Raising Awareness
Raising awareness of the
Andean bear
is an important part of the Andean Bear Foundation's work.
Also
known as spectacled bears, the bears are little-known and often
misunderstood. Information available on the internet about
Andean
bears is often out of date or incorrect.
Andean bears
have lived in close
proximity to humans for generations in some areas, but many local
people
know
little about these timid, elusive animals. Due to lack of
information and education, many villagers
needlessly fear that
the bears will attack them. The Andean Bear Project
works
with local communities in bear habitat to help them to co-exist without
human-bear
conflict. Our
community education programme is an important part of raising
awareness, but biologists and volunteers
also chat with
local farmers and encourage families and communities to help
us conserve the Andean bears.
Colorful bear murals in
rural
communities help raise awareness even where people have limited
literacy. We are always looking for more mural
artist volunteers to help with this campaign.
Nationally, many
Ecuadorians don't
even know that there are bears in their country, never mind knowing
anything about them. We are developing a spanish-language
website
to share information for those in Latin American countries.
Armando Castellanos, President of the Andean Bear Foundation,
is
often asked to speak at seminars or events for young biologists and
conservationists. In the future we hope to create more
awareness in urban areas of Ecuador about the Andean bear.
At an international
level, Andean bear
expert Armando Castellanos publishes the results of his research in
scientific publications and peer-reviewed journals and we provide
information on this website in a format more accessible to the general
public. Bubu the Andean bear is something of an ambassador
for
his species and worked hard at raising awareness and providing
information on his Facebook profile, which has now been replaced by the Andean Bear Foundation's Facebook Page. Volunteer opportunities on
our Andean bear research project allow biologists, conservationists and
wildlife lovers from around the world to participate in scientific
research into the bears. Volunteers return to their
universities
and employers and spread the word about the Andean bears.
Armando
occasionally runs radio-telemetry workshops in Ecuador and further
afield in neighbouring countries to train a new generation of
biologists in field research.
The Andean
Bear Bubu Zazzle Store
offers a range of beautiful products featuring Andean bears and in this
way, Andean bear supporters around the world can help raise awareness
with their tshirts, mousepads, mugs and much more. Part of
the
price goes to the Andean Bear Foundation, too. Thank you for
your
support!
Andean
Bear Conservation Project: Raising Awareness
The Andean Bear Conservation Project works to raise awareness in local
communities, nationally and internationally.
