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By John Darling For the Tidings April 24. 2015 2:00AM City sets 'Living with Wildlife Summit' A bear was photographed by a walker in Ashland's Lithia Park Tuesday. The city is planning a "Living with Wildlife Summit" Tuesday, April 28. Courtesy Ashland Parks and Recreation A walker in Lithia Park found a bear walking across the curved footbridge over Ashland Creek Tuesday. No cubs were visible — cubs are a big red flag — so she took pictures and brought them to the city's parks department for a very wide Facebook sharing with the community, says parks Director Michael Black. “We knew the bear was active in the park, because it just got into the trash at our maintenance yard (on Granite Street),” says Black. “The pic clearly showed it on the main walking and running path in the park. I don’t advise people to stick around and take pictures unless they have a clear exit strategy, such as getting in a car.” A few cougar sightings have been reported to Black in past weeks, with one resident of upper Pioneer Street sending a photo of the creature walking down the middle of the street. Black chose not to publish it because the location could not be verified from the pics. However, cougar footprints from that night were found. “We see this bear or some like it every year,” says Black. “It seems the same one we were sighting last fall. This is normal. One of the problems in Ashland is that we have a lot of deer, and with deer we get predators. I imagine the mountain lion comes down low because the deer are so low.” To help address fears in the community and to teach people safe behavior in a deer- and bear-friendly town, the city is hosting a “Living With Wildlife Summit” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at the Ashland Community Center, 59 Winburn Way. It’s free and open to the public. The summit will feature Rosemary Stussy, assistant director of wildlife biology, Rogue Watershed, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Sherri Morgan, past president, Jackson County Master Gardeners; and Dana Sanchez of Oregon State University Extension Service. “This is a great opportunity to learn from the speakers and share with one another successes and tips for living with wildlife in Ashland,” says city Administrator Dave Kanner. “The city’s forested and riparian areas that are so much a part of the area’s natural beauty mean we all have to learn to live with wildlife. This is not a forum to challenge or debate ODFW and its wildlife management policies, but instead a chance to learn how to coexist with our wild neighbors.” Ashlanders should research and plant deer-resistant plants, “not the ones deer love,” says Master Gardener and teacher Morgan. You should open up your yard so deer feel more exposed, she adds. “Don’t give them shelter. Make your yard less hospitable to hang out in.” As for hanging old CDs from trees or planting a scarecrow with waving arms, Morgan notes that will scare them for a short while, then they figure it out and go back to grazing. Deer are especially hungry in spring, when pregnant or with fawns — they are also more aggressive then — or in fall, when they are bulking up for winter. “People here learn to plant things deer don’t like, such as the euphorbia family or the barberry family, which includes Oregon grape,” she says. “They don’t like ornamental grasses either. When you see them grazing your lawn, it’s the weeds they’re after, not the grass.” Morgan will teach this subject at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2, at the Master Gardeners Spring Fair, at The Expo in Central Point. Some people think deer look hungry, not to mention cute, and want to feed them, but that's always a bad idea and makes them more vulnerable to disease and predators and attracts them to your yard, Stussy says. “If you feed them, they will come,” says Stussy. “If you don’t want them there, chase them away. You’ve got to tell these critters 'no.' Put repellent on plants. It may be smelly, but it’s a personal choice about how bad you want those flowers. “Out in wildlands, don’t walk your dog through the brush. If they come at you, they aren’t coming for you; they’re coming for your dog. Wildlife are a fact of life and they’re not leaving.” Tips from the Ashland Parks & Rec Facebook: • Avoid trails with bear tracks or bear sign • Make noise when hiking so as not to surprise a bear • If you see a bear, leave the area • Stay far away from cubs ― mother is nearby • Leash dogs. A loose dog may lead a bear back to you • Don’t hike after dark • Consider carrying bear spray in areas known to have bears Sanchez says the first step in controlling the deer problem on your property is to assess if it’s severe enough to work on. If damage is about eating plants, you can “make noise or make plants taste bad.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].   http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150424/NEWS/150429871 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->