Defenders of Wildlife Releases "Living With Black Bears" DVD; Observes Bear Awareness Week, May 15-21
"The 'Living with Black Bears' DVD will enhance bear awareness for those who visit and live in bear country," said Cynthia Wilkerson, California Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. "This presentation includes simple tips that residents and visitors can use to minimize conflicts with black bears in the Tahoe area. We hope that people will take responsibility for sharing habitat with bears by adopting these guidelines into their daily lives. Increasing bear awareness in Tahoe will improve the quality of life for both bears and humans."
Some of the bear awareness steps include never feeding bears, properly securing and storing garbage until collection day, using bear-proof containers for food and trash while traveling in the backcountry, keeping pet food inside, and avoiding the use of bird feeders from early spring through late fall, when bears are active.
Defenders of Wildlife is a proud member of the Tahoe Council for Wild Bears (TCWB), whose goal is to keep bears alive and wild by reducing human/bear conflicts in the Tahoe region through a community education campaign and conservation program. Other participants in TCWB include The BEAR League, U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Department of Wildlife, California Department of Fish and Game, the Humane Society of the United States, and other like-minded organizations and individuals. A number of these groups are also commemorating Bear Awareness Week through volunteer trainings and presentations.
"In the future, Defenders of Wildlife hopes to expand upon our successful efforts in the Tahoe region and draw attention to other regions of the state where humans and bears have increasingly come into conflict, including Mariposa, Shasta, and Humboldt counties, and the Big Bear Lake area in Southern California," added Wilkerson.
For information on how to bear-proof your property, camping tips, where to find bear-proof containers, and much more, visit the TCWB website at Tahoe Wild Bears.
If you are interested in getting a copy of "Living with Black Bears in the Tahoe Region," contact Pamela Flick at 916-313-5805 or pamela.flick@defenders.org.
To find out more about black bears, click here .
###
Defenders of
Wildlife is one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and
habitat, and was named "Best Wildlife Charity" by Readers Digest in 2005. With
nearly 1 million members, supporters and electronic advocates, Defenders is an
effective voice for wildlife and
habitat.
Contact(s):
Cynthia Wilkerson, (916) 313-5810Pamela Flick, (916) 313-5805