Want to
help bears and communities of the North Cascades?
The North Cascades Grizzly Bear Outreach Project (GBOP) is
working with local communities to ensure that bears can not access
"non-natural attractants" (bird feed, garbage etc) which often
results in a bear's death, or a threat to human safety. Our Bear Smart program
has partnered with Bellingham's Sanitary Service Company to get the word out.
We need volunteers to help us affix GBOP Bear Smart decals to garbage cans and
dumpsters along the Mount Baker Highway. It's actually quite fun, and will be
one of the most eye-catching steps we can take to promote education about bears
education in the Cascades!
What does it involve?
The best time to apply the decals is the first Thursday of each month (when
most people have their garbage cans out for collection). Other Thursdays would
work but you'll have fewer cans to choose from. Individuals or teams head out
early (e.g. 7 or 8am) to catch the cans while they are still curbside. We're
targeting cans anywhere east of Kendall on the Mount Baker Highway. Using a
very simple self-igniting, hand-held propane torch, the surface of the garbage
toter is warmed for 30-60 seconds and then the decal applied to the left side
of the can (see image below). We've done several dozen already and the process
is very straightforward - we just need extra hands!
If you can help out, please contact Nan Laney at:
nlaney@fidalgo.net 360 856 5076
or Chris Morgan at: chrismorgan@insightwildlife.com
THANK YOU!!
More GBOP Bear Smart information: www.bearinfo.org/bearsmart.htm
GBOP: 'Promoting
an accurate understanding of grizzly bears and their recovery in the North
Cascades Ecosystem through community education and involvement.'
