BearWise
To keep bears wild, what YOU do really matters. It starts with being aware and being BearWise. Our volunteers provide information and education about bears and bear-human interactions at events and through presentations to interested groups.
Be BearWise
Virginia's black bears are the commonwealth's greatest conservation success story. Today, about 20,000 bears live across Virginia, up from about 2,000 in the early 20th century. Wherever you live, work, or recreate in the commonwealth, you are in bear country. To keep people and bears safe, NRV Master Naturalists in partnership with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, provide a range of education programs on bear biology, life history, and strategies to prevent human-bear conflicts and to keep bears wild. Contact us to arrange a BearWise event or presentation.
Virginia Tech researchers studying hibernating bears with financial support from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Photo by Matt Gentry for The Roanoke Times, copyright 2015.