Achievements of The American Bear Association

With your help, donations and membership fees, we have managed to make Vince's dreams for the Sanctuary a reality. So much has been achieved so far:
  • 360 acres of North Woods habitat have been established as the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Over 20 tons of garbage, scrap metal, and junk were removed from the Sanctuary (with most of it being recycled).
  • Most of the old buildings and sheds have been disassembled and removed and the remaining ones have been remodeled to be useful and aesthetically pleasing structures. Three additional buildings have been constructed and two more were donated, to provide housing for interns and volunteers
  • An elevated viewing platform has been constructed for visitors, and in 2001 the viewing platform was expanded to allow many more visitors the opportunity to view the bears in their natural habitat.
  • The volunteer force has grown to 100+ individuals from all over the world.
  • Our internship program provides college students with a truly remarkable, hands-on conservation experience.
  • Photography workshops, nature walks, and children's ecology courses have been offered and deemed a great success.
  • A much larger parking lot, about a mile down the road, has been cleared. This is the staging area from which visitors are shuttled to the heart of the Sanctuary. Two buses, one donated and one purchased, serve as the shuttles.
  • An enclosed gift shop was constructed on the viewing platform in 2002. Visitors are enthusiastic about the vast array of black bear merchandise offered.
  • A large pole barn was erected to serve as a warehouse for food storage.

Help a Black Bear - Become a Member of the ABA

MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES

"Member" - $30/year
  • ABA Window Cling
  • Quarterly Subscription to Bear in Mind, the publication of the VSWS
"Friend of the Cubs" - $100/year
  • Basic member package
  • 8x10 Photo of cub(s) and a certificate in padded cover
  • "Friends of the Cubs" Lapel Pin
  • Quarterly updates focusing on bear ecology and physiology
  • Recognition in Bear in Mind
"Sustaining Member" - $250/year
  • Basic member Package
  • "Friends of the Cubs" Package
  • 5 postcards of bear cubs
  • A copy of "Bear Man" DVD - featuring the life and legacy of Vince Shute

JOIN NOW

Please fill in a membership form

The American Bear Association is a 501(c)(3) Tax-exempt, Nonprofit Organization. Your contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by federal and state laws.
Bear Sanctuary News

Bear Sanctuary News

Keep up to date with developments and progress at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary
Bear Sanctuary News
Membership of the American Bear Association

Membership of the ABA

Help the bears by becoming a member of The American Bear Association
Membership of the ABA
Wildlife Volunteers

Wildlife Volunteers

Would you like to work with wild black bears? You've come to the right place!
Wildlife Volunteers
Information on Bears

Information on Bears

Facts about bears, including FAQ, Bear Biology and Bear Species around the world
Information on Bears