We?re Back Up! - UPDATE December 23, 2015
Porter - 6 months old (taken by Bear Course Attendee)
Porter - 6 months old (taken by Bear Course attendee)

We can?t have these Internet outages. Too much is happening. And when the cat?s away, the bears will play. Yesterday, Holly and Lucky had one of their most vigorous play sessions, and I couldn?t see it until late this afternoon. Thank goodness, a Lily Fan caught it on a 3 minute 41 second video. Holly and Lucky truly enjoy being together. They love to play. Play is obviously important in bear lives or they wouldn?t squander energy doing it when they are supposedly conserving energy during the 6 months of no food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww4nPDFZSVUWhen I didn?t send out any pictures, a Lily Fan from Spain filled the gap by sending me one?a beautifully detailed picture of Braveheart?s 6-month-old son Porter that she took in a Black Bear Field Course on August 5 this past year. Speaking of the Courses, we removed the last course (August 28-31) before anyone could register for it. It was too close to the bear hunting season here which begins September 1. The 8 remaining courses each start on Sunday midday and end on Wednesday midday between July 3 and August 24.
http://www.bearstudy.org/website/field-study-courses.htmlWithout updates, Lily Fans wrote their own?on the night before Christmas. It?s backed by pictures, and pictures don?t lie. Very clever!
https://www.facebook.com/notes/bff-education/a-visit-from-santa-ducky-as-told-by-ted-bear/734488566681965At the Bear Center, it is exciting to see the progress the staff is making on the big changes happening this winter. Right now, it?s the beginning of ?out with the old.? Then it will be ?in with the new.? Part of that will involve the same team that built the 4-season habitat exhibit that is getting rave reviews. They are building a new forest camping exhibit. More on that as it develops.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center