As co-founder of wildlife conservation organization Pacific Wild, and longtime Great Bear Rainforest resident, Ian McAllister is respected throughout the globe for his efforts to protect British Columbia’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.
On November 14, 2014, McAllister will visit the Charlie White Theate in Sidney as part of a BC-wide tour 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 said BC’s rainforest haunts her dreams. Sidney residents can explore this precious region with the upcoming presentation, Q&A and book signing from a dedicated author, conservationist, and leader.
Great Bear Wild is published by Greystone Books and available online or at your local bookstore. The Great Bear Wild Tour visits the Charlie White Theatre, Mary Winspear Centre, on Friday, November 14 at 7:30pm. Tickets $12, available at marywinspear.ca. All proceeds go to Pacific Wild. For further information visit pacificwild.org or greystonebooks.com. Photo by Ian McAllister, from Great Bear Wild: Dispatches from a Northern Rainforest published by Greystone Books.
