Being so close to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it seems we have a fascination with bears. Come to the UT Arboretum Auditorium on Thursday, November 14, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. for an educational presentation about the American black bear by renowned photographer Chris Norcott. This very popular program is free but seating is limited, so people must RSVP in advance to “The American Black Bear.”  Go to http://utarboretumsociety.org/  (click here) or call 865-483-7277. Make sure to RSVP with the total number in your party and include your contact information.  The UT Arboretum is located at 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge.

Norcott has spent more than a decade observing and studying black bears in the wilds of the Great Smoky Mountains. He spends much of each year hiking off trail in the backcountry observing the wild and secretive lives of black bears. He photographs the bears’ rarely seen habitat and documents the behaviors of these beautiful animals. 

Sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society, Norcott will be showing his images and sharing stories of their survival in the wilderness.  He shares stories of a first-time expecting mother building her winter den during a snowstorm. The mother shows her first-year cubs how to forage for their favorite fruits and hard mast. Norcott plans to have some of his work available for sale after the presentation.