Community Meetings Planned for Eastern Bears Project

The Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association is inviting community members to attend a public meeting in early November to learn more about the Eastern Bears Project and help shape its direction.

The project aims to improve our understanding of grizzly bears living on the eastern edge of their range in southwestern Alberta. As grizzly bears continue to expand eastward into grassland and agricultural landscapes, there is an increasing need for local information to support effective bear management, conflict reduction, and long-term coexistence between people and bears.

These meetings will provide an opportunity for WBRA staff to share the project’s objectives, research plans, and proposed communication strategy. Participants will learn how researchers hope to study bear movements, habitat use, denning behaviour, and responses to conflict mitigation measures, and how the information collected can support both bear management and local communities.

A key goal of the meetings is to hear directly from residents, producers, and other interested community members. We are looking for feedback on the project, including questions, concerns, and suggestions that can help ensure the work is both scientifically valuable and responsive to local priorities.

The project team is also interested in connecting with landowners who may be willing to participate in the research. Future bear capture and collaring activities will only occur with landowner permission, and project staff are keen to discuss what participation would involve and answer any questions from interested producers.

Whether you are curious about bears in the area, interested in wildlife conservation, or would like to learn more about how the project could benefit local communities, we encourage you to attend.

There will be meetings in the evening on November 4 and 5 – one each in Pincher Creek and Cardston.  Locations and exact times will be finalized shortly and posted to our social media.

Bear Awareness Day

This September, we partnered with Tatsikiisaapo’p Middle School to host a Bear Awareness Day for students in Grades 6-8. The day combined hands-on learning about bear safety and coexistence with cultural knowledge shared by Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community partners. Activities included outdoor exploration, discussions about bear ecology, practice using bear spray, stewardship, and the important relationship between people, wildlife, and the land.

Wetland Field Day

This fall, we once again welcomed Grade 5 students from Cardston Elementary School for our annual Wetland Field Day at Police Outpost Provincial Park. Through hands-on activities and outdoor exploration, students had the opportunity to learn about wetlands, grasslands, biodiversity, and the importance of stewardship in our local landscape. The event is made possible through the support of partners, educators, and volunteers who help bring environmental learning to life for the next generation.

Reminder: Seeking Expressions of Interest

Just a reminder that after more than 15 years as Executive Director, Nora Manners is beginning a planned transition toward retirement. The Waterton Biosphere Region is seeking Expressions of Interest from individuals interested in helping lead the organization’s next chapter. Learn more about this exciting opportunity here.

Carnivores and Communities: A Case Study of Human-Carnivore Conflict Mitigation in Southwestern Alberta

In 2018, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association used an online survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the CACP directly from the program participants’ perspectives and experiences. The survey was organized into the following sections: demographics, general awareness and motivation to participate, safety risks and sense of security associated with large carnivores, assessment of attractant management and deadstock removal programming, and communications and future direction.

We evaluated the CACP’s bear safety workshops, deadstock removal program, and attractant management projects by collecting survey data on participants’ perspectives of the CACP’s effectiveness relative to reducing economic costs and human safety risks and completing an analysis of carnivore conflict data.

The results of our collaborative research clearly show that the CACP is having a positive impact and making progress towards reducing conflicts between people and large carnivores. We believe the CACP’s work provides a successful example of a community-based program that helps people and large carnivores better coexist on the landscape.

The full story can be found in the published paper here.

The WBRA aims to support healthy landscapes and the people who live and work here.

To stay up to date on all of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association’s upcoming programs and events be sure to visit us here on our website, Like and Follow our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.