Bear Smart Tip of the Month

Building a Bear Smart Movement

Bears and humans share most of the North American continent. What's ours is theirs, theirs ours. We have no choice but to learn to coexist with our ursine neighbours. Human populations continue to expand into bear habitat, and bears continue to do what bears have always done: roam the woods from late spring to early winter, looking for mates and food (especially food!) so they can reproduce and raise their cubs to do the same.

The bears aren't going anywhere, and neither are we. We must learn to coexist, and the onus is on us.

Help us build a movement of Bear Smart individuals and communities who are committed to managing our affairs in ways that don't put bears (and people) at risk.

Bear-proof your home, then help your neighbours do the same.

Join the local Bear Smart organization - and if there isn't one, start one.

Work with local government officials to ensure your community has done everything it can do to secure attractants from bears.

Most of all, collaborate with other like-minded people across Canada and the United States to share inspiration and hope - and to create an undeniable groundswell of support for bears and Bear Smartness that will allow people and bears to coexist forever.

What’s New

Picture book to be released next month

A Whistler Bear Story
by Sylvia Dolson and Katherine Fawcett

An unbeatable combination of incredible photography and thought-provoking writing, it's a rare and magical journey into a world few people know. The adventures and misadventures of the black bears who call Whistler home will make you smile, shake your head, stop and think and sometimes wonder what might have been. Dolson and Fawcett have created a book that's enlightening, insightful and a joy to read. 64 pages, soft cover, full colour picture book.

Pre-order A Whistler Bear Story for only $10 plus shipping. Click here. Price in effect until December 15th. Delivery just in time for Christmas. Regular price is $14.95.

GBS Welcomes Lori Homstol aboard

We are pleased to welcome Lori to the Get Bear Smart team. She will act as scientific advisor. Lori's specialty is bear behaviour and human-bear conflict.

She is a wildlife biologist based in Whistler, BC. In 2005, Lori was hired to help the BC Ministry of Environment assess the efficacy of non-lethal bear management in Whistler. She is currently completing a Master of Science degree at the University of Alberta. Her thesis is focused on applying theories of how animals learn to make non-lethal management more effective. She has a keen interest in bear behaviour, specifically how it relates to conflict with humans. Her Karelian Bear Dog, Sisko is often by her side contributing to the job at hand.

Click here to learn more about her research in Whistler.

Help us improve our new website

As you can see, we’ve given our website a makeover. We think it’s pretty good, but we also know it could be better. And for that, we need your help.

Please send us your favourite journal articles, reports, news articles, op-eds, or other information related to coexisting with bears. We’ll add them to our online database so they can help others improve their BearSmart IQ.

Click here to make your submission today.

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