Sharing the wild

presenting the Great Bear Rainforest

In November, conservationist and photographer Ian McAllister launches a BC-wide tour of a deeply personal multimedia presentation on the spectacular, remote Great Bear Rainforest.

As co-founder of the wildlife conservation organization Pacific Wild and a longtime Great Bear Rainforest resident, Ian McAllister is respected throughout the globe for his efforts to protect BC’s endangered rainforest. He was named as one of 133 highly accomplished Canadians by the Globe and Mail and a “Leader of the 21st Century” by Time.

As a multi-award-winning photographer, McAllister’s unparalleled work provides a unique perspective on the animals and ecosystems he works to protect. A member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, he is a recipient of the North America Nature Photography Association’s Vision Award and the Rainforest Action Network’s Rainforest Hero award.

Throughout November, McAllister will visit theatres throughout the province to promote his new book, Great Bear Wild: Dispatches From a Northern Rainforest, published by Greystone Books.

Both the book and upcoming Great Bear Wild multimedia presentation take readers on a deeply personal journey of the Great Bear Rainforest, from the headwaters of the region’s unexplored river valleys down to the hidden depths of the offshore world.

Globally renowned for its astonishing biodiversity, the region is also one of the most endangered landscapes on the planet, where First Nations people fight for their way of life as massive energy projects threaten entire ecosystems.

As Robert F. Kennedy explains in his foreword, “The Great Bear Rainforest sits between the world’s second-largest known oil reserves, Alberta’s infamous tar sands and Asia’s hungry oil markets. In between lies this rainforest of globally rare species and some of the world’s most fiercely independent native people fighting for their way of life.”

In a not-so unusual day, McAllister quietly observes 27 bears fishing for salmon, three of which are the famed pure white spirit bear. In Great Bear Wild, McAllister introduces us to the First Nations people who have lived there for millennia and have become his close friends and allies and to the scientists conducting groundbreaking research and racing against time to protect the region from massive energy projects.

Revered anthropologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall has said that BC’s rainforest haunts her dreams. Regardless of their location, people can now explore this precious region through the upcoming presentation, Q&A and book signing with this dedicated author, conservationist and leader.

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Great Bear Wild is published by Greystone Books. It is available online or at your local bookstore ($50.00 RRP). The Great Bear Wild Tour visits various theatres with tickets ranging from by donation to $12. All proceeds go to Pacific Wild. For further information or to book tickets, visit pacificwild.org or greystonebooks.com

Upcoming Great Bear Wild tour events

Nov 3: Vernon
Okanagan College, 7:30 pm

Nov 12: Victoria
Alix Goolden Hall, 7:30 pm

Nov 13: Duncan
Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conf. Ctr, 7 pm

Nov 14: Sidney
Charlie White Theatre, 7:30 pm

Nov 18: Galiano Island
Galiano South End Hall, 7:30 pm

Nov 19: Campbell River
Tidemark Theatre, 7:30 pm

Nov 20: Courtenay
Sid Williams Theatre, 7:30 pm

Nov 21: Powell River
Max Cameron Theatre, 7 pm