VISITORS TO MY MOM'S HOUSE IN SCANDIA, PA 22MAI18

MOMMA black bear and her three (yep, THREE cubs) came to visit at Mom's house in Scandia, Pennsylvania this afternoon. My brother Kirk said Smiley, mom's little mutt dog was out on the deck when all of the sudden he was barking and snarling and charged off the deck. Kirk came out it time to see momma bear treeing her cubs and then she turned, stood up facing Smiley and was growling. Kirk was out on the deck screaming for Smiley to come back to the house because that bear would kill him with one good swipe of her paws (the cubs in the picture are just a little bigger than Smiley) and he finally did come back t the house unharmed. Kirk said they went back into the house and momma got her cubs out of the tree and they eventually wandered off into the woods. 

SAVE THE GEORGE WASHINGTON NATIONAL FOREST IN VA & WV 9SEP11

EVERYONE in the Metro D.C. region should be concerned about the fate of the George Washington National Forest and should exercise their right to speak out in favor of protecting it. Click the link to participate in this call to action from the NRDC....

Protect the George Washington National Forest Tell the Forest Service to reject plans for irresponsible gas drilling and logging in this natural treasure. We need your help to save vulnerable wildlife habitat in the George Washington National Forest from being industrialized and destroyed! Please tell officials at the Forest Service to reject any plans for the George Washington National Forest that call for irresponsible natural gas drilling and commercial logging. The Forest Service is now inviting public comments on a ten-to-fifteen-year management plan for the national forest that could include hundreds of new natural gas wells and increased logging. Drilling this forest would be a disaster. Located less than 100 miles from Washington, DC and spanning more than 1 million acres in Virginia and West Virginia, this national forest is a recreational oasis for millions of people in a densely populated region. Home to the headwaters of the Potomac and James Rivers, the forest also supplies clean drinking water to local communities and contains vital habitat for many species, including the endangered Indiana bat, black bears, wild brook trout, ruffed grouse, and countless migratory songbirds. Please make your voice heard and help protect the George Washington National Forest from irresponsible industrial development. Send a message urging the Forest Service to preserve the wild nature of the George Washington National Forest for future generations to enjoy. Thanks for taking action to save our national forests. Sincerely, Frances Beinecke President Natural Resources Defense Council

A BEAR!

I have been home in PA all week. I live in Virginia, but home has always been and will be Scandia, Pennsylvania. It has been a beautiful week, and I have had a really good time. Thursday I went to dinner with my friends Derek and Pam McKown. We were driving to the Horseshoe Inn in Onoville, NY (great food and atmosphere, check it out if you are ever in the area) about 1930 and out of the woods wanders a beautiful black bear. That is not uncommon in the area, but this bear really had us laughing. It started across the road, stopped, looked at us, turned and headed back where it came from, then turned around and started back across the road again and then decided to sit in the middle of the right lane! It was a cute bear, jet black with the classic round ears straight up giving a very comical look. Pam moved the car just a little bit so the bear got up and wandered into the woods on the right of the road, when we pulled up slowly there it was just sitting in the woods, looking at us, and then it finally got up and wandered deeper into the woods. It was so cool to see and made us laugh at times during dinner, which was great. Thanks Derek and Pam!

DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE E NEWS 12NOV10

UPDATES and actions on bluefin tuna, wolves, polar bears, renewable energy and more.....

Help Save Struggling Bluefins Atlantic bluefin tuna are amazing fish. Weighing up to 1,500 pounds, these silvery torpedoes can reach speeds of around 60 miles per hour -- making them one of the fastest fish in the sea. These submarine speedsters were already in steep decline due to overfishing. But now, the western Atlantic bluefin faces a new threat: the heart of its breeding range was tainted by millions of barrels of oil from BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster. Bluefins need your voice as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna meets on November 17th. Take action now: Urge the Obama Administration to support international efforts to ban bluefin tuna fishing in and near vital spawning grounds. Feature Renewed Energy At its best, energy from the sun, wind and other renewable sources can reduce pollution, curb greenhouse gas emissions and help wildlife survive a changing climate. But at its worst, renewable energy can devastate habitat for desert tortoises and other wildlife struggling to survive. From fighting the recently defeated pro-polluter Proposition 23 in California to working to ensure large-scale renewable energy projects take wildlife and wild places into account, Defenders is helping to ensure that renewables reach their clean energy, wildlife-friendly potential. Learn more about how Defenders is working to ensure that renewable energy is "smart from the start." Get the latest on our work on renewable energy from Defenders Blog: Wins for Wildlife Protection-Plus for Polar Bears? Last week, a federal judge ordered the Department of the Interior to revisit its decision to list polar bears as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, opening the door to an "endangered" listing and the increased protections these bears deserve and so desperately need. >>Learn more from the Wall Street Journal Anti-Poison Petition Grows Nearly 75,000 Defenders supporters have written to the EPA urging a ban on two terrible wildlife poisons. >>If you haven’t already, take action now Manatee Protections Strengthened U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have responded to increasing manatee deaths by issuing an emergency rule to protect these struggling marine mammals. The rule establishes a refuge covering a key warm-water wintering haven for manatees in Kings Bay, Florida. >>Learn more >>November is Manatee Awareness Month. Learn more about how you can protect these gentle "sea cows." Defending Wildlife Black Magic, The Boy Wizard and Owls Owls in India are in decline due to an increase in trapping for domestic use -- but could the cause be due to the popularity of Harry Potter? Or is there black magic to blame? India’s Environment Minister blames the fame of the boy wizard, while TRAFFIC -- a wildlife trade watchdog -- sees increased trapping linked to animal sacrifice, traditional medicine and street performers. Instead of snagging owls from the wild, Geeks of Doom blogger “Empress” Eve Conte suggests another path -- none other than the Defenders’ Wildlife Adoption Center. Learn more on Defenders Blog Visit the Wildlife Adoption Center to find a wild gift for you or someone you love. Share this edition of eNews

Polar bears face a bleak future. You can help ensure a brighter tomorrow with a polar bear adoption. Show your support for wildlife by sending Defenders Holiday Cards to friends and loved ones.

Bears
Two types of these iconic omnivores live in the lower 48 states. But how can you tell a black bear from a brown bear? It’s not a trick question since both species come in varied shades.

Visit Defenders Blog to watch a video and learn more about bears and how to be safe around them.

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