Presentations

Bear Smart Presentations are provided to special interest groups or conferences by request. You can choose the topic, length of presentation and format (powerpoint, lecture, video, mixed media) that best suits your group.

Presentations are both entertaining and interactive, with ample opportunity for questions. More information.

Bear Viewing & Adventures - see Bear Viewing Books

Katmai Coastal Bear Tours - Katmai National Park, Alaska
This trip is for the serious ursophile as well as anyone seeking a unique Alaska bear experience. It is the best place to photograph grizzly bears in North America - not to mention the incredible backdrop of glaciers and mountains rising from the sea. Katmai Coastal Bear Tours is an ecologically minded, small ship cruise business, working primarily in Alaska's remote Katmai National Park and Preserve.
Meet the bears of Katmai.

Black Bear Field Study Course - Minnesota
Courses emphasize daily close-up observation of wild bears to learn their vocalizations, body language, social organization, ecology, and how people can better coexist with them. The small class size (8) maximizes individual opportunities to participate in close-up black bear research. Daily 45-minute discussions and slide presentations amplify the information learned directly from the bears. The course offers an unprecedented opportunity to safely observe bears including mothers interacting with their cubs. Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield are co-instructors.

Grizzly Adventures - Knight Inlet
Enjoy the majesty of the snow-capped coastal mountains as you explore spectacular Knight Inlet to find grizzly bears. As the snows melt, both black and grizzly bears emerge from their hibernation dens on the mountain slopes. They make their way down to feed on the spring sedge grasses in the river lowlands. At low tide the bears also feed along the inlet beaches, eating seaweed and turning over rocks to find crabs, barnacles and mussels.During the fall, you can experience the thrill of a lifetime watching grizzly bears catch salmon on the spawning channels of a BC coastal stream. View the bears in safety from the boat, the top of a camouflaged safari van or viewing stands. Your guides are professional biologists and have the most experience with the grizzly bears in this area. As you watch the grizzlies fish, wrestle and frolic your guide will interpret their behavior. Bring lots of film. There's lots of action.

Vince Shute Wildlife Sancturary, Minnesota
The Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary near Orr, Minnesota, is a place of wonder where people can learn about black bears by observing them in their natural habitat from an elevated viewing platform. The Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary, in the North Woods of Minnesota, provides a unique opportunity to view and to photograph the intimate world of the normally reclusive black bear. A must stop on any vacation through the area.

Whistler-Blackcomb Bear Viewing Tours, British Columbia
Accompany researcher Michael Allen as he guides you on a three hour tour through the black bear habitat of Whistler Blackcomb Mountains in British Columbia. In a comfortable 4 x 4 vehicle, you will visit active bear dens, daybeds and feeding sites and perhaps witness evening play between a mother and her cubs.

McNeil River Game Sanctuary, Alaska
Nowhere else in the world can a person, at the peak of the season, expect to photograph a group of 40 or more wild brwon bears and see up to perhaps 100 individual bears come and go. A permit system and user fees are required at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. Permits must be won in a lottery. The appication can be found on their website. If you're lucky enough to win this one.. you'll have the experience of a lifetime!

Ocean Light II Adventures, British Columbia
OCEAN LIGHT II ADVENTURES has been in operation for 28 years on the BC Coast. Tours include the grizzly bears of the Khutzeymateen Valley and the Spirit Bears of Princess Royal Island. The operator's (Tom Ellison and Jenn Broom) focus has always been on the environment, priding themselves on no to low impact travel, leaving areas as they were found. They also hope that by increasing people's awareness, they will be able to preserve our trees, fish, bears and wildlife that make BC a unique coastal habitat.

Great Bear Foundation Field Courses - led by Dr. Charles Jonkel
Adventure combined with learning. Courses include the Polar Bears of Churchill; Spirit Bears of BC; Capturing, Drugging, Handling, Caring for Bears and Other Animals.

For more information on bear viewing tours, visit the Bear Viewing Association website. Email: gobearviewing@hotmail.com

Bear Safety Courses

BEARsCARE Staying Safe in Bear Country Course
Staying Safe in Bear Country is a comprehensive 4 hour Bear Safety course that is specifically designed to reduce risk when working or recreating in bear country. The course focuses on bear behaviour and the understanding that bears are more predictable than most of us think. Any interaction with a bear has an element of risk. Some risk from bears is real but generally much less than most people fear. This course will enable the student to assess the risks and take the appropriate action when they meet a bear.

McCrory Wildlife Services Ltd.
Wayne McCrory is a professional biologist and ecosystem research expert who specializes in bears. McCrory has published numerous reports on bear ecology and conservation as well as bear hazard studies in numerous parks, developing programs to minimize conflicts between people and bears. He has also carried out environmental impact assessments, including the impacts of clearcut logging and roading on bears and other wildlife. He has published or co-authorerd 7 scientific papers on his work and over 45 technical reports. He also offers bear safety education courses.

Get Bear Smart Society
Bear Encounter Preparedness - Providing an understanding of the bears, both black and grizzly, beyond the fear. This course provides an entirely new view into the bear's world. Before you set out into the wilderness, take time to familiarize yourself with bear behaviour. Know how to react. Make your encounter a safe and enjoyable experience. (length: 2 hours, or half day)

Working in Bear Country - A comprehensive half day bear safety course that is specifically designed to minimize risk when working in bear country. The course focuses on bear behaviour and reducing human injury and property damage from bears. This course will enable the participant to assess the risks and take the appropriate action when they meet a bear. We will also review field safety, camp safety, bear detection systems, bear deterrents and bear response planning.

Custom Courses - We can customize a course to suit your needs. Any content. Any length. Just let us know what you need and we’ll design the course.

Internships

Vince Shute Wildlife Sactuary Internship

This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for internships in envrionmental education.

Interning at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary provides a great opportunity to gain valuable experience in working with wildlife, natural resources, and environmental education.

Your experience will instill a new appreciation of and respect for black bears.