Free event presented by the Bitterroot Bears Resource Committee to showcase bear behavior
Dive headfirst into bear dens and bear behavior through the lens of the “Bears of Durango” film, followed by a discussion with local bear experts on Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. The free event is at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center, located at Hamilton High School (327 Fairgrounds Road).
The event begins at 6 p.m. with an introduction by the filmmaker, Dusty Hulet, followed by a screening of the “Bears of Durango” film, and then an open discussion with a panel of bear experts at 7:15 p.m. The event is free, with no pre-registration or tickets required, and is presented by the Bitterroot Bear Resource Committee, a local group of citizens working to reduce conflicts between people and wildlife in the Bitterroot Valley.
The “Bears of Durango” film details the research and implications of a Colorado Parks and Wildlife research project aimed at better understanding and addressing increases in human-black bear conflicts. Beginning in 2011, a team of wildlife researchers, led by Dr. Heather Johnson, spent six years investigating the factors that drive human-bear conflicts and the effects of expanding human development on bear populations. The film won a series of awards, and the research findings have impacted discussions on human-wildlife coexistence.
“If we want our native biodiversity here, if we want these large carnivores to be back on our landscapes, ultimately we’re going to have to figure out, how do we coexist? How do we share a single landscape?” said, lead wildlife researcher, Dr. Heather Johnson.
After the film, stay for an open discussion with Dr. Johnson, Chris Servheen, Ph.D., and members of the local bear team for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, James Jonkel and Brandon Davis.
Heather is a research wildlife biologist at the USGS Alaska Science Center in Anchorage. She has a Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana, a Master of Science in Wildlife Science from the University of Arizona, and a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from the University of California, San Diego.
Chris Servheen, Ph.D. from Missoula, earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Montana, his master’s degree at the University of Washington, and his doctorate at the University of Montana working on grizzly bears in the Mission Mountains. Chris was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator for 35 years until retiring in 2016. During that time, he wrote the 1993 Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan and led the grizzly bear recovery program in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington. Chris has worked on many international bear projects and continues to work on bear topics after retirement.
James Jonkel and Brandon Davis are part of FWP’s western Montana wildlife team and specialize in bear work, including preventing and responding to human-bear conflicts. Jamie has worked for FWP for 30 years with over 50 years of experience with wildlife management and conflict reduction. He has worked in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, New Mexico, Canada and Russia with various private and public entities. He received his Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology and a minor in Journalism from the University of Montana.
Davis has a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. He has been part of the bear team since 2024 and has been working with FWP since 2019 on various species including elk, wolves, bighorn sheep and bears.
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