bear spray
When recreating in bear country, your best strategy to avoid an encounter is to make lots of noise, stay in groups and be alert for signs of bears. In the rare case of an aggressive confrontation, bear spray is your best defense. Learn what to look for when purchasing bear spray and how to use it effectively.
attractant management resources
Attractants include natural foods such as fruit-bearing shrubs and trees, as well as unnatural, human-related foods like garbage, coolers, compost, bird feeders and domestic livestock and pets. Learn more what you can do to reduce attractants at home.
Trail closures and warnings
Before heading out on the trails in bear country, check out these up-to-date trail warnings and closures from Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park.
© Amar Athwal
LIVING SMART WITH WILDLIFE
Bears, cougars, wolves, and elk are all residents of the Bow Valley. While in most cases wildlife have no interest in encountering humans, confrontations do happen. Learn more about what you can do to avoid negative encounters.
Recreation and Wildlife
Outdoor activities help connect people to nature, often strengthening our interest in protecting natural ecosystems that we love. However, recent studies suggest that outdoor recreation is adversely impacting wildlife in the Bow Valley. The Biosphere Institute’s goal is to turn a situation of potential conflict — between wildlife and trail users — into an opportunity for improved coexistence.
nature for newcomers
Nature for Newcomers provides New Canadians and English as a Second Language residents and visitors with information on wildlife safety in their native language.
living with wildlife film
The 25-minute documentary Living with Wildlife illustrates the culture around living with wildlife in the Bow Valley, described as the busiest place in the world where people and grizzly bears continue to coexist.
speaker series recordings
Over the years, the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley has made recordings from some of our Speaker Series presentations. They are available to listeners here.