Are You BearWise? – All Things Appalachia speaker series

Want to learn how to co-exist safely with bears?
Want to know more about black bears in North Carolina?

Ashley Hobbs with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will discuss the natural history of black bears in western NC and how safely coexist with these NC treasures.

Among topics covered will be the BearWise Initiative – which provides ways to prevent conflicts, provides resources to resolve problems, and encourages community initiatives to keep bears wild- and how to become a recognized BearWise community. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.

Presenter Bio:
Ashley Hobbs joined the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at the beginning of 2019 as the Assistant Black Bear & Furbearer Biologist. She received her BS in Forestry Resources in 2015 from The University of Georgia. Her background in human-wildlife conflict has Ashley is involved with the management of bears statewide but is local to the Asheville area. She collaborates with ongoing research in NC, such as the Urban/Suburban Black Bear Study and the Pigeon River Gorge Project. She also works with NC communities to achieve BearWise Community recognition by encouraging residents to commit to coexistence with black bears. Through her work with local communities and businesses, she has helped 4 communities achieve recognition with campgrounds, breweries, and other businesses expected to join that growing list in 2022.

All Things Appalachia is a monthly program series at the Transylvania County Library exploring the people, natural world, culture, and history of the southern Appalachian region.  Presenters include experts in the fields of history, ecology, outdoor recreation, and more.   The programs are on the first Thursday evening of most months at 6:30 pm in the Rogow Room.  Each program lasts approximately one hour. These free programs are supported by the Friends of the Library