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Native Californian, biologist, wildlife conservation consultant, retired Smithsonian scientist, father of two daughters, grandfather of 4 small primates. INTJ. Believes nature is infinitely more interesting than shopping malls. Born 100 years too late.

Friday, January 4, 2019

Three Bears





This video is about a family of bears that turned up on my trail cameras early last summer.

I live about 8 miles above Paradise, literally and figuratively.

The communities of Paradise, Magalia, and Stirling City emerged in the slash and stump lands left by the Diamand Match Company in the mid-1900s,  but the forests came back.

It's a great part of the state if you want to be close to nature.  But Paradise can turn into hell when there's wildfire, as happened this year.

Camera trapping this family of bears gave me great pleasure, and I dedicate this video to the memory of a fellow codger and batch mate, teacher and school principal. Dave Schumaker (1940-2018) was a big man with a big voice, a big heart, and a big sense of humor. He also told great stories. He will be remembered for nurturing an interest in the natural world in thousands of students and practically everyone else he met. 
   


 

3 comments:

Woody Meristem said...

Those are great videos Chris, shows how valuable expertise in picking camera locations can be. You must have been excited to see some of those when you downloaded the videos from the cameras' cards.

Glad to see that your cameras didn't burn in the fire, although the large stump/snag above the pool shows evidence of an old fire.

Kwewu7 said...

Thank you so much for posting this. I’m not only relieved to learn that the bears survived, but that you and your camera traps did also. As the fires still burned, I thought of you and hoped all was well. I’ve followed your blog over the years, inspired to do a bit of camera trapping of my own, on my property in Magalia (off Coutolenc). My house and cameras are no longer, but I truly hope the wildlife I’ve become familiar with via those cameras has survived and will thrive.

Camera Trap Codger said...

Thanks friends. And Kwewu7, I am so sorry that you lost your home off of Coutelenc, and I hope you are doing well and moving forward. My sister in law lost her home too (off of Pentz). It's tough getting over something like that, but I wish you the best in your recovery.