Be BearWise this Summer

Garbage is irresistible to a hungry bear.  The presence of unsecured household garbage encourages bears to change their normal behavior and movement patterns and “hang out” in residential areas.  Be BearWise and know that one of the first, and most important, things you can do to help is to stash your trash – resolving potential human-bear encounters before they start or escalate.  One of the six BearWise Basics is about securing food, garbage, and recycling. When bears have access to human-provided foods, regardless of the source or the intent, they will take advantage of them, and that often leads to further problems.  BearWise is an education program developed by bear biologists from each of the 15 state wildlife agencies that make up the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA). The program, anchored by the website www.bearwise.org, offers citizen specific, detailed, and high-quality information to help people live responsibly with bears and to keep bears wild. Parents, this website has exciting NEW items geared towards kids, including activity/coloring sheets and a placemat for children. These items are a great tool for keeping kids busy and helping them learn about bears.