Here's an interesting clip showing what Kelli Merrell, who volunteers to do water sampling at the Joe's Pond Public Beach, does in her day job. It certainly isn't what we think of as working for the State of Vermont. Kelli has to be not only a scientist, she has to be able to hike miles with a heavy load and handle herself in a canoe or kayak. Kelli is Henretta Splain's daughter. We saw her on WCAX this evening, and thought others may be interested.
     I had a note from my friend, Mary Whitcomb with pictures. She

said she has seen this fellow in her yard a couple of times this year and that is unusual. She has never seen a bear around her place in the 42 years she's lived there. I think of Duxbury, where she lives, as being even more rural than we are at Joe's Pond. However, I guess it doesn't make much difference to the bears - they cover a lot of territory trying to find enough to eat at this time of the year. 
     According to some reports I've read, the bear population has been steadily increasing because they aren't being as avidly hunted as they were a few years ago. There aren't many predators other than humans to keep the population down. Someone else mentioned that part of the reason bears are more prevalent these days is because humans have encroached on their habitat. I'm not sure I agree with that. There is more forest in Vermont now than there was even twenty or thirty years ago. While in the 1800s bears were pretty common here, they were also hunted, sometimes by teams of men combing the area, and finally there were few left. Also, the land was scalped by land owners in need of lumber - first for building and clearing for crops and grazing space - and then as a cash crop. By the 1900s, there were few bears and almost no forests. Now, according to statistics, Vermont's forest land has increased dramatically while the population is hardly increasing at all - less than one percent, I believe, and a few years ago was actually decreasing. Could that combination account for more wildlife being here? Perhaps. 
     The fact remains, there are bears here and we need to be respectful. Once a bear finds easy pickin's near humans, he's going to get more bold and continue to visit. They can smell us humans miles away as we enjoy cooking outside and all the garbage resulting from letting the good times roll on any given summer day  - and they quickly learn to equate humans with easy food; so even if we don't grill outside or have feeders or garbage around, they are going to investigate, just in case. If they visit - give them space, but don't give them food!
     We're getting prepared for a busy, hot weekend and more ahead. The Fourth of July holiday looks as if it will be dangerously hot, so try to keep cool and enjoy it safely. If you have elderly neighbors or family that may not be able to handle the heat, check on them to be sure they are ok.