How bear aware are you?
Test your bear safety knowledge at the Revelstoke Bear Aware Society booth at the local farmers’ market.
Revelstoke Bear Aware Society (RBAS) invites you to Bear Awareness Day Saturday, May 24 with activities at its Revelstoke Farmers’ Market booth. Test your skills with bear spray demonstrations, try your hand at the all-ages colouring contest or enjoy expert talks held at the RBAS tent.
“We’re always just trying to remind and teach to get everyone on board with how to manage attractions and be bear smart,” Kait Nicol, Revelstoke Bear Aware executive director told Revelstoke Mountaineer.
RBAS will be sharing the market space with Parks Canada and conservation officers to chat all things bears . Between recreating safely in nature and keeping fruiting trees gleaned to securing residential and commercial waste, Nicol wants everyone who comes by feeling more knowledgeable on how to keep bears safe and wild.
While a warm February and early spring had some community members worried bears would make an early appearance in town, regional bears have stayed largely out of town and busy areas until recent weeks. But now RBAS and conservation officers are receiving calls about bears in neighbourhoods, in local garbage and crossing major roads. Still, Nicol encourages everyone to report bear sightings to help RBAS get the word out about bear locations and allow conservation officers to map out where bears are frequenting.
“I’m trying to debunk the myth that a reported bear is a dead bear. That’s not true. It helps us, conservation officers and bylaw take the appropriate measures preventatively to manage whatever is going on and prevent aggression. That’s what gets a bear destroyed.”
RBAS will be attending markets throughout the season and while not all the activities for Bear Awareness Day will be available, there will still be more than enough to check out.
“We have replicas of their paw prints, some claws and skulls, and I’m always happy to chat about bears around Revelstoke and share our information and hear people’s bear stories,” Nicol said.
Come by the RBAS tent at the Saturday, May 24 Revelstoke Farmers’ Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for bear spray demos, information talks, crafts, face painting and prizes. All Bear Awareness Day events at the RBAS tent are free for all ages to attend.
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