With the aim of facilitating the adaptation of the Cantabrian bear to climate change, the LIFE project “Bears with a future” begins, coordinated by the Brown Bear Foundation and with the participation of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge as a partner.

With the aim of facilitating the adaptation of the Cantabrian bear to climate change, the LIFE project “Bears with a future” begins, coordinated by the Brown Bear Foundation and with the participation of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge as a partner.

Science warns that climate change will affect the brown bear especially in its hibernation, which will tend to reduce in the face of rising temperatures, but it is also impacting the production of wild fruits on which the species feeds, some of which, such as blueberries, have already had irregular harvests in recent years.

In addition, a greater movement of bears during the winter can generate interactions with hunting and other recreational and sports activities that take place in the mountains.

The actions of the project, co-financed by the European LIFE programme, will be carried out in 8 areas of the Natura 2000 Network. In the area of the western Cantabrian subpopulation of the bear in the areas of Peña Ubiña, Caldoveiro, Montovo-La Mesa, Fuentes del Narcea, Degaña and Ibias and Somiedo in Asturias; and Alto Sil and Sierra de los Ancares, in León. In the area of the eastern subpopulation they will be carried out in the space of the Palencia Mountain, in Palencia.

Planting, restoration and research

The project foresees the planting, in several phases, of 150,000 native trees and shrubs producing fleshy fruits in 225 small groves that will occupy 155 hectares. To these will be added 25,000 chestnut trees grafted with native varieties in another 75 small groves that will occupy 55 hectares and that, like the previous ones, will be located in locations chosen considering the impact of climate change.

For this and for other actions of the project, researchers from the universities of Oviedo, Valladolid, Cantabria and Extremadura will participate. The restoration of abandoned chestnut groves is also contemplated, to which a treatment will be applied to improve fruit production and its climatic resilience.

In addition to the plantations, a study of the vulnerability to climate change of the most sensitive areas for the conservation of the brown bear will be carried out, which will be evaluated for future application by two working groups with heads of the regional administrations involved.

The actions of the project are also an opportunity to promote rural development and create jobs linked to nature conservation actions and adaptation to climate change, with great potential to be replicated throughout the distribution area of the Cantabrian brown bear and other territories that face similar challenges.

Information and awareness campaign

The other major line of action of the project is aimed atinforming the groups that carry out activities in the bear forests during the winter, mainly related to hunting and mountain sports. An intense campaign of meetings will be carried out with more than 100 hunters’ associations and winter sports associations to explain the new scenarios in the face of climate change and raise awareness of the implications that this has on bear activity.

The campaign will be accompanied by audiovisuals, explanatory brochures and other information and awareness materials, which will also be distributed by tourist establishments in bear areas.

A coordinated project

The “Bears with a Future” project, co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme, will run until 2025. It is coordinated by the Brown Bear Foundation and has as partners the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge and the Natural Heritage Foundation, of the Junta de Castilla y León. The Government of Asturias is a co-financier through the General Directorate of the Natural Environment and Rural Planning of the Ministry of Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries.

Photo: Brown Bear Foundation