Florida Black Bear Curriculum

The Florida Black Bear Curriculum is a joint project of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Defenders of Wildlife. The CREW Trust partners with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) and the Big Cypress National Preserve to bring this workshop to southwest Florida.

June 18th 2004 marked the first Black Bear Workshop held at CREW. 32 participants attended the event, facilitated by Lisa Andrews of the Big Cypress National Preserve, Chip Bilbrey of the FFWCC, and Deb Hanson of CREW. Additional funding for participant stipends came from the Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

The workshop combines the Florida Black Bear Curriculum - an informative guide to the natural history of Florida's threatened black bears with activities for grades 3 - 8 - and the "Be Bear Aware" campaign to inform residents about safe ways to live in  bear country.

For more information about this curriculum project, go to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website at http://myfwc.com/educator/blkbear.htm.

A typical Agenda for our Florida Black Bear Workshop:

Sign in, Pre-test
9:00     Welcome / Introductions / Ice breaker
9:15     Black Bear Trek - Orientation to Curriculum
9:45     What Makes a Bear a Bear? (p. 1)
10:30   Tracking Bears (p. 95)
11:10   Telemetry activity
11:30   Be Bear Aware
            Human-Bear Conflict Video
            Nuisance Bears
            Be Bear Aware goody bags
12:15   Lunch
12:45   Bear Neighbors (p. 113)
1:15     Black Bear Trivial Pursuit
            Implementation strategies & additional resources
            Q & A - all
1:45     Post-test and Evaluations
2:00     Dismiss

Telephone: 239-657-2253       FAX: 239-657-8392

Postal address

23998 Corkscrew Road, Estero, FL  33928

E-mail:

General Information: crewtrust@earthlink.net
Webmaster: brenda_crew@earthlink.net & jeffgkey@comcast.net