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In Context: Bear with Us - Bear and Human Coexistence

3 - 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7

Reynolds Room, First Floor, Education Wing

In-Person Event

Conflict with humans is a global driver of species decline and human-caused mortality of large predators like black and brown bears. Bears play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity in Alaska. Conflicts between humans and bears can alter essential aspects of bear behavior, negatively impacting the environment. 

These conflicts often lead to human-caused bear mortality, which threatens the stability and persistence of bear populations. Defenders of Wildlife representatives Christi Heun and Isabel Grant explain the underlying causes of human-bear conflict and how that conflict affects bear populations, the environment, and humans. They also provide examples of practical tools to prevent conflict with bears, such as electric fencing and bear-resistant garbage cans. Learn how to reduce your impact on bear populations and help protect bears and people in Alaska. Free; registration required.

In Context is a museum program in which experts provide context for the history, art, science and culture of Alaska and the North.

Speaker Bios
Christi Heun is a wildlife biologist and the Alaska Senior Representative at Defenders of Wildlife.  She joined Defenders in June of 2022 with a specialty in terrestrial mammals. Christi received a master’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a bachelor’s in natural resource management and conservation biology from Colorado State University. Most recently, she worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a research biologist, where she was engaged in caribou, moose, and grizzly bear field research.  In her spare time, Christi enjoys backpacking, skiing, fishing, and looking for wildlife on her bike.  

Isabel Grant is an Alaska Representative for the national non-profit organization Defenders of Wildlife. She manages Defenders of Wildlife’s human-bear coexistence programs in Alaska. Isabel collaborates with local agencies, organizations, and Tribes on projects that promote coexistence between humans and bears in Alaskan communities. Isabel graduated from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts with her Master's in Conservation Medicine, an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the relationship between human, animal, and environmental health. Since moving to Alaska in 2023, she has developed a new love of ice skating, cross-country skiing, and bird watching. 

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