This B.C. conservationist is celebrating a big drop in bears killed in her Kootenay community
After authorities shot 17 black bears last year in Nelson, B.C., Katie Graves co-founded The Ursa Project Society to educate locals about how simple steps could keep the large mammals alive. A year later, the number of bears killed: zero.
![This B.C. conservationist is celebrating a big drop in bears killed in her Kootenay community](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7070046.1703716485!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/the-ursa-project-volunteers-in-nelson-bc-handout-photo.jpg)
![Volunteers educate residents of Nelson, B.C., about reducing attractants for bears at a community market. Three women stand behind a table with informational materials, with a sign "The Ursa Project Society."](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7070046.1703716485!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/the-ursa-project-volunteers-in-nelson-bc-handout-photo.jpg)
After authorities shot 17 black bears last year in Nelson, B.C., Katie Graves co-founded The Ursa Project Society to educate locals about how simple steps could keep the large mammals alive. A year later, the number of bears killed: zero.