Bear Trust International

Programs: During fiscal year 2016-2017, bear trust focused on education, research, management, habitat, and policy initiatives. In terms of education, bear trust completed the lesson module entitled "gray wolves in the northern rockies: a conservation puzzle- and disseminated it with the national science teachers association, montana fish wildlife and parks, wild sheep foundation, and numerous other venues. Bear trust also translated the wolf lesson module into a continuing education course for high school teachers. This continuing education course is currently offered through montana opi to eduactors throughout montana and beyond. The course is online, self- paced, and free. Teachers who successfully complete the course earn 5 science credits. Bear trust created a new bear telemetry lesson plan, which is a 1-day, outdoor adventure where k-3rd grade students become bear scientists who use research telemetry equipment to locate "wild" stuffed bears, learn mapping skills, and create home ranges of the class bears. Bear trust disseminated the telemetry lesson plan to over 500 youth in montana and michigan. Bear trust began two new education programs using documentary media. We are partnering with wild and stoked productions on a sun bear documentary, crafted as a call to action to raise awareness about the vulnerable sun bears and provide information about what every consumer can do to help save sun bear habitat. We are also partnering with dusty hulet on the film "bears of durango", a behind the scenes look at how black bear research is done and why we need to reduce human bear conflict if we are to ensure the future of wild bears. In terms of outreach, bear trust presented our student scientist series at the michigan science teachers conference in march 2017, at the outdoor conservation expo in victor, montana, and at the wild sheep show in reno, neveda. Bear trust attended the north american wildlife and natural resources conference in spokane, washington. Bear trust mentored six graduate and undergraduate students on various internship programs. In terms of research, bear trust successfully completed its 3-year research program on black bears in new jersey. Our phd student, jarod raithel, successfully graduated and published two papers in peer-reviewed journals and completed advanced preparation on two additional papers, which are currently in review. Bear trust is continuing the research with a new phd student, who will begin in fall, 2018. Bear trust continued its research program in india where we are using non-invasive techniques to estimate the size of this highly vulnerable bear species. In terms of management, bear trust contnued its work with indian collaborators on a program to reduce human-sloth bear conflict in gujarat, india to save lives of both humans and sloth bears. In terms of habitat conservation, bear trust and its partners successfully protected 53,000 acres of black bear habitat in the lower missisippi river valley in se usa. In terms of conservation policy, bear trust worked with the american wildlife conservation partners to contribute to conservation policy at the federal and state levels.