After a visit to an elementary school in Wyoming that practices "bear drills," we head to Gardiner, Montana, where living alongside grizzlies is part of daily life.

There, Evan Stout with Bear Awareness Gardiner shows us what it takes for a community to become bear-aware—and find surprising parallels between living with grizzlies in town and on working lands.

Show notes

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Topics discussed: Bear Awareness Gardiner, Bear Smart Communities, community-led conflict reduction, bear-resistant trash and attractant management, electric fencing, fruit trees and gleaning, community education and buy-in, tourism and wildlife, funding for conflict reduction

Featuring: Elise Cole (teacher at Wapiti Elementary, where bear drills are a daily routine, also a rancher), Evan Stout (Bear Awareness Gardiner and owner of Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company)

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Cover image: View of the Wapiti Elementary playground through a 6ft tall fence, where students regularly practice "bear drills" after a grizzly wandered by the school's front door in 2024. Credit: Zach Altman

Working Wild University is a production of Western Landowners Alliance and Dr. Jared Beaver of Montana State University Extension, and a proud part of Natural Resources University podcast network. 

Hosted by Hallie Mahowald and Jared Beaver; Produced by Matt Collins and Zach Altman; Editing by Kathleen Shannon and Zach Altman; Executive producers: Louis Wertz, Jared Beaver, Hallie Mahowald and Erik Kalsta.

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