Families gathered at Mitford Park on Aug. 17 for an educational event hosted by the Cochrane Ecological Institute (CEI), focused on wildlife safety and coexistence.
Ali Morrison, CEI’s volunteer education coordinator, said the day was about helping people understand how to live safely alongside the animals that share the Bow Valley corridor.
“Cochrane is part of a wildlife corridor, and we have to respect that,” said Morrison. “If we believe wildlife have an innate right to coexist with us, then it’s our responsibility to adapt.”
Workshops included a hands-on demonstration on how to properly use bear spray. Morrison taught participants the “1-2-3” method: take out the spray, brace it with the second hand, and remove the safety cap before spraying a one-second burst at an approaching bear’s chest.
"I teach the 1-2-3 method because it's muscle memory, and we learn it quicker. When we're in a moment of high stress, our body just kicks i,n and we do what we've practiced."
With the speed at which bears can attack, a quick-draw method is required, and she believes it's ideally located in a holster around your waist, noting everybody has their personal preference. Last summer, a bear was spotted in a condo parking lot on Glenpatrick Dr.
She also highlighted the importance of carrying bear spray not only on mountain trails but even on Cochrane’s pathway system, citing reports of bears and other wildlife—like deer, coyotes, and moose—showing up within town limits.
“This has been an excellent berry season, which means bears may come later into town, especially in September and October,” Morrison explained. “We need to be prepared, not just for bears, but for all wildlife.”
For example, she points to how it's not uncommon to spot does with their fawns, and they will charge you if you get too close to their offspring.
The event also encouraged better waste management to keep animals out of compost and garbage. Morrison believes Cochrane will eventually need to adopt bear-proof systems similar to Banff and Canmore.
“The number one reason bears are put down is human error,” Morrison stressed. “A fed bear is a dead bear. Our actions matter.”
Throughout the day, visitors took part in activities and viewed videos to understand our wildlife corridor and the need to identify and remove wildlife attractants in their yards. A scavenger hunt handout was available for families to take home and identify plants that attract wildlife to their yards.
"It's been fantastic. We've had families, we've had adults, we've had seniors come by to ask about bats and what we can do to help them, and to learn about bears, and not just how to use bear spray. It's all critical information that everyone should know."
In addition to bear awareness, CEI provided education on bats, local ecosystems, and Indigenous philosophies of stewardship, encouraging people to “take only what you need and give back more.”
Also in attendance was Eddie Noon, who will be co-chairing their newly formed Young Ecologists Group, which is kicks off in September. Teens interested in environment, wildlife and ecology can contact ali.morrison@criwildlife.org to learn more.
About the Cochrane Ecological Institute
The Cochrane Ecological Institute is devoted to the preservation and conservation of cultural and biological diversity through education, the reintroduction of extirpated flora and fauna, the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned wildlife, as well as monitoring and research.
It is a registered charity, and donations can be made through ceiwildlife.org.