Welcome to the Get Bear Smart Website
This site was originally created by the Get Bear Smart Society (GBSS), a key founder of the Bear Smart Community movement, with its groundbreaking Whistler Bear Smart program in British Columbia. GBSS has been a catalyst in bear education and Bear Smart Community work, helping people manage attractants and encouraging managers to choose non-lethal options. The Whistler program and other programs continue to serve as models for other communities. To expand this important work, GBSS handed off this website after 27 years of operations. The Get Bear Smart website is now managed by People and Carnivores … continue
Becoming a Bear Smart Community
The small town of Virginia City used to have black bears walking up and down Main Street, knocking over garbage cans in search of food. With grizzly bears getting closer to town, too, they decided it was time to get Bear Smart and make their town a safe place for people and bears. Watch the video to learn more.
Explore Bear Smart Resources
-
Live
Bears follow their noses. So the first rule of being Bear Smart is to not attract bears. This starts at home by securing attractants like garbage, birdseed, fruit trees, and pet food.
-
Recreate
Seeing a bear when you’re out hiking, biking, or camping can enhance your outdoor experience. Knowing what to do if you encounter a bear will keep you and the bear safe.
-
Work
When working in bear country—running a restaurant, drilling oil, running a ranch, or building a house—how you operate makes a difference. You can make your workplace safe for people and bears.
-
Community Initiatives
The Bear Smart Community program provides guidance on how to become Bear Smart—for community members and their towns, cities, subdivisions/HOAs, resorts, or other groups.