With all the talk about bears in our yards, garbage and fruit trees along with the two recent fatal black bear attacks it's not surprising that we want to learn as much as possible about bears, their behaviour and how best to protect ourselves, family and property from them.
I have babbled on in this column about this and that and with any luck, some of it has been absorbed. The written word is, however, one-dimensional at best and lacks the dynamics of spoken words delivered by a person who is knowledgeable and passionate about a topic. For this reason I am very happy to say that one of B.C.'s leading specialists in non-lethal methods to prevent human/wildlife conflicts is coming to town to deliver an incredibly interesting, educational and sometimes amusing presentation.
Dan LeGrandeur has more than 18 years of experience managing human/wildlife conflicts and he will be sharing his knowledge with us to help minimize potential conflicts between the residents of Squamish and the many bears that share our valley. Dan gained extensive experience dealing with a wide range of conflict situations including those in urban areas, farms, ranches and remote camps from his many years in the B.C. Conservation Service. He now is the president and chief instructor of a company that teaches non-lethal management to clients such as the RCMP, B.C. Search and Rescue, Municipalities, B.C. Forest Service and large exploration companies.
He recently told me of a job he did this summer teaching the bodyguards of Tom Cruise how to protect him from bears. Dan was also a member of Whistler's Black Bear Task Team and in 1999, he implemented Canada's first non-lethal bear management program in Whistler. He is also the chief training instructor for the Canadian Bear Alliance and the Humane Society of the United States non-lethal bear management programs. Dan was a guest speaker at the 2003 New Jersey Black Bear Conference and testified at the New Jersey State Senate Environmental Commission Hearings regarding bear/human conflicts. His knowledge further includes trapping, relocation and tranquilizing.
Presently, Dan is also a Directed Field Studies Instructor in the Conservation and Enforcement program at Lethbridge Community College. His expertise doesn't stop at bears and he will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have regarding cougars.
Our best defense against anything is knowledge so, please come out and join us at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Monday (Sept. 19) at 7 p.m. Dan is a very dynamic speaker and has tons of entertaining stories gained from his many years experience with bears.
I would like to make a special mention of West Coast Reductions for completing the monumental task of bear-proofing every grease barrel in Squamish. This undertaking was not an inexpensive endeavor for them and we very much appreciate the time and money that they spent helping Squamish to one day achieve the goal of a bear smart community. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.
Kris Hopping is the Bear Aware coordinator in Squamish.
