Fact Friday: Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix. 80 p. The Scientists in the Field series. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October, 2019. 9781328858689. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix. Cherrix brings us another fascinating entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series. My love for this series is no secret. The entries are consistently excellent. They make for excellent reading on their own; but are perfect for meeting the "Careers in Science" standard. 

Conservation efforts began in Asheville, North Carolina in the 1970s when the bear population there reached a critical low. Now, the bears are thriving, perhaps a bit too well. The author followed a team of scientists involved in a five-year study of Ashville's bear population. Her storytelling is engaging and includes side bars with interviews of the scientists. Plentiful photos depict the work of the scientists as they track previously collared bears in order to assess their health. Additional chapters also highlight other animals around the world who have adapted to urban environs. 

Backmatter includes tips on becoming "bearwise," as the residents of Asheville have done so well. It is admirable that they have bought into cohabiting peacefully with the bears.

There's a glossary, source notes and an index as well. This is a first-purchase as well as a must-read!