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Bear Aware Program
In the Spring of 2012, Ridge Meadows Recycling is taking on a new role – Bear Aware Educator!
“Bear Aware is an educational program designed to prevent and reduce conflicts between people and bears in our communities.” Learn more about Bear Aware.
The goal is to teach people about how to avoid potential bear conflicts and how to manage bear attractants, which is the biggest problem our community faces when it comes to the presence of bears. Some bear attractants in our area include garbage, fruit, compost, birdseed, pet food, barbeques, garden produce, livestock and pets.
Rosie Wijenberg – Maple Ridge Bear Aware Coordinator
Maple Ridge is lucky to have a Bear Aware Coordinator and Provincial Conservation Officers based in our community.
Rosie Wijenberg is the Maple Ridge Bear Aware Community Coordinator recently hired by BC Conservation and the District of Maple Ridge (June 14, 2012 Media Release).
Rosie was hired to help reduce human-bear conflict through attractant management. She provides education and tips door to door, at community events, in schools, and to community groups. She can be contacted by calling 604-652-3095 or emailing mapleridge@bearaware.bc.ca
Some examples of managing attractants include putting garbage & recycling out for pickup in the morning rather than the night before, not putting birdfeeders out when they are not needed (spring, summer, and fall), securing bbqs and fridges and keeping them clean, and picking fallen fruit. Conflict prevention includes purchasing bear-resistant garbage cans, installing electric fencing, and proper care of compost.
Please report all bear sightings to BC Conservation by calling toll free 1-877-952-7277 or fill out a report online. By reporting bears at first sighting, conservation officers can get to work early to deter them away from humans, thereby having a good chance of saving the bear’s life. One of their tools is a map that pinpoints recent bear sightings.
For more information, visit the Bear Aware website.
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Conservation Officer Service