Donate Today >>Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) is a black bear rescue facility located just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend, Tennessee. ABR is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that has been returning black bears back to the wild since 1996. Each year black bears from our national parks and surrounding areas are orphaned, injured, or in need of medical care. Thanks to Appalachian Bear Rescue, these bears are given a second chance at life in the wild.
Despite the heat and with some good news on the horizon, there are projects that curators are fervently working on to make sure Wild Enclosures 5 and 6 are ready for residents. Last week, Curator Seth placed the support poles in the ground in both WE 5 & 6 so that cub platforms can be built. While building platforms is not a terribly technical task, it still requires a good bit of preparation and planning. Curator Seth and Curator Katrina spent the afternoon drawing up plans and measurements for the new platforms so we know exactly how many pieces of lumber, screws and lagbolts we need to put on Curator Tom's shopping list for next week 😉. After drawing up the plans, Seth and Katrina spent the rest of the afternoon cutting cypress board. These 30 inch boards are going to be the tops of the cub platforms! Thanks to our good ABR friend, Michael, we think we have enough cypress to build all of the platforms in WE 5 & 6🤞
We also got a special delivery yesterday! A generous ABR supporter, dropped off 50+ rolls of old fire hose to be used for various projects around ABR! Josh, a member of Medford Volunteer Fire Department - TN reached out to us after our Facility Tours in February to inquire whether we were in need of more firehose. We gladly informed him that there is no such thing as too much firehose when it comes to bear cub rehabilitation and he generously offered to make the drive to the bear facility to drop the donated haul off! Thanks, Josh! For those of you who don't know, firehose is made of a heavy duty and extremely durable woven nylon to resist wear and tear during use by firefighters. It also seems to be very resistant to sharp bear cub claws and teeth, which make it the perfect material to use to construct enrichment items like hammocks, feeding enrichment items and cub climbing structures.
June 10, 2026 - ABR Featured in WPLN’s Latest Black Bear Conservation Story
In her latest piece, WPLN environmental reporter Caroline Eggers asks: “Black bears are threatened by climate change. How can we help?”
Over on our website's News section, we have an excerpt from Eggers’ piece, which features Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Executive Director, Greg Grieco, alongside our partners across conservation.
Whenever big things are happening (with much to come soon!), we'll be posting them as news articles, too, in order to keep ABR current online and in search engines as an engaged, expert voice in black bear conservation.
The article also features great interviews and information with our partners, so be sure to check it out:
As Board President Mike Smith said when sending over this photo, the mama bears are out grazing and their little ones are experiencing the wide world in their first year!
The world is alive with electric greens, birdsong, and nature's offspring. The transition from spring to summertime is truly a magical time for us, black bears, and all of Appalachia.
Truly, "transition" is an apt word for the ABR family. We have a very busy and exciting week ahead of us, and are eager to share progress and next steps with you all.
In the meantime, we would LOVE to see any photos of bears out in the wild you've all captures so far this year. Please send them to us in a message so we can compile them and make an "ABR Family Bear Sightings" album!
Can't wait to see those photos - and here's to an exciting week ahead! ... See MoreSee Less
Every hour of every day, we're moving towards accepting cubs once again. After weeks of rain, the grass is finally taking hold and growing in enclosures 5 and 6. With that, finishing touches can be completed, and the team is currently putting posts in the ground for further bear-suited platforms.
"Platform structures are an ideal spot for cubs to play, relax, socialize, and sleep. Being off the ground, they provide a sense of security to the cubs and even help them practice and develop climbing skills that will prove to be invaluable later in life for foraging," Lead Curator Seth Wyckoff says.
And, all the while, Seth has become so good at growing grass in the new enclosures that even his socks are growing said grass while he mans the new platforms.
"Building the structures is a whole ordeal in itself. The first step is simply walking the enclosure grounds and finding the right location. Things like area size, sunlight exposure, collage cover, soil consistency, root density, and observation availability are all considered when picking a location," Seth continues.
Next up? Planning what shape and size the platforms will be. "Depending on the clearing size and tree density, certain shapes and sizes have to be selected to fit the space. Unlike in the past, we now are committed to building the platforms completely off the trees, as to promote the longevity of both the tree health and the platform integrity."
We're living and learning and growing at ABR and, as Seth says, it's important to us to ensure the health of the entire ecosystem at our facilitiess, not just for bears.
Curator Seth has started the building process by digging the 44” deep holes for the support poles to rest in. Each pole is 12 feet long and 8 inches in diameter, making it a very heavy piece of wood to carry. The sheer weight of the poles provide structural stability and resilience to the abuse they will have to withstand from the cubs.
On top of being buried deep in the clay, curator Seth is also anchoring each pole with a construction grade foam that provides the same anchoring function as concrete.
Once all the poles in enclosures 5 and 6 are anchored into the ground, the rest of the platform can be quickly built.
We'll continue to keep you updated every step of the way, and sincerely appreciate your support, patience, and unrivaled sense of community. As soon as all our partners and teams are ready to share further good news, you will all be the first to know.
In the meantime, we've re-stocked a lot of best-sellers in the Gift Shop. Manager Sarah is doing a phenomenal job of ensuring that side of things continues on strong, and we're incredibly grateful for all her hard work.
Or, please come see us in the Visitors Center & Gift Shop at Trillium Cove Shopping Center off East Lamar Alexander Parkway on Highway 321 in Townsend, address: 121 Painted Trillium Way.
Every purchase helps ABR forward, so thank you all for everything you do as part of the ABR family! ... See MoreSee Less
Free this Friday night? In the Knoxville area? Join ABR in person for the 🐻Ursa Curiosa 🐻 opening reception at the UT Gardens!
WHERE: UT Gardens Knoxville
2506 Jacob Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996
WHEN: Friday, June 5, from 5:30-7:30pm
FREE, open to the public!
Lead Curator Seth Wyckoff will be greeting guests with black bear educational materials, ABR info, and loads of experience and humor (hold him to it).
Friends of the Smokies and the National Park Service will also be there with information about our bears and human/bear interactions.
This reception is free and open to the public, and black bear artworks by local artists and children will be installed throughout the Gardens. Come grab a map and wander as you wish! Light refreshments will be provided.
The current forecast looks pleasant for Friday, but the event will be rain or shine.
💬ABOUT Ursa Curiosa: A Garden Art Exhibit - This unbearably fun and whimsical event seeks to raise awareness about the need to protect our native bears as urban development encroaches on their natural habitat.
The exhibition is part of Knoxville’s First Friday arts celebration, with its grand opening evet on June 5, 2026. Fifty-one artists’ visions will acknowledge the importance of black bears in our southern Appalachian ecosystems. Local children also are participating by expressing their creative talents on decorated bear faces or acorn cutouts. The children’s exhibit runs concurrently with the adult exhibit. The exhibit will be open throughout the summer during daylight hours. The children’s pieces will be displayed in the Children’s Garden, while the pieces crafted by adults will be located throughout the grounds. A brochure and electronic maps will be available to assist in finding each piece.
Informational bear facts will also be included as part of the exhibition, and new this year is the expansion of the exhibit to include several pieces to be displayed at the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through a partnership with the Friends of the Smokies. The UT Gardens, Crossville, will also host a display at the UT Plateau AgResearch and Education Center.
Now in its ninth year, the Art in the Gardens exhibit will conclude in late September with an exciting online auction of these fantastic works of art.
June 1, 2026 - A Beary Happy June to our ABR Family 🐻💚
🐻 What Are Black Bears Up To in June?
June is one of the busiest months of the year for black bears in Appalachia. As summer begins, bears are on the move - and then some. They're searching for food, finding mates, teaching the next generation how to survive in the wild, and all of this means black bear sightings are on the rise in our communities.
Here's what's happening in bear country right now:
🌿 They're Eating Constantly: Natural foods are still limited in many areas ahead of berries ripening and fall mast crops arriving. So, bears spend much of their day foraging for grasses, tender vegetation, insects, grubs, carrion, and prey. Every calorie counts.
💕 Mating Season Has Begun: Black bear mating season occurs in early to mid-summer, and really heats up in July. June sees breeding behaviors kickstart and adult males may travel many miles across the mountains searching for females, making bear sightings more common this time of year.
🐻Young Bears Are On Their Own: Cubs are exploring their surroundings much more rambunctiously as their mothers teach them how to be a bear. Many yearlings are now being separated from their mothers and beginning independent lives. These young bears are maturing, learning how to find food, avoid danger, and establish their own territories.
🏡 Bears Visit Neighborhoods, Towns & Cities: Because natural foods can be unpredictable in spring and early summer, bears are always looking for easy calories. Unsecured garbage, pet food, bird seed, and other attractants can quickly draw a hungry bear into a yard or human habitats.
✅ Help Keep Bears Wild: • Secure trash until pickup day • Bring in bird feeders when bears are active • Feed pets indoors whenever possible • Clean outdoor grills after use • Never intentionally feed bears
Every attractant we remove helps keep bears wild, healthy, and out of trouble.
🔊Have you spotted a bear in your area? Let us know int he comments below!
Happy June ABR family! Let's all continue to be #BearWise together 🐻💚
May 28, 2026 - Want to experience the full joy of late spring humidity in Tennessee? Trim some hedges! Curators Tom & Seth have been putting in the sweat required to keep our Townsend Visitors Center & Gift Shop looking tip top.
As Seth said, it was "hot and awful" - but worth it.
We sincerely appreciate each of you that's come by to shop and say hi! ... See MoreSee Less
May 27, 2026 - Spotlight on Lead Curator Seth Wyckoff
To know Lead Curator Seth is to appreciate intelligence and humor in equal measure. Many of you have met and seen Seth hard at work over the last few years here at ABR, and today we'd like to thank our Lead Curator for the exceptional work he's put into lifting us up into this next chapter.
GET TO KNOW LEAD CURATOR SETH:
📋Seth has been working in the field of wildlife health for over a decade. With a graduate degree in Parasitology and Wildlife disease ecology, Seth came to ABR with a wealth of experience and knowledge stemming from working at South Eastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCDWS), University of Tennessee, and the private research sector at Boehringer-Ingelheim.
When not taking care of bears and maintaining the facility, Seth can be found fishing, caving, hiking, and taking pictures of any snake or salamander he can get his hands on. We've included the proof via photos from the man himself!
We've leaned on Seth heavily during his time at ABR. His expertise is a phenomenal resource for ABR and our conservation community, but so is his strength, endurance, and willingness to do/build/make anything just about anything.
June 12, 2026 - Building Back "Bearer"
Despite the heat and with some good news on the horizon, there are projects that curators are fervently working on to make sure Wild Enclosures 5 and 6 are ready for residents. Last week, Curator Seth placed the support poles in the ground in both WE 5 & 6 so that cub platforms can be built. While building platforms is not a terribly technical task, it still requires a good bit of preparation and planning. Curator Seth and Curator Katrina spent the afternoon drawing up plans and measurements for the new platforms so we know exactly how many pieces of lumber, screws and lagbolts we need to put on Curator Tom's shopping list for next week 😉. After drawing up the plans, Seth and Katrina spent the rest of the afternoon cutting cypress board. These 30 inch boards are going to be the tops of the cub platforms! Thanks to our good ABR friend, Michael, we think we have enough cypress to build all of the platforms in WE 5 & 6🤞
We also got a special delivery yesterday! A generous ABR supporter, dropped off 50+ rolls of old fire hose to be used for various projects around ABR! Josh, a member of Medford Volunteer Fire Department - TN reached out to us after our Facility Tours in February to inquire whether we were in need of more firehose. We gladly informed him that there is no such thing as too much firehose when it comes to bear cub rehabilitation and he generously offered to make the drive to the bear facility to drop the donated haul off! Thanks, Josh! For those of you who don't know, firehose is made of a heavy duty and extremely durable woven nylon to resist wear and tear during use by firefighters. It also seems to be very resistant to sharp bear cub claws and teeth, which make it the perfect material to use to construct enrichment items like hammocks, feeding enrichment items and cub climbing structures.
In other exciting news, we've restocked our 30th Anniversary mugs and bowls this week. Grab yours here: appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/products/handmade-pottery-mug-in-blue-30th-anniversary-green ... See MoreSee Less
17 CommentsComment on Facebook
June 10, 2026 - ABR Featured in WPLN’s Latest Black Bear Conservation Story
In her latest piece, WPLN environmental reporter Caroline Eggers asks: “Black bears are threatened by climate change. How can we help?”
Over on our website's News section, we have an excerpt from Eggers’ piece, which features Appalachian Bear Rescue’s Executive Director, Greg Grieco, alongside our partners across conservation.
Whenever big things are happening (with much to come soon!), we'll be posting them as news articles, too, in order to keep ABR current online and in search engines as an engaged, expert voice in black bear conservation.
The article also features great interviews and information with our partners, so be sure to check it out:
appalachianbearrescue.org/abr-featured-wpln-latest-black-bear-conservation-story/ ... See MoreSee Less
11 CommentsComment on Facebook
June 6, 2026 - "Mama bears are out grazing!"
As Board President Mike Smith said when sending over this photo, the mama bears are out grazing and their little ones are experiencing the wide world in their first year!
The world is alive with electric greens, birdsong, and nature's offspring. The transition from spring to summertime is truly a magical time for us, black bears, and all of Appalachia.
Truly, "transition" is an apt word for the ABR family. We have a very busy and exciting week ahead of us, and are eager to share progress and next steps with you all.
In the meantime, we would LOVE to see any photos of bears out in the wild you've all captures so far this year. Please send them to us in a message so we can compile them and make an "ABR Family Bear Sightings" album!
Can't wait to see those photos - and here's to an exciting week ahead! ... See MoreSee Less
14 CommentsComment on Facebook
June 4, 2026 - Moving Forward as the Grass Grows
Every hour of every day, we're moving towards accepting cubs once again. After weeks of rain, the grass is finally taking hold and growing in enclosures 5 and 6. With that, finishing touches can be completed, and the team is currently putting posts in the ground for further bear-suited platforms.
"Platform structures are an ideal spot for cubs to play, relax, socialize, and sleep. Being off the ground, they provide a sense of security to the cubs and even help them practice and develop climbing skills that will prove to be invaluable later in life for foraging," Lead Curator Seth Wyckoff says.
And, all the while, Seth has become so good at growing grass in the new enclosures that even his socks are growing said grass while he mans the new platforms.
"Building the structures is a whole ordeal in itself. The first step is simply walking the enclosure grounds and finding the right location. Things like area size, sunlight exposure, collage cover, soil consistency, root density, and observation availability are all considered when picking a location," Seth continues.
Next up? Planning what shape and size the platforms will be. "Depending on the clearing size and tree density, certain shapes and sizes have to be selected to fit the space. Unlike in the past, we now are committed to building the platforms completely off the trees, as to promote the longevity of both the tree health and the platform integrity."
We're living and learning and growing at ABR and, as Seth says, it's important to us to ensure the health of the entire ecosystem at our facilitiess, not just for bears.
Curator Seth has started the building process by digging the 44” deep holes for the support poles to rest in. Each pole is 12 feet long and 8 inches in diameter, making it a very heavy piece of wood to carry. The sheer weight of the poles provide structural stability and resilience to the abuse they will have to withstand from the cubs.
On top of being buried deep in the clay, curator Seth is also anchoring each pole with a construction grade foam that provides the same anchoring function as concrete.
Once all the poles in enclosures 5 and 6 are anchored into the ground, the rest of the platform can be quickly built.
We'll continue to keep you updated every step of the way, and sincerely appreciate your support, patience, and unrivaled sense of community. As soon as all our partners and teams are ready to share further good news, you will all be the first to know.
In the meantime, we've re-stocked a lot of best-sellers in the Gift Shop. Manager Sarah is doing a phenomenal job of ensuring that side of things continues on strong, and we're incredibly grateful for all her hard work.
To visit our online store and shop, go to:
appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/
Or, please come see us in the Visitors Center & Gift Shop at Trillium Cove Shopping Center off East Lamar Alexander Parkway on Highway 321 in Townsend, address: 121 Painted Trillium Way.
Every purchase helps ABR forward, so thank you all for everything you do as part of the ABR family! ... See MoreSee Less
19 CommentsComment on Facebook
Free this Friday night? In the Knoxville area? Join ABR in person for the 🐻Ursa Curiosa 🐻 opening reception at the UT Gardens!
WHERE: UT Gardens Knoxville
2506 Jacob Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996
WHEN: Friday, June 5, from 5:30-7:30pm
FREE, open to the public!
Lead Curator Seth Wyckoff will be greeting guests with black bear educational materials, ABR info, and loads of experience and humor (hold him to it).
Friends of the Smokies and the National Park Service will also be there with information about our bears and human/bear interactions.
This reception is free and open to the public, and black bear artworks by local artists and children will be installed throughout the Gardens. Come grab a map and wander as you wish! Light refreshments will be provided.
The current forecast looks pleasant for Friday, but the event will be rain or shine.
💬ABOUT Ursa Curiosa: A Garden Art Exhibit - This unbearably fun and whimsical event seeks to raise awareness about the need to protect our native bears as urban development encroaches on their natural habitat.
The exhibition is part of Knoxville’s First Friday arts celebration, with its grand opening evet on June 5, 2026. Fifty-one artists’ visions will acknowledge the importance of black bears in our southern Appalachian ecosystems. Local children also are participating by expressing their creative talents on decorated bear faces or acorn cutouts. The children’s exhibit runs concurrently with the adult exhibit. The exhibit will be open throughout the summer during daylight hours. The children’s pieces will be displayed in the Children’s Garden, while the pieces crafted by adults will be located throughout the grounds. A brochure and electronic maps will be available to assist in finding each piece.
Informational bear facts will also be included as part of the exhibition, and new this year is the expansion of the exhibit to include several pieces to be displayed at the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through a partnership with the Friends of the Smokies. The UT Gardens, Crossville, will also host a display at the UT Plateau AgResearch and Education Center.
Now in its ninth year, the Art in the Gardens exhibit will conclude in late September with an exciting online auction of these fantastic works of art.
We hope to see you there! ... See MoreSee Less
6 CommentsComment on Facebook
Our 30th Anniversary Shirts featuring this new celebratory logo are restocked and available in our gift shop! To purchase online and support cub rescues and black bear conservation, please visit: appalachian-bear-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/bear-wear ... See MoreSee Less
15 CommentsComment on Facebook
June 1, 2026 - A Beary Happy June to our ABR Family 🐻💚
🐻 What Are Black Bears Up To in June?
June is one of the busiest months of the year for black bears in Appalachia. As summer begins, bears are on the move - and then some. They're searching for food, finding mates, teaching the next generation how to survive in the wild, and all of this means black bear sightings are on the rise in our communities.
Here's what's happening in bear country right now:
🌿 They're Eating Constantly:
Natural foods are still limited in many areas ahead of berries ripening and fall mast crops arriving. So, bears spend much of their day foraging for grasses, tender vegetation, insects, grubs, carrion, and prey. Every calorie counts.
💕 Mating Season Has Begun:
Black bear mating season occurs in early to mid-summer, and really heats up in July. June sees breeding behaviors kickstart and adult males may travel many miles across the mountains searching for females, making bear sightings more common this time of year.
🐻Young Bears Are On Their Own:
Cubs are exploring their surroundings much more rambunctiously as their mothers teach them how to be a bear. Many yearlings are now being separated from their mothers and beginning independent lives. These young bears are maturing, learning how to find food, avoid danger, and establish their own territories.
🏡 Bears Visit Neighborhoods, Towns & Cities:
Because natural foods can be unpredictable in spring and early summer, bears are always looking for easy calories. Unsecured garbage, pet food, bird seed, and other attractants can quickly draw a hungry bear into a yard or human habitats.
✅ Help Keep Bears Wild:
• Secure trash until pickup day
• Bring in bird feeders when bears are active
• Feed pets indoors whenever possible
• Clean outdoor grills after use
• Never intentionally feed bears
Every attractant we remove helps keep bears wild, healthy, and out of trouble.
🔊Have you spotted a bear in your area? Let us know int he comments below!
Happy June ABR family! Let's all continue to be #BearWise together 🐻💚
#AppalachianBearRescue #BlackBears #KeepBearsWild #Appalachia #BearCountry ... See MoreSee Less
30 CommentsComment on Facebook
May 28, 2026 - Want to experience the full joy of late spring humidity in Tennessee? Trim some hedges! Curators Tom & Seth have been putting in the sweat required to keep our Townsend Visitors Center & Gift Shop looking tip top.
As Seth said, it was "hot and awful" - but worth it.
We sincerely appreciate each of you that's come by to shop and say hi! ... See MoreSee Less
14 CommentsComment on Facebook
May 27, 2026 - Spotlight on Lead Curator Seth Wyckoff
To know Lead Curator Seth is to appreciate intelligence and humor in equal measure. Many of you have met and seen Seth hard at work over the last few years here at ABR, and today we'd like to thank our Lead Curator for the exceptional work he's put into lifting us up into this next chapter.
GET TO KNOW LEAD CURATOR SETH:
📋Seth has been working in the field of wildlife health for over a decade. With a graduate degree in Parasitology and Wildlife disease ecology, Seth came to ABR with a wealth of experience and knowledge stemming from working at South Eastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCDWS), University of Tennessee, and the private research sector at Boehringer-Ingelheim.
When not taking care of bears and maintaining the facility, Seth can be found fishing, caving, hiking, and taking pictures of any snake or salamander he can get his hands on. We've included the proof via photos from the man himself!
We've leaned on Seth heavily during his time at ABR. His expertise is a phenomenal resource for ABR and our conservation community, but so is his strength, endurance, and willingness to do/build/make anything just about anything.
Thank you, Seth! ... See MoreSee Less
24 CommentsComment on Facebook