Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Become bear smart in an afternoon


With the state's black bears in the sights of the Fish and Wildlife Division, the Humane Society of the US (HSUS) and the BEAR Group are sponsoring a free family-friendly educational event about black bears on Saturday, April 24, from 2-4 pm. The place: VFW, 45 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, NJ. Those who attend will “become bear smart.”

Learn what black bears eat, how long they live and their life habits, what causes the most conflicts with people and how to prevent them. Hear what national parks are doing to manage bear population and what New Jersey communities are doing well for human and bear residents. Animal Control Officers, who often first receive calls related to bear issues, will describe how “bear smart communities” are formed, and how they have set up effective protocols and programs to ensure people and bears will live in harmony.

Speakers will include Stephanie Boyles, HSUS Wildlife Scientist; Janet Piszar, BEAR Group director; and Meredith Petrillo, Animal Control Officer, Denville Township.

For more information, contact Janet Piszar at Hasla1@verizon.net or 973-315-3219 directly.

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Sorry, readers, but anti-fur activist Julie O’ Connor reports that Lord and Taylor is not quite fur-free after all. Reportedly, although the fur salon has been removed and fur trim has disappeared from store and website, the store plans to sell some fur trim items in next winter’s clothing line.

As Julie put it: “L &T still wants to have ‘a little’ torture & cruelty on their racks -- on accessories and as trim on women's outerwear.” Although Lord and Taylor’s now much closer to fur-free than before, she’s thinking about a letter-writing campaign to encourage them to make it complete. More to follow and meanwhile, she says, shop fur-free at JC Penney or H & M.
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