Wildlife and Human Cohabitation
May 23, 2023
#keepbinsin & Don’t invite bears for a midnight snack!
City of Calgary Waste & Recycling representatives will be out in Discovery Ridge on bin pickup days this week. They will be tagging carts with reminders if they are placed out prior to 5 a.m.
Additionally, we have been advised that feedback provided to the City with regard to bins needing to be placed out for pickup only between 5-7 a.m. shows this is too tight of a time slot. The City is currently reviewing route schedules to start pickup in Discovery Ridge later than 7 a.m. to create a longer window for bin placement at the curb. We will provide an update as soon as more specific information is known.
Stay bear informed at this website: https://www.calgary.ca/waste/residential/be-bear-smart.html. Sign up for the Calgary Garbage Day app to receive updates and notifications.
April 26, 2023
#keepbinsin
Please answer your door on May 3rd when the City of Calgary Waste & Recycling Services team will be door knocking in Discovery Ridge. This is an educational campaign very specific to our community and is part of the work being done with the DRCA to support positive wildlife and human cohabitation. The team will have stickers for our green bins with them as well.
REMINDER: Please secure your bins and do not place them out until the morning of pick up. This is a widely proven method to minimize negative wildlife/human issues. Let’s work together to prevent any similar outcomes to last fall when bears had to be euthanized after becoming habituated to human garbage and compost.
Don’t invite bears for a midnight snack! Stay bear informed at this website: https://www.calgary.ca/waste/residential/be-bear-smart.html
Did you know? Drink cans (pop, beer, juice, etc.) are huge attractants for bears to blue bins. Please consider collecting these separately and dropping them off at the community Bottle Shack instead of putting them in blue bins. If you paid a deposit on the purchase of the item, then it is eligible for refund and these funds are necessary for our facility and event operations. Thank you!
Download the Calgary Garbage Day app to receive updates and notifications about garbage pickup dates.
Moose in Griffith Woods
April 24, 2023
PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE – as far away as possible! Many residents have seen one or more of the majestic moose in and around Griffith Woods recently. How lucky we are to live here with Griffith Woods and wildlife as our neighbours! However, this cohabitation can bring about safety concerns if we don’t handle ourselves appropriately. For the safety of yourself, the moose, and other residents who may encounter them in the future, please keep your distance and keep dogs on-leash.
Alberta Fish and Wildlife has been a very helpful partner in guiding our community with regard to how best to approach the moose situations. They advise the reason that moose charge is due to people getting too close. They may not even charge at the person that got too close but perhaps another innocent person further away. It is imperative that people do not get close, please do not try to get a better photo by moving towards a moose or have off-leash dogs that might run at the moose, thereby scaring them.
If you do encounter a moose, immediately back away from them to give them as much space as possible. If they do charge, run away as quickly as you are able to and step behind a large tree if need be.
Let’s leave the wildlife alone to enjoy their home in the woods, while keeping each other safe by simply keeping our distance from them! To learn more: https://www.alberta.ca/moose.aspx.
Bears in Discovery Ridge
January 1, 2023
In 2022, four bears were euthanized in Discovery because they became reliant on our garbage for food. Access to food (things with a scent) is the most significant contributor to human-bear conflicts. This supports a strategy of reducing bear access to garbage.
To that end, several residents stepped forward to begin work to prevent similar outcomes in the future. To minimize the risk of negative human-bear interactions, the committee is leveraging these winter months, when wildlife activity is lower, to remind everyone to make room in their garage/shed to store all bins (black, blue, and green) inside from April – October, at a minimum.
In addition to bins being stored in garages/sheds, the DRCA is encouraging community members ensure all bins (black, blue, and green) are not left outside during the week and are put out curbside no earlier than 5:00 am MST on the day of pickup.