Bear-stories contest seeks entries including kids’ tales
December 8, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
A black bear visits a Waterbury Center garden in August 2021. File photo by Sherry Knudsen
The Mad River Valley Bear Initiative is on the prowl again for local bear stories with a Jan. 31 deadline for entries in its Great Amazing Bear Story Contest.
This year, the contest invites kids to send in their best stories as well.
The contest seeks real-life stories about black bears and it will give away prizes of bear-resistant trash containers and bear-themed toys for kids.
The Mad River Valley Bear Initiative is a group of conservation organizations in Duxbury, Fayston, Moretown, Waitsfield and Warren along with the Friends of the Mad River, the Stark Mountain Foundation, and Sugarbush. Its goal is to collectively improve how humans coexist with black bears in the region.
The group notes that the state has collected near-record bear counts this year, so, it’s no surprise that there are many bear sightings and encounters in the area. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department estimates 7,000-8,500 bears statewide, a five-year high with an estimated 2,000 more animals than just a few years ago.
“As bears seek and compete for new territories to call their own, we find more bears popping up all over our community,” the bear initiative says. “It's the perfect opportunity to embrace living in bear country by sharing collective stories, wildlife appreciations, and tips & tricks for our peaceful coexistence!”
Story entries should be based on true sightings or interactions with black bears from 2023. And, while contest organizers are looking for local stories, they say they are happy to consider bear stories from anywhere. “Like our black bear friends, great stories are not held to tight boundaries so don’t be shy to share a great story from Vermont or beyond,” the announcement explains.
The contest will award two participants with a bear-resistant trash can. To be eligible, include in your entry a sentence or two telling what you would do with a bear-proof container and how it would foster bear harmony in your neighborhood. The winners will be randomly drawn from eligible entries to receive either a 64-gallon or a 96-gallon animal proof/resistant receptacle by Toter. “Our hope is to increasingly bear-proof our community in order to collectively improve how we coexist with our calorie-seeking black bear friends,” the contest rules explain.
Contest details:
Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Jan. 31.
Stories can be told using a variety of formats: an essay, pictures, drawings, a link to a video, a poem, a diorama, etc. Choose the format that best fits your story, keeping the length to no more than two pages and/or three minutes.
Selected stories will be shared with the community as educational and inspirational opportunities for all to enjoy.
For kids: Children 14 and under can enter to win one of three bear-themed prizes: a plush toy wearable backpack, a stuffed-toy Warmies Huggable black bear, or a 4-foot black bear huggable body pillow. Winners will be randomly drawn from a list of eligible entries.
Anyone is invited to submit stories, however prizes only will be awarded to participants in the Mad River Bear Initiative’s member towns.
More information and the story submission online form can be found here:
https://www.madrivervalley.com/stewardmrv/living-with-bears/5-great-amazing-bear-contest/