The Memorial Bear Fund was set up in 1992 in order to honor the memory of biologists Kirk Inberg and Kevin Roy and pilot Ray Austin. All three were killed while conducting a grizzly bear flight in northwest Wyoming in 1991. Pilot Fred Reed was also lost in a plane crash in northwest Wyoming in 1995 and the Bear Fund is intended to honor their memory.
The Bear Fund is part of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society (TWS). Wyoming TWS is a state chapter of a larger national TWS organization that is made up of professional wildlife biologists. 100% of money raised goes to support bears.
Money raised is used to fund projects for bears. Our ultimate goal is to have a permanent fund, which we can fund bear projects each year. To date we have built a corpus of nearly $50,000 and have given away over $20,000 to worthy projects. Projects have ranged from polar bear research to protecting habitat for grizzlies in the Teton National Forest. We have already helped fund projects in four countries and seven states.
A limited edition set of prints by wildlife artist Vivi Crandall are available for purchase. All proceeds from sales of these prints go to support the Memorial Bear Fund, helping fund bear conservation projects around the world.
The Wyoming TWS Chapter’s Memorial Bear Fund is looking for donations of artwork to help with fund raising. Do you have artwork you purchased or perhaps won at a banquet only to find its luster fade with time? How about the picture your significant other hung on the wall and you’ve been trying to get rid of for years? This is an opportunity to get some tax breaks for donating this artwork to the Memorial Bear Fund. An artwork donation could be beneficial in two ways. First, it allows us to resale the artwork and to use proceeds for the Fund. Second, since we are fully tax deductible you can write off the full value of the artwork as a charitable donation.
Money raised is used to finance projects for all species of bears. Our ultimate goal is to have a permanent fund, which we can fund bear projects each year. To date, we have provided over $22,000 to worthy projects ranging from polar bear research to protecting habitat for grizzlies in the Teton National Forest. We have helped fund projects in four countries and seven states. Since Wildlife Society volunteers administer the Bear Fund no salaries are paid and administrative costs are very low. This allows us to put almost all funding to work for bears.
If you have artwork you would like to donate to this worthy cause you can send it to Bill Rudd, Chairman - Memorial Bear Fund, 351 Astle Street, Green River, WY 82935 or for further information call (home) 307-875-9150) (work) 307-875-3223).
The Memorial Bear Fund was set up in 1992 in order to honor the memory of biologists Kirk Inberg and Kevin Roy and pilot Ray Austin. All three were killed while conducting a grizzly bear flight in northwest Wyoming in 1991. Pilot Fred Reed was also lost in a plane crash in northwest Wyoming in 1995 and the Bear Fund is intended to honor their memory.