When Governor Chris Gregoire proclaimed May 12-18 as Bear Awareness Week, we put on our grizzly suits and exchanged bear hugs in the office. Governor Gregoire's nod to the importance of the work to advocate for bears in our ecosystems, said in part,

Whereas...Washington is one of the only five lower 48 states that is still wild enough to harbor a small number of grizzly bears, a federally protected threatened species, both in the North Cascades and Selkirk Mountains; and ... it is in the public interest to understand the ecology, behavior, and conservation of bears, and there is an ongoing need for widespread education and outreach concerning their welfare to enable peaceful coexistence with people who live or spend time in bear country; and ... the people of Washington state take great pride in their state's wildlife legacy that is internationally significant; Now, therefore, do I proclaim May 12-18, 2008, Bear Awareness Week.

Once the dancing settled down, I began to wonder, with what other official proclamations does the grand bear now rub shoulders? Well, in Washington there's Pollinator Week (so that's honey and mason bees), Cowboy Poetry Week (songlike men, women, and horses), and Irish Week (that would be me, several generations gone), to name a few. Not bad company, for our bears.

Keep an eye on the calendar for all sorts of fun grizzly bear awareness week activities near you!

4/22/08 Update: Bear Awareness Week in Bellingham!