will answer questions about the live capture bear. He’ll also give a demonstration on how to use bear spray. WildSafeBC will be providing activities for the kids including cookie decorating, paw print artwork, games, colouring competition, and a gummy bear guess.
At the Framers Market on Saturday, September 21, Parks Canada staff will tell you how to recognize bear signs in the wild. This demo is intended for people who could not the guided walk in the Balu Valley. WildSafeBC will again provide a range of kids activities and Bear Aware information.
Here is the full schedule for the Bear Necessities events:
For more information on the Bear Necessities Events Series please visit www.revelstokebearaware.org or click here to see them on Facebook. To report wildlife sightings or conflicts with wildlife please call the RAPP Line at 1-877-952 7277.
WildSafeBC gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Columbia Basin Trust, BC Conservation Foundation, and the Ministry of Environment. Revelstoke WildSafeBC also appreciates the ongoing in-kind support from Parks Canada and the Ministry of Forests Resource Compliance Officers.
