A free grizzly bear safety workshop is being hosted by WildSafeBC and Grizzly Bear Solutions at Creston’s Millenium Park on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m.
“Learn how to prevent bear conflicts and how to respond safely if/when you encounter a grizzly bear. Safety training will include hands-on practise with inert bear spray,” said WildSafeBC community coordinator Rosie Wijenberg.
The workshop will be led by Gillian Sanders of Grizzly Bear Solutions, who has 19 years of field experience in grizzly bear conservation.
Wijenberg said that the workshop is geared towards all residents of the Creston Valley: farmers, dog walkers, birdwatchers, hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders and more.
“As we enter fall, our local bears are becoming especially active as they try to eat anything they can get their paws on in preparation for winter denning,” she said. “This can be a time of increased human-wildlife conflict as bears try to access human-sourced foods or as we spend time in their habitat engaging in our favourite autumnal recreational activities.”
READ MORE: Wijenberg: Manage your fruit trees
Wijenberg will also be hosting a series of related wildlife safety events throughout the month:
- An information booth with mini safety workshops and bear spray demos at the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area on Sept. 12
- A wildlife safety and attractant management talk at the Crawford Bay Park gazebo on Sept. 13.
- A wildlife safety workshop and bear spray demonstration for the Creston Trails Society on Sept. 19
To register for an event, participants are asked to email grizzlybearsolutions@gmail.com or selkirkpurcell@wildsafebc.com.
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