Celebrate Bear Festival Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Los Alamos Nature Center with PEEC and Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature hands-on activities and education for all ages. Plus, join them the evening before for the ‘Eat Like a Bear’ buffet dinner at 6 p.m. Courtesy photo
PEEC NEWS
This August, the Pajarito Environmental Education Center and Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation are once again partnering to present an annual, one-of-a-kind celebration of our black bear neighbors at Bear Festival.
The event is now in its third year and is coming up on Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Los Alamos Nature Center. The festival will be packed full of fun activities for both kids and adults from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Kicking off the evening before the Bear Festival, will be a favorite event among attendees — the interactive and educational buffet-style “Eat Like a Bear” dinner, featuring foods that make up a black bear’s diet including salmon from Pig + Fig Café. The event, hosted by PEEC and LEWF, will take place at the nature center at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23 and will help educate guests about how bears acquire food both in the wild and in backyards. Tickets are on sale now at www.peecnature.org and are $40 for PEEC members and $50 for non-members.
On Saturday, Aug. 21, Bear Festival will focus on education and learning about our local black bears. Throughout the day, visitors will learn about what people can do to keep both human and bear populations safe. Wildlife biologist Daryl Ratajczak will give interactive presentations in the planetarium throughout the event to help attendees learn about black bear communication and what to do if you ever encounter a bear.
Booths from the Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation, New Mexico Game and Fish, the Sandia Mountain Bear Collective, Bandelier National Monument, PEEC and the Sierra Club will feature interactive activities and information to help attendees learn about the latest information on black bears.
Making the festival fun for all ages, kids can enjoy a bear-themed scavenger hunt and learn about having a bear safe campfire. The nature center’s gift shop will be full of bear-themed merchandise and work from a local artist. Attendees will also enjoy dressing up in a bear-themed photo booth and at a face painting station.
For more information about this and other PEEC programs, visit www.peecnature.org, email programs@peecnature.org or call (505) 662-0460.
About PEEC: PEEC was founded in 2000 to serve the community of Los Alamos. It offers people of all ages a way to enrich their lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies. PEEC operates the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road, holds regular programs and events, and hosts a number of interest groups from birding to hiking to butterfly watching. PEEC activities are open to everyone; however, members receive exclusive benefits such as discounts on programs and merchandise. Annual memberships start at $35. To learn more, visit www.peecnature.org.
Celebrate Bear Festival on Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Los Alamos Nature Center with PEEC and LEWF. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature hands-on activities and education for all ages. Plus, join them the evening before for the “Eat Like a Bear” buffet dinner at 6 p.m.