End of Season for WildSafeBC

The bears are almost all denned up for the winter, as is the WildSafeBC Program for the Sunshine Coast.

The program’s goal is to prevent conflict with wildlife through education, collaboration, and community solutions.

This season, we achieved this goal by sharing information about attractant management. Ensuring that attractants such as garbage, compost, and fruit are secured and inaccessible to wildlife is essential in keeping both our community, and wildlife safe.

WildSafeBC’s local coordinator, Julie McNeil, has worked with the community to prevent negative outcomes for wildlife and for people by providing wildlife information and conflict-reduction strategies to residents, visitors, and the business community.

Education outreach has included community events, bin tagging, door-to-door canvassing, wildlife awareness and safety presentations, bear spray workshops, and WildSafe Ranger presentations in schools. To learn more about what we were able to accomplish this year, please view our year-end report, scheduled to be released in December at https://wildsafebc.com/resources/community-reports/

While the bears may be soon in their dens, there are many other animals that do not hibernate such as cougar, elk, coyotes, and deer. We encourage everyone to become more familiar with the wildlife that may be passing through our communities. Please report sightings of bears, wolves or cougars in urban/residential areas, or wildlife in conflict, to the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.  Please visit wildsafebc.com and follow their Facebook page for updates, tips, and other information to assist you in keeping wildlife wild and your community safe!

WildSafeBC Sunshine Coast is grateful for the generous support the program receives from its funders including the Sunshine Coast Regional District, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, and the Province of BC.

About British Columbia Conservation Foundation:

The British Columbia Conservation Foundation (BCCF) is a not-for-profit organization. BCCF’s mission is to promote and assist in the conservation of the fish and wildlife resources of the Province of British Columbia through the protection, acquisition or enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat.