October 17-19
The black bear inhabits our psyche, penetrating our myths and legends as a symbol of strength and ferocity as well as that of shaman and healer. They invade our backyards, astounding wildlife biologists with their habits and behavior. Whether you love them or find them a nuisance, there's no ignoring the 1600 bears that live here in western Massachusetts. Join naturalist and wildlife researcher John Foster on a journey into the realm of our beloved ursid.
We'll begin with a comprehensive overview of bear facts, their history, local bear sign and tracks, hands-on materials, and personal anecdotes. We'll spend Saturday in a nearby hot spot, where we're guaranteed to discover the stories of the dozens of bears that call this astoundingly rich bear habitat home. We'll immerse ourselves in an ecological, enlightening experience of the black bear. We'll be off-trail much of the day, not hiking all the time, but you'll need to be able to keep up. It's only a picnic at lunchtime. The trekking will be interspersed with observations and time for exploring, engaging us on several different levels. When we return in the evening, there will be a fun-filled foray into the study of animal movement, stories, group discussion, and presentations designed to get everyone to dream about bears that night! Sunday morning we'll look for bear sign in Rowe's town forest and do some of our own tracking in smaller groups; this will give us a chance to synthesize our knowledge so we can return home filled with "black bear wisdom."
This holistic, engaging, and entertaining weekend on the relationship between humans and bears is designed to Heighten our perceptions of our ursive friends. We'll leave with a fresh intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual knowledge of and a deep appreciation for what it means to be a black bear in this New England landscape. Kids who want to come and can keep up are welcome at half their parent's (uncle's or grandmother's) fees.
John Foster, the founder of the New England Naturalist Training Center, has been exploring and researching New England's wild places for as long as he can remember. His passionate enthusiasm, along with years of extensive wildlife research, gives him a unique ability to show how the tiniest of details relates to the big picture. Lynn Rogers, the nation's leading black bear biologist, recognizes John as one of New England's top black bear experts. His book, Nature Spots of the Pioneer Valley, will be out this fall. Check out www.nentc.com.