Claire’s June Colouring Page: Forest Forager

Claire and her husband Adam reside in Tofino, British Columbia. You can find her Saturdays from late May to early October at the Tofino Market in the Village Green from 10-2pm.  Scroll down for her detailed bio!

I can’t believe it is almost June already. The weather is getting warmer, the whales and bears are out now, and the streets and beaches are already packed with visitors. I just got back from a week in NYC which ended up being a great idea as it really kept the busyness of Tofino in perspective (the theme for this colouring page). Walking through the streets of Manhattan require speed and purpose in order to blend in… the complete opposite of the laid back cruisey nature of this west coast town (if you try to stop in the middle of the sidewalk there, you basically get run over by the person behind you). I loved it there though… museum visits, a huge variety of food, a multi-cultural immersion, amazing subway system, friendly and helpful locals (despite the hefty amount of tourists). For a place so hectic and overwhelming, the people had so much patience with the visitors. That was definitely a take away from my visit and something I will reflect on when I need get somewhere in a hurry here in the summer. 😉

But back to perspective… I’ve got a black bear foraging along the shoreline for you for June’s colouring page. This is the primary location you will find bears at this time of year (except maybe on the side of the highway driving in). It is a good idea to remember that bears are the locals here and we share our wild spaces with them. If you do see one, give it plenty of space. Don’t go running up to it attempting to feed it or take photos with it (yes, people DO that). If you love them as much I do, DON’T FEED THEM. “A fed bear is a dead bear” means that a habituated bear (one ‘comfortable’ with people’) is more likely to be euthanized if they inadvertently cause problems. Bears have a wicked sense of smell, but terrible eyesight. If you are hiking in the forest, try not to surprise them. Make noise if you are in a bear area! I know its hard… they are beautiful animals, and its such a cool feeling to see one in the wild. Just try to remember, they are WILD animals and it is best to see them from a safe and relatively undetected distance (ie. a boat).

Read more on Claire Watson Art .   To colour The ‘Forest Forager’  click here & print!