Living in Maple Ridge means sharing our beautiful backyard with amazing local wildlife, from black bears and cougars to coyotes and deer. We are lucky to live so close to nature, but it also means we have a shared responsibility to keep both our families and our wild neighbors safe.
Since 2012, we’ve partnered with WildSafeBC and the City of Maple Ridge to provide education and support for our community. Our goal isn’t just to follow rules, it’s to ensure that wildlife stays wild and out of harm’s way.
Managing Attractants: A Guide to Coexisting with Wildlife
When we manage attractants, anything that smells like a potential snack to an animal, we aren’t just keeping our yards clean, we are actively saving lives. When a bear or coyote becomes too comfortable around people because of easy food, it often leads to a sad outcome for the animal.
Here’s simple steps for your backyard
- The Golden Rule of Garbage: If it smells like food, it is food. Store your garbage, organics, and recycling in a secure, hard-sided building like a garage or a sturdy shed.
- The “5:00 AM” Habit: It might be tempting to put the bins out the night before collection, but that’s when wildlife is most active. By waiting until the morning of pickup, we significantly reduce the chances of a midnight visitor making a mess.
- Bird Feeders are Bear Feeders: One bird feeder can provide a bear with the same calories as dozens of natural berry bushes. From April to November, consider swapping the seeds for a birdbath or planting native flowers like Salmonberry to attract birds naturally.
- Manage Your Harvest: If you have fruit trees, pick the fruit as soon as it’s ripe. If you have “windfalls” (dropped fruit) that you can’t use, don’t let them ferment on the ground. The sweet scent is a strong attractant to bears.
Wildlife in Our Community
Understanding how wildlife moves through our neighborhoods helps us realize why these small changes matter so much. Watch this short video to see our local WildSafeBC program in action and learn more about the animals we share our trails with.
Local Support & Reporting
We believe in making safety accessible for everyone. Whether you’re a long-time resident or new to the area, we have tools to help. This includes:
- Door-to-Door Education: Our local WildSafeBC Coordinator, Dan Mikolay, who is also our Environmental Educator, is often out in the community offering tips and answering questions. Dan has been offering tips door to door, at community events, in schools, and to community groups. He can be reached by phone: 778-773-8040 or by email: MRWildsafeBC@gmail.com
- Reporting Sightings: If you see a bear or cougar in your neighborhood, call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277. This helps the BC Conservation Officer Service track patterns and step in early to deter animals before they become a problem.
Online Resources
- Wildsafe BC: https://wildsafebc.com/
- WildSafeBC Annual Report Maple Ridge
- Managing Attractants: https://wildsafebc.com/species/black-bear/
- Conservation Officer Service: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/natural-resource-law-enforcement/conservation-officer-service
- City of Maple Ridge: https://www.mapleridge.ca/
- Check out the WildSafeBC Annual Report Maple Ridge.
Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP)
Dial Toll Free 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP)