A black bear shown in this archive photo. Local bear expert Lyle Willmarth says he spotted a large male bear Monday a few miles north of Bayfield.Durango Herald file
Bear Smart Durango will host a series of live online presentations beginning May 26 to provide a better understanding of black bears and to highlight best practices to reduce human-bear conflicts.
Presentations will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and time will be reserved for questions and answers.
Links to the presentations and more information can be found on Bear Smart’s website.
The series will present steps people can take to make the area safe for both humans and bears as well as ways to stay safe in bear country.
Five presentations are planned:
On May 26, Daryl Ratajczak, former bear coordinator for the Tennessee Wildlife Agency and the Appalachian Bear Center, will present “The Language of Bears: How Bears Communicate with us Through Vocalizations and Body Posturing.”
On June 3, Gillian Sanders, a British Columbia-based grizzly and black bear mitigation specialist, will present “Electric Fencing to Protect Chickens, Bees, Small Livestock and Fruit Trees from Bears.”
On June 10, Janel Scharhag, wildlife biologist and human-bear conflict researcher, will present “Non-fatal Attacks by Black Bears in the Lower United States 2000-17.”
On June 16, John Hechtel, a retired Alaska Fish and Game grizzly and black bear specialist, will present “Staying Safe in Bear Country.”
On June 23, members of Colorado Parks and Wildlife will present “Being Bear Aware Helps Keep Our Communities and Bears Safe.”
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