~Wildlife education~ Vancouver Island black bears eat both meat and plants, and their sense of smell and hearing is far superior to that of humans. If a hungry bear smells food waste in a barbecue or trash container or a vehicle, it will go after it. Photo credit: istock.com/eyfoto Bears are natural scavengers and have good memories, so they will return to locations where they have found food before. Bears must eat large amounts of food, so they don’t starve during the win

~Wildlife education~ It is estimated that between 16,400 and 23,000 wild animals are killed annually on roads in British Columbia, and, sadly, wildlife collisions are becoming more common. Photo credit: istock.com/Pascal-L-Marius Deer are the most often struck wildlife on BC roads, involved in nearly three out of every four wildlife collisions. Other animals impacted are bears, raccoons, wolves, cougars, beavers, muskrats, moose and elk. And before highway crews can pick u

~wildlife education~ Nesting season on Vancouver Island begins mid-March and extends through mid-September. Clearing trees or other vegetation or draining or flooding land for development, particularly if undertaken during nesting season, can harm migratory and native birds, their nests or eggs, resulting in long-term negative effects on bird populations. Photo credit: istock.com/Simon002 Before starting any clearing activity that may affect bird nests, buffer zones should be