An Alberta researcher has received a major funding boost to study how black bears are recolonizing the Beaver Hills Biosphere, a distinct geographic area 40 kilometres east of Edmonton.

Sandra MacDougall, a biology instructor at Red Deer Polytechnic, was recently awarded a grant of $426,000 to amplify her research on how quickly the bear population is increasing in the area.

A major goal of the study will be to track the movements of the bears through the increased use of radio collars and to fin…