Of course, it’s always disappointing to see a dead wild animal on the side of the road, especially one as majestic as the black bear. However, as nature educators at ACNC, we are able to use unfortunate circumstances like this as a teaching opportunity, and it was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass up.

Now I like to think I’m good at working with the grosser side of nature. I have packed and transported quite a few critters that I found on the side of the road. A black bear, however, was a bit beyond my comfort zone and the capacity of my car trunk. So, with a sense of urgency, I continued to ACNC, immediately calling my colleague Katie when I arrived to tell her the news and ask: “Do we want Black Bear?” Of course, the answer was yes.

I grabbed some gloves, a willing volunteer and his truck (thanks Terry!), and copies of New York State rescue permits from the ACNC, and off we went to retrieve the bear.

After arriving there and examining the bear, we were happy to see that it must not have been there for long. There was very little insect activity around and the body was still easy to handle. The heavy bear proved too much for Terry and me to lift, but just in time the road cleaning crew arrived. After reviewing our permits, they were happy to help us load the bear into the truck and let us go.

The discovery of bones is always a highlight for our students and campers, like the discovery of this deer vertebra. Once decomposed, the bear bones will be left for students to explore and learn from.

But why do we want this bear? For classroom programs, we often use real animal props to demonstrate animal adaptations. We even teach a bear program where we bring skulls, fur and paws into schools. However, this bear was not suitable for class visits and we had another plan. We decided this was a great opportunity to let it decompose and allow our students and campers to get a closer look at this fascinating process.

After safely bringing the bear to the ACNC, we put him in the woods. We knew that students would be coming on field trips next week and this was a wonderful opportunity to show them this part of the natural cycle of life first hand. We found a spot that was easily accessible to groups, but far enough off the trail that unsuspecting visitors wouldn’t discover it and let nature do its work.

In a few days, the bear completely changed. He went from a relatively normal-looking black bear to a barely recognizable mass of flies, maggots, beetles and other decomposers having the time of his life. A few days later, the bear was no longer bear-shaped, more resembling a bear-sized puddle of fur and bones.

The students who saw this bear at these stages were fascinated. Before observing the bear, I took a group to the backyard compost to introduce the topic of decomposition and explain what we would find in the woods. We talked about the benefits the bear would bring to any animals that would eat it and to the plants that would be able to grow from the nutrients it would add to the soil. Looking at the bear, students pointed out all the maggots, beetles, flies and worms. We noticed which parts of the bear were decomposing the fastest and guessed which parts would take the longest to decompose.

Although there were a few first “raw” reactions of the children when we approached the bear for the first time, and the smell was far from pleasant, fascination got the better of him and in the end it was difficult to convince the children to move away and allow another group to review it.

It is always a joy to expose students to new things or experiences. It’s even more rewarding when an experience they had preconceived to be gross or disgusting ends up being one of their favorite parts of their visit to ACNC. Yes, the decomposition can be gross. It smells bad, the bugs are scary and it’s sad to see a dead animal. But it also provides the perfect opportunity to talk about the cycle of life, how dead and decaying objects help the environment, and gives students a memorable and positive experience of this process.

Audubon Community Nature Center creates and maintains connections between people and nature. ACNC is located just east of Route 62 between Warren and Jamestown. Trails and outdoor facilities are open from dawn to dusk. The Nature Center is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Sunday when it opens at 1 p.m. More information can be found online at auduboncnc.org or by calling (716) 569-2345.