No thanks. I already ate.: August 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

2011 elementary school classroom program

Bear Smart Durango has contracted Katie Maloney to serve as Educational Program Coordinator for “I’m a Bear Smart Kid!” elementary school classroom programs, starting this fall school season.

This free, educational, hands-on program on bear ecology and being Bear Smart is available to area 3rd thru 5th grade classrooms.

Katie has worked in environmental education throughout Colorado, for organizations such as Durango Nature Studies and the Environmental Learning Center in Fort Collins, CO.

For more information or to schedule a 50-minute classroom presentation:

Katie Maloney

Bear Smart Durango

Educational Program Coordinator

970-779-0277

bearsmart.education@gmail.com

how you can help

Most importantly is to remove any attractants from your property that will lure bears, which creates "problem" bears in the first place. Remove the food source and you remove the bear. Here are a few other ways you can contribute:

• Be a good neighbor, by talking to them, and notifying them on how to not attract bears to your neighborhood.

• Make bird feeders inaccessible on first sign of bears being in your area. All it takes is once, and bears easily recall this valuable, high-caloric food reward (a seven pound tube of black oil birdseed contains 12,000 calories).

• If you have fruit trees and actually use the fruit and dont want damage to limbs, get all fruit off the tree, shake the fruit off if necessary and pick before fruit is ripe. Remove any and all fallen fruit from the ground.

• Report bear sightings.

• Notify your elected officials when you are experiencing bear issues. Or write a letter to the editor. People that draft policy don't address something they never hear about.

• Get a wildlife-resistant trash container for your home. If you have a dumpster, talk to your waste provider about upgrading or modifying with metal lids and latches to make it wildlife-proof.

• If you live in the county, consider electric fencing to protect things of value from damage, injury or death from bears.

• Feel free to help out financially. We accept contributions year-round, not just during bear season.

• Volunteer some time during bear season.

Please allow bears to remain wild bears.