When California State Parks proposed a Bear Aware Art Contest, the students at various North Tahoe Schools answered with “un-bear-lievable” art pieces. The winners’ creations will be featured at local state parks in the Tahoe area to educate visitors on how to be bear aware.

On June 4th, California State Park’s Human-Bear Management Specialist, Sarinah Simons, and Interpreter, Stephanie Ambrosia, hosted a celebratory evening for all artists. Sarinah gave a Bear Aware presentation with tips including:

  • do not feed bears
  • keep a respectful and safe distance from bears
  • removing scented items from your car (food wrappers, chapstick, air fresheners, toiletries, etc.)

The entire contest and event were sponsored by Sierra State Parks Foundation, which supported its mission to educate and preserve. And thank you to the North Tahoe Event Center for hosting the venue. Below is a gallery of the winning art from various grades: