CONTACT BEAR AWARE
Kendra Wiberg
BC Conservation Foundation
200A-1383 McGill Rd
Kamloops BC V2C 6K7
250 828-2551
bearawareprogram@bccf.com
Bear Aware™ is a Registered Trademark of the British Columbia Conservation Foundation.
Any reproduction or use of the name or logo without permission is prohibited by law.
The Solution is Prevention
On average over a thousand bears are killed every year in BC. Most of these deaths are preventable. Bears are always seeking food and our communities provide them with good foraging opportunities. Bears can smell garbage and rotting fruit from miles away. Furthermore bears learn quickly, and remember where they have found food in the past. Once a bear is "rewarded" for coming into town it will return. They become accustomed to the presence of humans ("habituated") and "conditioned" to eating garbage, bird seed, compost and other attractions. The more they come back the more bold they become. These bears are doomed.
How Bear Aware™ Works
Bear Aware coordinators work closely with the public, Conservation Officers, and city officials to find ways to prevent conflict. This may mean changes to the garbage collection shedule, new bear-proof litter cans and dumpsters, community planning to amend wildlife corridors or green spaces, and maybe the removal of un-used fruit bearing trees. Most people are eager to help find solutions which create safer, more sustainable communities.
Media Plan
We make every attempt to engage the news media to tell the public about our program, the problems bears face, and about solutions to the ongoing conflict between people and bears.
Volunteers
We actively seek out and train volunteers to deliver the Bear Aware message in their communities. Our advanced volunteer program includes a written volunteer's policy, a registration form, orientation information, a handbook, and ongoing training. Volunteers are asked to keep track of their hours. Volunteer efforts correlate directly to the success of the program in any community. If you can volunteer, even just once in a while, please contact your local coordinator.
Presentations and Displays
We provide some materials to create relevant local presentations and displays for public spaces and events in your community. These include brochures, posters and other materials. We can also speak to your service club or organization with and informative slide presentation about the issues and about the BC Conservation Foundation's Bear Aware™ Program.
Children's Programs
We offer programs for children at summer camps, in scouting groups, and in schools. These focus on safety around bears as well as ways to prevent conflicts from occurring.
Door-to-door
In neighbourhoods where there have been long term problems or a recent concern, we come to you. With local volunteers we are able bring advice and skills to people directly in the conflict area. It is not safe to have bears in your neighbourhood; we can help you understand the measures that you need to take in order to keep them away.
Bears and People
If bears and people are in the same place at the same time there is the
risk of conflict. In a wilderness setting we usually take separate directions,
but in town the bears are often killed for fear of what could happen.
Bears don't belong in town, but they are not malicious killers; they are just wild animals trying to survive in a crowded world.
