On Sunday, March 23, Felicia Ortner, a Connecticut Master Wildlife Conservationist and a bear enthusiast, will be the guest speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Old Lyme Land Trust at the Lymes’ Senior Center on Town Woods Rd. Titled “The Bear Reality,” her talk will provide education about bears and help dispel misunderstandings. Ortner has been studying bears for over 25 years.
In the 1980s, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Division first found evidence of a resident bear population. The number of bears has been steadily increasing in the state and all over New England since that time.
Ortner believes that it is important for residents to learn the facts about black bears and how to coexist with them. Black bears are rarely aggressive, but it is important to “Be Bear Aware” and know how to prevent problems and unpleasant encounters.
The meeting is from 3 to 5 p.m. The public is welcome and refreshments will be served.