Goals 2024-2025
Awareness
- Booths at Festivals.
- Trout Festival (Blue Ridge), Apple Festival (Ellijay);
- Public speaking to civic organizations.
- Service Projects with organizations that support the reduction of Human – Bear conflict; and,
- Black Teddy Bears for First Responders to give to Children in Distress.
Education
- Black Bear Educational Box – rubberized scat and rubberized tracks, foods, reference books in the box, etc. for the public libraries.
- “We Don’t Feed Our Wildlife” Art contest for all age groups w/prizes.
- Placemat program. Create Be Bear Wise! Children’s paper placemats for restaurants.
- Print & Distribute Educational Posters, such as the “We Don’t Feed Our Wildlife” poster.
- Develop a Black Bear lesson plan for K-8 teachers; and,
- Community School Programs.
Safety
- Develop a series of classes to educate the public about Black Bears. Record and put on YouTube and public TV.
- Appear before city and county commissions, HOA’s, the cabin rental industry, and civic organizations to advocate for policies that help reduce Human / Bear conflict.
- Stay decisively engaged at the local, state, and Federal government agencies, chambers of commerce, the tourism and travel industry, corporate entities, nonprofits, and volunteers to partner to protect the American black bear; and,
- Recruit, train, and certify Volunteers to bring awareness and educate the public to reduce Human – Bear conflict.
- Continue to develop original and unique content for the website and social media platforms.
- Volunteer for and participate with the USFS’s 2023 Appalachia Georgia Black Bear Bait Station Survey.