Living with Bears in Marin
Sightings of black bears have been increasing in Marin County, and many community members have questions about living with bears. Recently, we ventured into the world of black bears in Marin and beyond during a very informative webinar that we hosted along with partners from CA State Parks, CA Department of Fish & Wildlife, and North Bay Bear Collaborative. We learned about bears in Marin’s public lands, ongoing conservation initiatives aimed at documenting the black bear population in the North Bay, practical tips for coexisting with these amazing animals, and how we can contribute to a bear-friendly culture in Marin.
View FAQs about living with bears >>
Below you can also find additional resources mentioned during the talks:
Best practices for co-existing with bears:
From California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW):
- For wildlife issues, contact your CDFW Regional Office (Marin is part of the CDFW Bay Delta Region) at (707) 428-2002 or AskBDR@wildlife.ca.gov
- Or the Human-Wildlife Conflict hotline at (707) 944-5531
- Resource factsheet from CDFW Region 3
Learn even more about bears:
- Animal Tracks - Black Bear (Ursus americanus) (bear-tracker.com)
- KQED forum: Exploring our complex relationship with bears
Get involved in building bear culture in the North Bay:
- North Bay Bear Collaborative
- Meghan Walla-Murphy's website
- Use iNaturalist for observations of scat or prints (with a scale object!) and photos (including camera trap images) - How to use iNaturalist
- Wildlife cameras: https://www.trailcampro.com
