May 23, 2020: A bear has been sighted near Cavedale and Moon Mt. Road in the Mayacamas and across the Valley at Jack London State Park and Grove Street in Sonoma.  The bear has been seen rooting around trash and approached buildings.

Over the past few years, bears have moved into the Mayacamas, and are now becoming a regular neighbor of our wildlands.  They are more visible in this season, (May, June, July) when juvenile bears disperse.  This means that young bears move away from their mothers and seek their own home range.  That is most likely what the Cavedale bear is up to: looking for a safe place to set up shelter.  But occasionally, when they’re wandering to find a new home, they get mixed up with all of our human garbage and see them as food resources.  Poor bears; challenging for the humans too.

You can help these dispersing bears and us humans by making sure they don’t get habituated to our food and garbage that surrounds them.

Bears in your area?  What You Can Do:

1. Trash, pet food, bird feeders, beehives, and compost are very attractive.  Please do not leave these food sources outside.  Put garbage cans out on the morning of pickup, not the night before.
2. Use noise to deter bears when they approach your house or other attractants on your property.  Pots and pans, whistles, car horns, and yelling can do the trick.
3. Help our organization by donating and joining our email list.