Sep 29-Oct 1, 2006
The bear inhabits our psyche, penetrating our myths and legends as a symbol of strength and ferocity, of shaman and healer. Bears penetrate our backyards, astounding wildlife biologists with their habits and behavior. Whether you love them, fear them, or find them a nuisance, the 1600 bears in western Massachusetts cannot be ignored.
We’ll begin with a comprehensive overview of bear facts, history, local bear sign and tracks, personal anecdotes, and hands-on materials. Saturday we’ll visit a nearby hot spot where we’re guaranteed to discover the signs of the dozens of bears that call this bear habitat home. We’ll be off-trail, and 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 open-ended exploring. Saturday evening we’ll take a fun-filled foray into animal movement, stories, group discussion, and presentations designed to get everyone to dream about bears. 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.”
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 grandma’s) fees.
Naturalist and wildlife researcher 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 and years of extensive research give 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, is almost done, see www.nentc.com.