ADAMS — What should the name of the life-size bear sculpture at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center exhibit hall be? How did it get there in the first place?

Daniel Doyle, executive director of the outdoor center, gave it a home after a trip to Stamford, Vt., where he met Herman Hageman, its creator. Hageman's wife Elizebeth volunteers at the outdoor center.

“I drove out to their cabin and took a look at it, and met them both, and saw the other amazing things that he [had] been working on in his shop, and talked to the town, and we decided it would be a good place for it,” Doyle said. “I do think that something like that would be wonderful on the trails and would be great for kids to see and add an element to the trails that sort of works with what we already have in the natural landscape while adding to it, but it would degrade rapidly.”

In the end, Doyle chose the exhibit hall to protect it from the elements.

“And I think it fits well in the exhibit hall, especially over by all the kids’ activities,” he said.

Moving the 400-pound pine creation took six people and a portable crane.

Doyle is looking for names for the bear and is holding a contest through the end of the month. Names should be emailed to [email protected] by Dec. 31. The winning name will be revealed at a raffle for those who submitted on Jan. 1.

Herman Hageman said he won’t be submitting an entry.

“I don’t want to,” he said. “I just want to see how it turns out.”

The life size bear created and donated by Herman Hageman lives in the environmental education exhibit at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center in Adams.

Herman Hageman is a retired electrician who moved to Stamford from Blandford after retiring from Collins Electric 15 years ago.

He took up chainsaw carving as a hobby and is self-taught. He’s never sold a piece.

The bear began as a massive pine log, which Herman Hageman learned was being removed from a nearby property. He offered to pick it up with his tractor, then took it home and worked freehand to carve the likeness.

He estimated the work took him 60 hours.

What was the most challenging aspect?

“Basically, to get everything in perspective,” he said, referring to getting the proportions right.

In addition to a chainsaw, Herman Hageman used a power chisel, grinders and finished with gouges and drop chisels. He also painted the bear.

The life size bear created and donated by Herman Hageman lives in the environmental education exhibit at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center in Adams.

While he typically gives away his creations of eagles, bears, birdhouses and benches to friends, neighbors and family, this is the first time he’s placed one in a public place.

“It was a little different,” he said of seeing his work in a public place. “Interesting.”