Hello Beloveds,

While out at a wilderness retreat in Northern California called the Ecology of Awakening this past weekend, I have been reminded of how soul-nourishing, growth-promoting, and essential time in nature is. 

Seeing all the wildlife reminded me about an article I wrote for a fabulous book near and dear to my heart regarding an animal I have encountered in nature – BEARS!!! And, the book features my first my first published article… Yay!!!

My article focuses on human-bear conflict (aka humans thinking it’s a good idea to kill, hunt, or trap bears) in the US and the need for a more concerted effort on behalf of us humans to find more peaceful ways to prevent and resolve human-bear conflict, including the need for more bear sanctuaries.*  If we approach bears with reverence and compassion, “problem bears,” can be relocated and there is never a need for killing one.  Too often, people invite bears in by leaving trash out, then get scared and decide they had better shoot the sweet little being.  Read the article in the book for the full scoop on what’s happening in the US to bears.

It’s a wonderful book about bears in general.   Of course, the first step to helping all wild animals is living vegan for myriad reasons (see my Recommended Reading List for more on that), but please read this book if you feel so called.

You can purchase it here: http://www.brill.com/products/book/bear-necessities

*True sanctuaries do their best to rehabilitate and return bears to the wild. There are only three in North America! This is an atrocity. Some bears, such as those use-abused in zoos, circuses, etc. often require sanctuary homes and cannot be returned to the wild. However, please do not mistake bear “sanctuaries” and other glorified petting zoos for real sanctuaries, be sure not to spend your dollars on the enslavement of animals.

With love and gratitude,

Charlotte