Category: Newsroom

This is the final installment in a series by White River Steward Grace van Kan. In part 3, Grace toured the Appalachian Bear Rescue facility. The story concludes…

Within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are an estimated 2,000 to 2,400 bears, and potentially 14,000 in North Carolina alone. They persistently return to their natal range: Appalachian Bear Rescue curators conducted research showing that bears travel outside of the home range for food, but always return. Additionally, bears that are removed from their home range will find their way back, even from out of state!
Continue reading →

Grace van Kan

White River Steward

gvankan@conservingindiana.org

312.286.2484

Grace grew up roaming the woods, creeks and wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From an early trout-raising project to a “gap year” spent restoring coral reefs in Thailand, her interest in aquatic conservation has only grown. Now she cares for several riverine nature preserves as CILTI’s White River Steward.

Third in a series by White River Steward Grace van Kan. In part 2, Grace described the “bear necessities” of black bears, as imparted by biologist David Whitehead. The story continues…

Much to our surprise, David brought us to the Appalachian Bear Rescue facility for a tour. We were allowed to visit because there were no bears being rehabilitated or housed in the facility at that time. ABR emphasizes restricting human contact with the bears to the absolute minimum. Continue reading →

Grace van Kan

White River Steward

gvankan@conservingindiana.org

312.286.2484

Grace grew up roaming the woods, creeks and wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From an early trout-raising project to a “gap year” spent restoring coral reefs in Thailand, her interest in aquatic conservation has only grown. Now she cares for several riverine nature preserves as CILTI’s White River Steward.

Second in a series by White River Steward Grace van Kan. In part 1, Grace described the dramatic first sighting of black bears. The story continues…

The next day we were due to meet with bear biologist David Whitehead, a curator at Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR). Rehabilitating their first bear in 1996, ABR is an organization that rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and injured black bears. David is a wealth of knowledge and experience, sharing the history of black bears in the park and neighboring states. He also provided what I found to be a very enlightening lesson on bear biology. Continue reading →

Grace van Kan

White River Steward

gvankan@conservingindiana.org

312.286.2484

Grace grew up roaming the woods, creeks and wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From an early trout-raising project to a “gap year” spent restoring coral reefs in Thailand, her interest in aquatic conservation has only grown. Now she cares for several riverine nature preserves as CILTI’s White River Steward.

First in a series by White River Steward Grace van Kan

Back in March, I had the pleasure of joining a Field Biology class from Franklin College on a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park over their spring break. While many enticing plants and geological formations caught my eye, there was one furry highlight that we just couldn’t stop talking about: black bears. Continue reading →

Grace van Kan

White River Steward

gvankan@conservingindiana.org

312.286.2484

Grace grew up roaming the woods, creeks and wetlands around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. From an early trout-raising project to a “gap year” spent restoring coral reefs in Thailand, her interest in aquatic conservation has only grown. Now she cares for several riverine nature preserves as CILTI’s White River Steward.