What’s New

Celebrating Success

Good news! Conflicts are down all across B.C. this year resulting in less bears being needlessly killed.

In Whistler NO bears were lost as a result of conflict with people.

Abundant natural food is the largest contributing factor to the decrease in conflicts, proving once again that bears do choose natural foods when they are available.

Lending a hand

Help bears while reducing your 2009 tax burden!

Recognizing this preference for natural foods, the Get Bear Smart Society initiated a Habitat Replacement Program three years ago. We began planting mountain ash trees (sorbus sitchensis) in areas on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains where bears could feed out of conflict with people. To date, we’ve planted over 350 trees.

The program is still somewhat experimental. We will continue to monitor the success rates of plants. We’ve been planting various different sized plants at different elevations and in varying soil conditions. Some have done better than others. And we’re starting to figure out the keys to success. Once we do, we can make good, solid recommendations to bear managers and conservationists to help save bears' lives everywhere.

We firmly believe that this program will help bears stay out of trouble during the highest conflict period – the fall – when most other berries are depleted and mountain ash berries are just starting to ripen. The berries can even survive a frost and they only get sweeter.

We need your help to fund our Habitat Replacement Program.

You can invest in the future of bears by funding the purchase of a tree or several trees. Not only will you be helping to keep bears out of trouble, but you’ll be making a positive impact on the environment. Birds and other animals like mountain ash berries as well. And it’s a carbon positive project to boot!

Learn more about the program on our website.

So today, I ask, on behalf of my furry friends and neigh-bears, that you contribute just $10 to buy a tree and save bears' lives. If you can help buy more trees… all the better. Buy a grove if you can!

DONATE NOW.

In this edition:

• What's New
• What you can do to help!