Bear Smart UM: Creating a University Campus Safe for Bears and Students

Author

Kailie Blanco, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Eliana Lowe, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Nieset LeFevre, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Kailie Todd, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Ridley Hudson, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Joshua Moyar, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow
Emily Cook, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Graduation Year

2023

Graduation Month

May

Document Type

Professional Paper

Faculty Mentor

Eva Rocke

Keywords

bear management, student safety, black bear, campus safety, waste management, bear safe trash

Abstract

Universities nestled in the mountains across the globe like the University of Montana may find themselves dealing with human-bear conflict while lacking the proper resources to approach management. At UM, there has been an increase in bear activity over the past five years and it is expected to increase. Developing a plan to prevent bear activity on campus can be costly, time-consuming, and tedious. Our student group’s solution includes two intertwining parts: A bear management plan and educational outreach surrounding bear safety. The recommendations in the bear management plan were created by consulting bear-conflict specialists from Missoula County, craftspeople who construct bear-proof enclosures, and hotspots for bear activity gathered by the UM Chapter of the Wildlife Society. The bear management plan includes recommendations related to waste management for different locations on campus, fruit trees and native plants that are bear attractants, and a corresponding budget. The educational outreach

has involved creating informational PowerPoints and flyers and presenting them to classes at UM to educate students about bear-safe behavior and to encourage students to attend our bear spray safety demonstration by the Bear Aware Campaign on April 4, 2023. Both parts of our project are essential in providing useful solutions for UM as we move into yet another bear season and seek to reduce bear-human conflict.

Honors College Research Project

No

GLI Capstone Project

yes

Recommended Citation

Blanco, Kailie; Lowe, Eliana; LeFevre, Nieset; Todd, Kailie; Hudson, Ridley; Moyar, Joshua; and Cook, Emily, "Bear Smart UM: Creating a University Campus Safe for Bears and Students" (2023). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 411.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/411