A group of about 15 adults and children met at the Durango Nature Center on Saturday to participate in a “Living with Bears” workshop presented by Rob Else, program coordinator for DNC. In attendance were several newcomers to the area who are unaccustomed to living in such close proximity to the animals.

According to Else, bears are misunderstood.

“I wanted to dispel some of the misconceptions of bears in this area, and I’ve always just loved bears, so I wanted to take this opportunity for me to learn more about them and inform the public,” Else said.

One of those misconceptions is that black bears, the only recognized bear population in Colorado, are constantly on the hunt. Else said that while they are predators that have tools for hunting such as tremendous strength and large incisors, bears spend up to 20 hours each day foraging vegetation and eating insects. He said a bear’s diet may consist of 90 percent plant material. That’s a lot of plants, considering that a bear bulking up for its winter nap may consume a whopping 20,000 calories daily.

Other myths are that bears are nocturnal and that they hibernate in sheltered dens all winter. Else said local bears are very active during the day but shy away from humans. He added while bears may find caves for shelter, many seek only small depressions in the ground or spaces in hollow trees. He also said bears are not true hibernators.

“A true hibernator remains inactive for up to eight months of the year,” he said. “Bears go into a state of dormancy. They can wake up in the middle of winter and move around, especially during mild winters.”

Above all, most attendees the workshop were interested in how to cope with living in bear country.

Larry and Valerie Bareis are new to Colorado. Relocated from San Diego, they enjoy hiking in their new surroundings near their new home in Hermosa. Now they’re getting to know their new furry neighbors. Initially, they were alarmed at the sight of the animals. Now they are interested in learning more.

“The first bear we saw was out at Purgatory Flats, and it scared me to me to death,” Valerie Bareis said. “I had never seen a bear in the wild before. Since then, we have been learning more about them and their habits.”

One of those habits is gorging on local fruits.

“We have this old apple tree that the bear climbs into and breaks all the branches, so I’m thinking I should take it down because we firmly believe in not feeding the wildlife,” Larry Bareis said. “They’re supposed to eat independent of us.”

Gretchen Botha and her husband are from Hawaii and now live in the Durango area with their children. They, too, are learning that they share their habitat with an animal that can stand as tall as 5 feet and reach 400 pounds. They brought their daughters to the nature center, where thanks to the recent rain, they were able to identify and study fresh bear, coyote and cougar tracks found on the center’s 140-acre grounds.

“We’re new to the area, so we thought we thought we should get a grip on this bear situation,” she said.

Addressing questions from the group, Else said bears can pick up scents from three miles away and advised residents to close windows and doors at night to deter the animals from entering homes in search of food. He also suggested locking or sealing garbage cans and putting out garbage only on the morning of pick-up.

“There are ways to live responsibly around bears,” Else said. “We don’t have to fear them, but have a healthy respect for them.”