Great Amazing Bear Contest posts winning bear tales
March 31, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
The newly formed Mad River Valley Bear Initiative’s contest to collect local bear stories from 2022 has wrapped up with a collection of humorous and hair-raising tales now posted to the group’s website.
The Great Amazing Bear Contest sparked creativity in many Mad River Valley residents who have experienced firsthand the challenges and joys of living in bear country, organizers said in announcing the winners.
The contest is the latest in a series of educational opportunities held by the Bear Initiative, whose purpose is to highlight and help ameliorate increasing conflicts between humans and bears who both call the Mad River Valley home.
The contest asked valley residents to share stories from 2022 with the goals being to raise awareness about bear activity, share both fun and concerning stories with the hope of passing along helpful advice. The group also has researched various bear deterrents such as bear-resistant containers for trash and shares information about them.
The response was a variety of stories told in a number of ways: short stories, poetry, watercolors, photographs and videos.
Most stories described bears – some even given pet names like "Maple" and "Dump" – entering chicken coops without permission, foraging through trash and compost containers, and making surprise visits. Some storytellers shared strategies learned from experience. "Predators will do what predators do," one writer from Fayston. "It is my job to protect my animals," she added, describing how she now uses electric fencing to keep bears away from her animals.
Two of the contestants were chosen in a random drawing to receive bear-proof trash toters and all entrants were offered a set of bear-proof trash straps send in by a Virginia-based business owner who learned about the contest.
Bear Initiative member Chris Stephenson said, "Every entry is a winning entry. We just want to encourage conversation at a community level and help people realize this isn't the news on TV, it's happening right here in our backyards."
The collection of stories along with the submitted photos, drawings and videos is now posted online on the contest website.
The Mad River Bear Initiative was founded in fall 2021 by Fayston, Waitsfield and Warren Conservation Commissions, Sugarbush Safety/Environment/Wellness Committee and Friends of the Mad River. Moretown Recreation Committee and Stark Mountain Foundation joined in December 2021 and the Duxbury Land Trust joined in August 2022. Members meet monthly at 9 a.m. virtually on the fourth Tuesday of each month. For more information, email Bears@madrivervalley.com.