“The Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears, Inc. was founded as a result of the Founder & Co-Founder wanting to do something about reducing Black Bear road-kill. We try to give some dignity to a tragic situation. We collect scientific data, take pictures, do an external examination of the Black Bear, pull a pre-molar, and depending on location, we will collect other data we provide to Georgia DNR in the form of a written report.”
The Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears Organization Represented at the 6th International Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop
The Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears (AG-FOB) organization was represented at the 6th International Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop held October 16-20, 2022 in Lake Tahoe, NV. AG-FOB Co-Founders, Gerald and Connie Hodge recently attended the Pathways to Progress: Connecting People, Conserving Bears themed workshops where Gerald presented Social Media, an Economic Enabler for Proactive Education and Outreach by Gerald Hodge, Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears. Read More About This Event
November 29th is Giving Tuesday!
November 29, 2022 is GIVING TUESDAY! Don’t miss this opportunity to donate to Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears on that day or any Tuesday throughout the year. To Donate, please visit https://www.gagives.org/organization/Appalachia-Georgia-Friends-Of-The-Bears.
Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears 2022 Report Card
Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears’ mission is to reduce Human – Bear conflict through proactive educational outreach programs, increasing public awareness about coexisting with Black Bears, the use of humane bear deterrents, and advocacy. The fight and advocacy for our Appalachia Georgia American Black Bears will never end!
Growing Pains!
We celebrate our 2nd Birthday on Thursday, June 03, 2021! We are taking the opportunity to take a look at ourselves, where we have been, and where we are going, and as always, the future looks challenging but hopeful! We are doing some branding and rebranding and will have a new logo soon that we are excited about!
Over the next twenty-nine days, you will notice a few changes on how the website looks and some of its capabilities. It will become more dynamic and interactive for our visitors. Humans will be able to see an “Events Calendar,” a blog post, and other features that will help us engage the public that is not on social media. Speaking of social media . . .
We have noted through our conversations with the public, that many people have dropped off of Facebook specifically and social media in general over the past eighteen months and do not intend to return. In addition, there is currently a conflict between Apple iOS 14.X’s privacy changes and Facebook. This conflict results in any marketing data gathered by Facebook being incomplete when it is provided to the end customer, digital advertisers. This cuts into Facebook’s bottom line. As a result, Facebook is “saber-rattling” that Facebook will become a “pay to play” platform sometime in the future. If so, we foresee more people leaving the social media platform. We want to be prepared for any transition because our mission to reduce human-bear conflict will not change. We still need to reach the public whether it is on social media or not.
Improvise, adapt, and overcome!
Another item we will be adding to our tool bag is an e-Newsletter! The e-Newsletter will be published at least once a month, but we are aiming to publish it twice a month. It will have exclusive content not available on social media. We would like to hear your thoughts on what you would like to see in an e-Newsletter! E-mail us with your thoughts! More to come on that in the near future!
#humanbearconflict
Coexisting With Bears
Coexisting With Bears
(July 24, 2021-July 24, 2021)
Bears. Want to know how to coexist with bears in your area? Come to the Gilmer County Library, where Gerald from the Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears will be discussing coexisting communities with a bear presence. Learn facts and tricks to live in peace with the bears
Location: Gilmer County Library
Contact: Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears
If You Were A Bear
If You Were A Bear
(July 24, 2021-July 24, 2021)
Join Gerald Hodge from The Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears as he introduces children to the wonderful and wild world of the American Black Bear. Children will learn about their habits and habitats, what they eat, where they live and how to coexist. This event is designed for families with children from ages 6 – 12.
Location: Gilmer County Library
Contact: Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears
Black Bear Sighting Report
The Black Bear Spot Report is a reporting survey to help the Appalachia Georgia Friends of the Bears track Black Bear populations. If you spot a bear, please use the “Enter Black Bear Sighting” button below to add a marker on the map where you spotted the bear. The Black Bear Spot Report form includes providing your name and some contact information, in case we have further questions. We will not post the pictures on the website or social media unless we obtain permission for it from you as provided in the reporting form.