Got bears? Meet Matt Corrente, WildSafeBC Coordinator
By Contributor
WildSafeBC is the provincial leader in preventing conflict with wildlife through collaboration, education and community solutions. Matt Corrente, the coordinator for Rossland and Trail, said he’s committed to “the long game” of educating the public about wildlife. Bringing about a reliable change in the lifestyles of residents and visitors to coexist with wildlife takes a few generations to build lasting new habits.
WildSafeBC evolved from the highly successful BC Bear Aware program, which began educating the public in 1999. In 2002, the Ministry of Environment launched the Bear Smart community program. In 2013, Bear Aware was renamed WildSafeBC, formalizing a province-wide wildlife education program. The goal has always been the same: Keep wildlife wild and communities safe.
It’s working. A BC Ministry of Environment report from 2000 shows that 1,661 black bear conflicts resulted in the death of the bear. In 2024, BC Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) reported that 303 black bear conflicts were ended by killing the bear . There are only 160 Conservation Officers for all of the provinces’ wildlife.
Black bears are not currently an endangered species, but due to climate change, continuing incremental human expansion into bear habitat, logging and forest fires, we need to help them remain wild and alive so they don’t become endangered.
Matt prepares for and gives presentations to summer camps and classrooms, corporate ‘safety week’ programs, and at public events like the Farmer’s Market. A non-urgent call to Conservation Officers is passed to Matt for a first-hand evaluation. He then goes to the indicated neighbourhood and does a door-to-door survey and passes on key information on how to resolve the issue. This can lead to a resolution without the CO having to kill the animal. A win-win for sure.
Coordinators also receive continuing education from biologists to keep informed about new information and practices. The public can take advantage of the WildSafeBC information on their website: www.wildsafebc.com under the Learn tab. Information ranges from Living in Wildlife Country, Campsite Program, and Bear Spray. There are also training videos.
Here is an example about bear spray:
Wildlife Encounters
If you do encounter a predator, you may only have a few seconds to react. Remember the S.P.R.A.Y. acronym.
S – Stop
Stay CALM and DO NOT RUN. Assess the situation.
P – Prepare
Remove the bear spray from the holster with your dominant hand and grasp the base with your other hand. Observe the animal. If the animal does not appear interested in you, back away slowly, always facing the animal. If the animal approaches or follows – stop.
R – Remove the safety
With the bear spray in both hands, release the safety.
A – Build A Wall
If the predator charges you, build a wall of spray between you and the predator. Do this by pointing the bear spray to the ground a few meters in front of you – press on the trigger and bring the spray up in line with the predator’s head. Do not use all your spray at once.
Y – Yield
Take a step back to put distance between you and the cloud of spray and the predator.
Let’s keep wildlife wild and communities safe.
If you see Matt, take time to talk with him. He’s very knowledgeable and particularly enjoys answering the, at times, odd questions from kids.
Nancy Bulman, a volunteer with the Rossland Bear Smart Task Force, wrote this article. Find our website on https://rosslandsustainability.com and tap the Bear Task Force tab.
