Protecting our wildlife
Bear Care Program
Written by:
Eric Karie, 1 Act a Day founding member
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Living in Boulder Colorado definitely has it's perks! It's not just the beautiful scenery that is right in our backyard, it's the wildlife that is everywhere and sometimes literally right around the corner.
I got a call from my friend Ora Goldman, who is also the founder of 1 Act a Day and she said "Eric, get your video camera and come right away!" Fortunately I lived right down the street and I was there in a few minutes. We walked a few blocks from her home and to my amazement there was an adolescent black bear that was napping in one of the neighbor's trees. There was a small crowd of people who were pretty amazed too, and all of us were watching with equal parts astonishment, awe and very honestly excitement and fear.
Ora and I were very lucky to have one of the volunteers of the Bear Care Program there, and he was very gracious to provide us with an interview. From this interview we learned some very important things to keep our wildlife protected, and very simple 1 Acts that each of us can do to keep our wildlife and ourselves safe.
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What You Can Do
Bears will come down from their natural habitat to try to find food.
Be sure your trash and compost bins are latched!
Food in trash is the biggest lure for bears.
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If the bears present a safety risk to the public there is a possibility of them being put down! If you see one, call your local Bear Coalition. If you don't have one--start one!
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Resources to learn more
This group of volunteers helps keep bears safe if they wander into the city streets until they can be safely transported to their natural habitat.
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A file explaining the city’s strategy about bears and all the things they have tried and how well they did or didn’t work. It is a very interesting read with implications well beyond bear care.