Money Made From Special Wine Donated to Bear Awareness Society

The Northern Lights Estate Winery in Prince George donated $7,500 to the Northern Bear Awareness Society.

This is all part of a program, in its 3rd year, between the winery and society which sees residents and the Bear Aware Society pick apples in areas that are at risk for attracting the animal.

This year they were able to obtain over 20,000 pounds of unwanted apples from local trees, which gets produced into wine and sold through Northern Lights where $0.50 from each bottle sold gets donated to the society.

President of Northern Bear Awareness Dave Bakker says he’s happy for the donation, but it’s more about raising awareness.

“With a wonderful program we got going here. We’re exposing more of the conflict issues that are going on in the city and that’s basically our whole goal and it has been for 20 years now, raising awareness and educating people.”

.@northlightswine presents $7,500 cheque to the Northern Bear Awareness Society l #CityofPG pic.twitter.com/xXXGug6viX

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) November 8, 2017

Unwanted waste produced from humans and nature is a big reason why animals start wandering towards residential areas, posing a risk to the health and safety of people.

It’s not new news that people need to do more when it comes to protecting bears adds Bakker.

“Its been said for thirty-forty years now, don’t feed the bears. Right? and I guess you can carry that through all wildlife. That interaction that people want to have with the wildlife in their area is more detrimental than that few brief moments you can get a great photograph. It’s very important that we don’t let these animals know we are a source of food.”

Bakker says more people are starting to recognize there is a problem when it comes to leaving food in areas where bears live and the interaction humans try to have with the animal.

Half the proceeds made from the wine will be put toward the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter in Smithers.