Vital Ground Foundation Inc

Conservation education: vital ground provides information about grizzly bear and associated wildlife habitat conservation through its print and digital publications, special mailings, website, email communications, social media, in-person and online events, videos and other media opportunities. The organization also participates in collaborative educational programs to promote the conservation of grizzly bears and their habitat, prevent conflicts between bears and humans and enhance the survival of grizzly bears. 2024 accomplishments include:- produced roughly 12,000 copies of vital news, the organization's biannual 16-page print newsletter that reports on grizzly bear and wildlife habitat conservation issues as well as project opportunities and accomplishments.- produced 12 monthly email newsletters ("vital enews") plus 1-2 other email campaigns per month, each distributed to approximately 10,000 unique recipients (289,421 total communications). These electronic communications reported on grizzly bear and wildlife habitat conservation issues, emerging project opportunities, conservation accomplishments, conservation and business partners, funding needs and other opportunities to support vital ground's mission.- produced other assorted print postcards, brochures and promotions that reported on grizzly bear and wildlife habitat conservation issues, emerging project opportunities, conservation accomplishments, conservation and business partners, funding needs and other opportunities to support vital ground's mission.- maintained a website (www.vitalground.org), including a blog typically updated multiple times per month (20 total posts in 2024), that provided comprehensive information to the public about grizzly bears and associated wildlife, news and science updates on wildlife conservation issues, current grizzly bear conservation progress and challenges, and vital ground conservation project and partner accomplishments. Vital ground's website experienced 101,121 users and 184,947 sessions during 2024.- produced daily facebook and instagram updates promoting wildlife habitat protection, grizzly bear natural history and conservation education topics to an audience of over 53,000 followers on facebook (up 5 percent in 2024) and over 8,800 followers on instagram (up 16 percent in 2024). Produced two new videos and grew vital ground's youtube audience to a total of 28,200 subscribers.

Other: in addition to its habitat conservation and conservation education programs, the vital ground foundation also partners with federal, state, and tribal agencies, other nonprofit organizations and local community groups to support programs preventing conflicts between bears and people. Through its 2024 conservation partners program, vital ground awarded $70,000 in small grants to 16 communities, organizations and agencies working to prevent conflicts between bears and people in 15 high priority landscapes. These investments helped:- protect 48,000 acres of livestock range using range riders- construct 33 electric fences to secure chicken coops, orchards, and livestock- distribute 69 bear proof containers - remove 336 livestock carcasses in areas prone to wildlife conflict- provide education and outreach to more than 8,000 people at events, mailings, and bear spray training sessions - glean 13,700 pounds of fruit- purchase 4700 conflict prevention materials- purchase 24 conflict prevention tools proactive prevention of avoidable conflicts between bears and people is critical to local communities and the broader public accepting the presence of grizzlies as the species recovers and expands back into habitat where it has been absent - in some cases for more than a century.