Great Bear Rainforest - Oil Pipeline Threat

by Save Our Seas Foundation

Thomas P. Peschak takes us behind the scenes of his latest expedition to document the seascape of the Great Bear Rainforest.

SOSF Chief Photographer and iLCP Fellow Thomas P. Peschak takes us behind the scenes of his latest expedition to document the seascape of the Great Bear Rainforest. This pristine environment is under threat from a proposed oil pipeline.

SPOIL

by EP Films and iLCP

Will the Great bear Rainforest RAVE team find a spirit bear?

iLCP teamed up with EP FIlms to create a documentary that tells the story of the threats facing the Great Bear Rainforest and the continued efforts of  the First Nations communities and conservations groups to protect this wild landscape.

About the Great Bear Rainforest RAVE

The International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) has teamed up with Pacific WILD, the Gitga’at First Nation of British Columbia, LightHawk, TidesCanada, Save our Seas Foundation, Sierra Club BC, and the Dogwood initiative to carry out a Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE) in the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia. We are focusing our energy and cameras on this pristine region in response to plans by several large multinational companies to build a pipeline for heavy crude oil from the Alberta tar sands across British Columbia to the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest.

The tar sands in northern Alberta are arguably one of the world’s most environmentally-devastating extractive industries and the proposed pipeline would put one of our planet’s most ecologically-sensitive and intact marine ecosystems at risk for a catastrophic oil spill through increased mega tanker traffic.

The 14-day expedition to the Great Bear Rainforest called upon 7 world-renowned photographers and 3 videographers to thoroughly document the region’s landscapes, wildlife, and culture. The RAVE provided media support to the First Nations and environmental groups seeking to stop the proposed Enbridge Gateway pipeline project (and thus expansion of the tar sands) and to expose the plan to lift the oil tanker ship moratorium.

News and Updates on the film

SPOIL premiered at Wild and Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City California January 2011

Awards

Best Environmental Film, Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival

Nominated for the Telluride Mountainfilm 2011 Moving Mountains Award

Best Long Film Award at the Coastal Film Festival judged by First Nation Youth

Merit Award for Musical Selection, Best of Craft, Best Photography, Best Environmental Film (Category Winner)at CINE 2011

Best Environmental Film,  Artivist Film Festival 2011

Best Human Interest award, Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival 2011

For most recent news and updates check the SPOIL Facebook page here!

Paul Nicklen: TED talk 2011

by TED

Oil in Eden: The Battle to Protect Canada's Pacific Coast

by Pacific Wild

It's one of the last bastions of Canadian wilderness: the Great Bear Rainforest, on BC's north and central Pacific coast. Home to diverse marine mammals, fish, and wildlife - from Orca and humpback whales to wild salmon, wolves, grizzlies, and the legendary spirit bear - this spectacular place is now threatened by a proposal from Enbridge to bring an oil pipeline and supertankers to this fragile and rugged coast.

It's one of the last bastions of Canadian wilderness: the Great Bear Rainforest, on BC's north and central Pacific coast. Home to diverse marine mammals, fish, and wildlife - from Orca and humpback whales to wild salmon, wolves, grizzlies, and the legendary spirit bear - this spectacular place is now threatened by a proposal from Enbridge to bring an oil pipeline and supertankers to this fragile and rugged coast.

The plan is to pump over half a million barrels a day of unrefined bitumen from the Alberta Tar Sands over the Rockies, through the heartland of BC - crossing a thousand rivers and streams in the process - to the Port of Kitimat, in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. From there, supertankers would ply the rough and dangerous waters of the BC coast en route to Asia and the United States. Dubbed the Northern Gateway Pipeline, the project is of concern for three main reasons: 1. It would facilitate the expansion of the Tar Sands, hooking emerging Asian economies on the world's dirtiest oil; 2. the risks from the pipeline itself; 3. the danger of introducing oil supertankers for the first time to this part of the BC coast.

Now a growing coalition of First Nations, conservation groups, and concerned citizens from Canada and around the world is banding together to say no the Enbridge project, in what is shaping up to be the defining Canadian environmental battle of our time. Produced by Canadian filmmaker Damien Gillis for Pacific Wild, This 16 min short documentary - featuring stunning images from the Great Bear Rainforest - provides a summary of the key issues involved in this battle over the pipeline, tankers, and Canada's Pacific coast.

Sierra Club BC RAVE Scoop

by Sierra Club BC

Scouting Mission: Great Bear Rainforest RAVE

by iLCP

Cristina speaks for a threatened landscape and way of life.

Having Just returned from the June scouting trip for the Great Bear Rainforest RAVE, Cristina Speaks for a threatened landscape and way of life.

Large tankers plan to travel through fragile ecosystems on the BC coast in the Great Bear Rainforest (GBR). While a major oil spill is a leading concern, just the presence of these tankers disrupts the ecosystem on which the First Nations rely as well as many species which call the GBR home.

Photography: Cristina Mittermeier Video: Jenny Nichols

Enbridge Pipeline: iLCP Focus on Great Bear Rainforest

by Common Sense Canadian

SPOIL Trailer : Great Bear Rainforest RAVE

by EP Films and iLCP Multimedia

The trailer to SPOIL, the film produced in partnership with EP Films. This film is one of the outcomes for the Great Bear Rainforest RAVE.

The International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) has teamed up with Pacific WILD, the Gitga’at First Nation of British Columbia, LightHawk, TidesCanada, Save our Seas Foundation, Sierra Club BC, and the Dogwood initiative to carry out a Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE) in the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia. We are focusing our energy and cameras on this pristine region in response to plans by several large multinational companies to build a pipeline for heavy crude oil from the Alberta tar sands across British Columbia to the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest.

The tar sands in northern Alberta are arguably one of the world’s most environmentally-devastating extractive industries and the proposed pipeline would put one of our planet’s most ecologically-sensitive and intact marine ecosystems at risk for a catastrophic oil spill through increased mega tanker traffic.

The 14-day expedition to the Great Bear Rainforest called upon 7 world-renowned photographers and 3 videographers to thoroughly document the region’s landscapes, wildlife, and culture. The RAVE provided media support to the First Nations and environmental groups seeking to stop the proposed Enbridge Gateway pipeline project (and thus expansion of the tar sands) and to expose the plan to lift the oil tanker ship moratorium.

Great Bear Rainforest RAVE

by iLCP Multimedia Jenny Nichols

The Multimedia produced for the press conference for the Great Bear Rainforest RAVE in Vancouver October 16, 2010.

The Multimedia produced for the press conference for the Great Bear Rainforest RAVE in Vancouver October 16, 2010.

Great Bear Rainforest RAVE: Q&A with Norm Hann

by iLCP Multimedia, Jenny Nichols

Norm has been an amazing liaison between the RAVE expedition and the community of Hartley Bay. Many thanks Norm!

Q&A with Norm Hann

Norm first came to The Great Bear Rainforest through King Pacific Lodge where he worked as a guide. He has since been living with the Gitga'at First Nations community in Hartley Bay off and on for the last ten years. Working within the community coaching, teaching and participating in student mentor programs. through his involvement with the Gitga'at community, Norm found inspiration to engage in the struggle against Enbridge, the twin pipelines and oil super tankers in the pristine waterways of the Great Bear Rainforest.

This past May, Norm completed a standup paddle board journey from Kitimat to Hartley Bay to raise awareness of the oil super tanker route. He chose May so as to coincide with the annual salmon runs.

Norm has been an amazing liaison between the RAVE expedition and the community of Hartley Bay. Many thanks Norm!

Spirit Bear in New York City

Oct 19, 2011

We set up tripods, we followed guides, we lived on sailboats and tugboats, we were welcomed by the Gitga’at community, we took to the air - swam in the ocean and shimmied on our stomachs with salmon...

Great Bear Rainforest Exhibit shines in Prince George

Aug 31, 2011

Bring your family and friends to this free exhibition and film series at UNBC and experience the awe of the incredible flora and fauna of this coastal rainforest.

Great Bear Wild

“SPOIL” screening 7 - 8:30pm following exhibit

Q&A with Ian McAllister August 2011 Photographer of the Month

Ian McAllister

Aug 4, 2011

The Spirit bear is a worthy ambassador of the mystery and magnificence of this rainforest.

Paul Nicklen: Spirit Bear Blog

Paul Nicklen

Aug 2, 2011

" Despite the near-daily downpours here, I have woken up at 4am every day for 18 days to begin the long trek to the hidden post where I hope to photograph one of the rarest animals on Earth: the elusive Spirit or Kermode Bear." -Paul Nicklen

Written for Hauser Bears

National Geographic: Kermode Bear

Bruce Barcott

Jul 18, 2011

"In a moss-draped rain forest in British Columbia, towering red cedars live a thousand years, and black bears are born with white fur."

Rally for an Oil-Free Coast, Prince Rupert

Caitlyn Vernon, Sierra Club BC

May 20, 2011

It was a busy, eventful, and inspiring week in Prince Rupert.

About the author:

Canadian elections put Federal Conservatives back in power

May 3, 2011

"Elizabeth May said she is worried that Harper will use his majority to permit oil tankers to travel the West Coast, start oil drilling in coastal waters and allow the development of the Enbridge pipeline to the B.C. north coast." - The Canadian

Join us.

ACT

The Canadian Press News Article

Pacific Wild Launches New Animated Film on the Great Bear Rainforest

Apr 13, 2011

a beautiful short animation focusing on the whales of the Great Bear Rainforest

A Call to Action: SPOIL Wins Top Environmental Film at Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival

Feb 22, 2011

We're so excited about the success of SPOIL at last week's Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. Not only did it win the top spot in the Environmental Film category, but our screening brought together some of the key characters of this summer's RAVE, enticed more than 700 spectators and motivated more than 1,000 people to take action... in one night!

This film is beautiful and inspiring for so many reasons, but if we are to pick one thing that stands out it's that the film truly motivates people to act; reminding them that sitting quietly on the sidelines isn't an option.

Tar sands are dirty and destructive, and as Garth Lenz said, this film is a call to action for all of us become "anti tar sands warriors."

"This is an opportunity, what road are we on and where do we want to be going? ... do we want to be so ashamed of our country's environmental actions that we rip the Canadian flags off our backpacks?"

Enbridge's proposed pipeline wouldn't just affect the surrounding wilderness, it would completely alter a way of life. "If I wanted to be a tug boat captain I'd be one already. I like what I do, that's why I do it," said Marven Robinson (Gitga'at First Nations), an integral part of the film as a spirit bear guide. "[a spill] would take away all we [Gitga'at First Nations] have and all we do."

Thanks to all of our speakers: video from Tom Peschak, Garth Lenz, Marven Robinson (Gitga'at First Nations), Caitlyn Vernon from Sierra Club BC, Norm Hann - Standup4GreatBear, Mike Reid, Frank Wolf, Ian McAllister, and Frank Brown. And of course to EP Films for making this winning film that we hope inspires people across the continent to truly fight for this pristine wilderness.

Ready to fight? Sign Pacific Wild's petition, tell your friends, join Stand Up 4 Great Bear on Facebook, write your local representatives, show SPOIL to your family; it's all part of the greater effort and we can't fight the fight without you.

Nature Inspires Action: Lessons from Great Bear

Feb 16, 2011

At the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, it's hard not to be inspired by adventure. The films here explore a variety of topics, but one thing is clear: that sense of adventure is also a driving force behind making positive change.

Time spent exploring natural places reminds us of how important it is to protect them. This past summer when we set out to capture the essence of the Great Bear Rainforest to showcase just how destructive the proposed Enbridge pipeline would be to the surrounding environment and communities, our days were filled with trekking through rainy forests in search of spirit bears, wading through streams to photograph salmon and walking along rocky beaches breathing in the salty air and taking a moment to honor the beauty of this place.

Those brief moments of respite, when for a few seconds the issue falls by the wayside and your mind is only consumed with your surroundings, are the catalyst behind what we do. We work to protect natural spaces because we can't imagine ourselves living without them.

Tonight we'll be joining together with many of the individuals that made the Great Bear RAVE a success, to talk about the beauty of this place and what's really at stake. We'd love for you to join us.

***

Details:

WHAT: iLCP, Pacific Wild and Sierra Club BC host a screening spOILed: From the Tar Sands to the Great Bear Rainforest. Join us for an evening of photography, film and multimedia presentations by world renowned conservationists, adventurers, film-makers and photographers such as Ian McAlister, Tom Peschak, Garth Lenz, Norm Hann and Frank Wolf. Doors open at 6:30.

Festival tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Books, films and photographs will all be for sale/ auction and there are lots of prizes to be won!

TICKETS: Advanced tickets are available online at www.vimff.org, and at the Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, tel (604) 984-4484, and at the Mountain Equipment Co-op stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

Thanks to SaltSpring Island Cheese, Gulf Island Brewing, Sitka Surfboards and many others for supporting this night!

spOILed Screening at Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival

Feb 10, 2011

We're excited to be attending the upcoming Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival -- held February 11-19, 2011 -- a festival that focuses on climbing and adventure.

Along with Pacific Wild and Sierra Club BC we'll be screening spOILed: From the Tar Sands to the Great Bear Rainforest.

If you're in the Vancouver area, please join us for an evening of photography, film and multimedia presentations by world renowned conservationists, adventurers, film-makers and photographers such as Ian McAlister, Tom Peschak, Garth Lenz, Norm Hann and Frank Wolf. Doors open at 6:30.

Festival tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

Books, films and photographs will all be for sale/ auction and there are lots of prizes to be won!

Advanced tickets are available online at www.vimff.org, and at the Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, tel (604) 984-4484, and at the Mountain Equipment Co-op stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

Thanks to SaltSpring Island Cheese, Gulf Island Brewing, Sitka Surfboards and many others for supporting this night!

SPOIL Premiers With 180º South + Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard

Jan 18, 2011

"The solution may be to turn around and take one step forward. It's not one step back if you just turn around 180º and take a step." — Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard.

Witness: Defining Conservation Photography Premiers At Wild & Scenic

Jan 15, 2011

"It's long overdue that we started using photography not just for social change, but for environmental conservation. That's what this revolution is about."

"When I see an elephant killed I can't stop the guy from killing the elephant. That's not my job. My job is to make images to stop us from killing elephants... It's long overdue that we started using photography not just for social change, but for environmental conservation. That's what this revolution is about." — iLCP fellow Michael "Nick" Nichols

Witness: Defining Conservation Photography kicked off the Wild & Scenic Film Festival last night at the Nevada Theatre.

Tonight, we're excited for the world premier of SPOIL: The Fight to Save Great Bear. The film, from EP Films, follows iLCP's RAVE through the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia to support the coastal First Nations’ fight against a proposed oil export pipeline from the tar sands. In the challenge of just 10 days, these world famous photographers must capture the iconic wilderness and wildlife of this suddenly threatened landscape. Learn more about the Great Bear RAVE here.

Show times: Saturday, Jan. 15 at the Nevada Theatre, doors at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 16 at NC Elementary, doors at 12:45 p.m.

And what’s a film premier without a party? Join us to Celebrate Wild Salmon! We're teaming up with the good folks of Save Our Wild Salmon, EP Films and Patagonia to throw a premier party for SPOIL and EP's other film at the festival — The Greatest Migration.

When: Saturday, January 15 — 5:30 to 7p.m.

Where: The National Hotel – 211 Broad Street, Nevada City at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival

SPOIL: The Fight to Save Great Bear Premiering At Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Jan 12, 2011

Follow iLCP's RAVE through the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia to support the coastal First Nations’ fight against a proposed oil export pipeline from the tar sands.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is not just another film festival in a charming little mountain town — it’s a festival with a purpose. The film festival is a gathering of storytellers and story-makers; a festival by activists and for activists. And in just a few years, Wild & Scenic has become the largest and most energized environmental film festival in the United States.

We're excited to be on hand for the world premier of SPOIL: The Fight to Save Great Bear. The film, from EP Films, follows iLCP's RAVE through the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia to support the coastal First Nations’ fight against a proposed oil export pipeline from the tar sands. In the challenge of just 10 days, these world famous photographers must capture the iconic wilderness and wildlife of this suddenly threatened landscape. Learn more about the Great Bear RAVE here.

Show times: Saturday, Jan. 15 at the Nevada Theatre, doors at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 16 at NC Elementary, doors at 12:45 p.m.

Winess: Defining Conservation Photography will also premier at the festival. Learn more here.

And what’s a film premier without a party? Join us to Celebrate Wild Salmon! We're teaming up with the good folks of Save Our Wild Salmon, EP Films and Patagonia to throw a premier party for SPOIL and EP's other film at the festival — The Greatest Migration.

Connecting ocean and forest in the Great Bear Rainforest and tackling an epic migration from Alaska to Idaho’s mountains, salmon are an integral piece of our cultures, ecosystems, food security and global economies. But to save them, we have to protect their habitat and restore migration corridors.

Join the filmmakers of The Greatest Migration and SPOIL for a beer and take action to protect wild salmon and the people, places and wildlife that depend upon them. Sierra Nevada brews, photo projections from iLCP and gear giveaways from Patagonia and Osprey Packs!

When: Saturday, January 15 — 5:30 to 7p.m.

Where: The National Hotel – 211 Broad Street, Nevada City at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival

iLCP partnered up with SOS in 2010 for the Snake River Tripods in the Mud (TIM). Snake River salmon travel farther and climb higher than any other salmon on earth. Now, dams prevent this migratory feat from happening. This one-of-a-kind story needed to be told with images. Learn more here and don't miss the premier of The Greatest Migration at Wild & Scenic!

Great Bear Rainforest RAVE: The Journey To The Great Bear Rainforest

Jenny Nichols

Dec 15, 2010

For lack of a better cultural reference, I feel as if I've landed on the set of the movie Twilight. My niece would be looking over her shoulder for vampires and werewolves, however we’ve traveled to the Pacific coast of British Columbia to face an immensely more threatening danger — the proposed Enbridge pipeline that will carry crude oil from the tar sands in Alberta, Canada to the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. The creation of this pipeline is destructive for the ecosystem and the First Nations and wildlife that call it home, and it will also lead to a massive increase in tanker traffic.

After a semi bumpy 2-hour flight from Vancouver into Prince Rupert, I landed on a tiny fog-cloaked island off of Prince Rupert. Dave, who I sat next to on the plane, explains that now we take a bus and a ferry to the island of Prince Rupert. In Prince Rupert, everything is moving in sweet slow motion, no one is in a hurry, no one is stressed, and everything is running smoothly. The effect was refreshing. I slipped effortlessly out of my autopilot travel mode, and started to look around. The air traffic control personnel knew almost all of the passengers getting off the plane, the baggage handlers passed my bag with a gesture that was similar to a handshake. The crowd slowly rolled onto the sidewalk outside the one-roomed airport and waited for the bus to start loading. I assumed that we would heave our luggage under the bus, but then realized there were no compartments. An open backed moving truck backs up and started to load our luggage. With our gear safely stowed in the truck, we got on the bus and took off for the ferry. I sat next to Dave again on the bus because it’s not entirely clear where I would meet my good friends and colleagues Trevor Frost and Joe Riis who are already in Prince Rupert preparing for the Great Bear Rainforest RAVE.

As we drove onto the ferry, Dave started to tell me about the wood mill on Prince Rupert that shut down about 8 years ago.

“Its why I moved here,” he comments and in the same breath mentions that the population has gone from something like 20,000 to 10,000 in just 8 years because of the lack of jobs. He thinks the main reason for the plant closing down was that the new environmental standards were too expensive to implement.

As an avid conservationist I am torn at this comment.

Part of me rejoices, as I look out over this incredible landscape where water and terrestrial habitat seem to converge with such grace. I secretly celebrate the fact that these trees will not end up as woodchips and 2x4s. However, Dave is clearly pained by this occurrence and the economy of Prince Rupert has clearly suffered enormously. I don’t know what the answer is in Prince Rupert, however I do know that conservation has to involve and empower the local communities to succeed. So often conservation movements and conservation groups are perceived as being the voice that says, “no, you can’t do that.” We need to turn that around and be the voice that says, “yes!” Yes you can be stewards of the land. Yes! This pristine landscape is still here because you protected it. Yes! You can still kayak along the Pacific Coast of BC and see whales, orcas and bald eagles. Yes, there is still a lot of work to do, but yes, there is also still time to make the right choice.

The International League of Conservation Photographers and partners strive to make that choice obvious by telling the story of the Great Bear Rainforest through imagery and video. To help bring attention to the people living in the Great Bear Rainforest whose voices are not being heard. To show how imperative it is to protect this unique place and how together the people of Canada and the global community can stop this proposed pipeline and avoid an increase in tanker traffic that could destroy and ecosystem and a way of life.

So, how can you help? Here are three simple ways for you to support the work of iLCP and raise awareness about the threats facing the Great Bear Rainforest. Together, we can protect this precious ecosystem and the communities that live there!

1. Give! Support iLCP and the Great Bear RAVE

2. Take Action! Keep Oil Tankers Out of Great Bear

3. Tell the Story! Tell your friends, your family, your neighbors! Post stories from Great Bear on your own blog, on Facebook and Twitter!

Environmental Threat Facing Great Bear Is A Global Problem

Oct 1, 2010

This summer, the iLCP, a group of internationally renowned photographers are taking part in a RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest.

This summer, the iLCP, a group of internationally renowned photographers are taking part in a RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest. Home to white spirit bears, ancient forests, and stunning marine biodiversity, it is one of the planet's most priceless treasures, but overseas oil interests wanting access to western Canada's tar sands, the second largest known oil reserves in the world, have put the region in threat, prompting the action of conservation groups and the iLCP. Throughout the expedition we'll be bringing you profiles, stories, statistics and photos to learn more about the region and why it's so crucial that we all work to protect it. Please follow along here on the iLCP blog, on Facebook and Twitter.

***

"Oil has a long history of not producing wealth or prosperity, exactly the opposite. What oil brings is poverty, social disease and environmental degradation. This is something that this coastline does not need," iLCP founder and president Cristina Mittermeier said. "This is an environmental threat facing British Columbia and the coast… This is an environmental threat that would be facing planet Earth. This would have global impact."

"When you're working with 100 of the best photographers in the world, you need to deploy them. So we came up with the idea of a SWAT team… to capture images and bring back stories," Cristina said.

The goal of a RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition): engage the media, nationally and internationally, and create tipping points for conservation issues.

"In global terms, when you think about the Alberta tar sands, it will be doubling its potential output if this pipeline goes through. It's not just the impact it will have on the coastline. It's the impact it will have in Athabasca. This is one of the most toxic projects on the planet and I think as a civilized society, we need to ask ourselves: 'Do we need this oil?' And maybe the answer is 'no, not anymore.'"

Great Bear Rainforest RAVE from iLCP on Vimeo. Share or comment on this story >

Great Bear Rainforest RAVE : Photographer Profile, Thomas Peschak

iLCP

Sep 6, 2010

Thomas P. Peschak is the Chief Photographer of the Save our Seas Foundation and travels extensively in pursuit of marine wildlife and underwater stories. He was born in Germany, but has lead a near continuous nomadic existence and today spends the 100 or so days when he is not on the road in his adopted home of Cape Town, South Africa.

Thomas is a former marine biologist who specialized in kelp forest ecology and the impacts of illegal fishing, who left science to pursue a life in environmental photojournalism. He has won many awards including category wins in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Fuji Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitions as well as the Grand Prize (Portfolio) and Prix Jean et Maryse Chapeyroux at the World Festival of Underwater Images 2007 and 2008, and is also a Fellow with the iLCP.

Before Thomas took off for the Great Bear Rainforest last week, we had the chance to ask him a few questions about his assignment...

Why is it important to save the Great Bear Rainforest? What’s at stake?

The Great Bear Rainforest is one of the world’s last true coastal wildernesses. Coasts are magnets for development. There is a unique opportunity here to save one of the few areas in the world where you still have a wild ocean meeting a wild terrestrial ecosystem.

It’s a showcase, a showpiece, one of the last places where that interface still exists.

How far did you travel to come and shed light on this?

I flew in all the way from Cape Town South Africa – the Great Bear Rainforest is about as far from Cape Town as you can get!

Why do you personally care about the Great Bear Rainforest?

I first heard about the Great Bear Rainforest 20 years ago because I watched a documentary that really stuck with me. I remember the white spirit bears and wolves that roamed on beaches. That these animals were not afraid of people because this is a place where people hadn’t yet become destructors of nature in this area.

Now that I can visit it and photograph it, I feel so privileged to be a part of something that will protect this area — that’s a pretty cool thing to be able to do.

What do you think the power behind a RAVE is?

If you want to document an area this complex, this size, you need lots of time — months if not years. Yet in threatened locations, you usually do not have the luxury of time. So we have a small group of adept photographers that will be able to create a comprehensive portrait of the Great Bear Rainforest in a short period of time. We will also be able to create an accurate and inspiring portrait of that landscape and it’s varied visual narrative, through many different perspectives and angles. This is something a single photographer wouldn’t be able to accomplish.

Why is conservation photography such an essential element to the conservation movement as a whole, and this project in particular?

I believe that photography is one of, if not THE most important tool in the conservation toolbox. The area we are trying to protect, as is the case with all remote areas, is not easy to get to. Not everyone can visit the Great Bear Rainforest. And how can you expect people to care about something they don’t know? To protect someplace they do not connect to or love? Photography is the ambassador. iLCP photographers try to create the visual narrative that will get people who have never been to the Great Bear Rainforest, to care and understand the threats and in the end help protect it!

What is your assignment on the RAVE?

I am the underwater photographer on this RAVE. My assignment is to really document and portray the underwater world that lies adjacent to the terrestrial world.

I’ll be photographing a pod of whales that have developed a unique feeding culture called bubble netting where they are able to collectively herd fish. The whales bubble net in the exact place the tankers would drive through if the pipeline occurs. This area is also home to stellar sea lions. The stellar sea lion population is dropping worldwide and the tankers will also be going through the location where the stellar sea lions feed and pup and nurse their young. The orcas in the Great Bear Rainforest are not fleeting and transient — they are a keystone species in this environment and most of the research that has been done on orcas has been done on the Great Bear Rainforest orcas.

Along with, the wildlife, I will also be documenting the rich kelp forest ecosystem and the intertidal zone, which is very important — I’m very interested in this transient border between sea and land.

What is the ultimate desired outcome?

The ultimate desired outcome is simple. It is that this pipeline is not built. I have two main reasons... One, having tankers use these estuaries will affect the ecosystem on many levels — worst-case scenario, there is potential for an oil spill. However, just the regular tanker traffic will disrupt the ecosystem irreversibly. Animals living in this coastal wilderness will be disturbed by noise pollution, tankers striking animals, as well as the threat of invasive species brought in with the tankers. This fragile ecosystem is does not need tankers going up these passages.

And two, the pipeline takes away the magic of wilderness. The pipeline must not be built and tankers traffic must not increase. That is the only outcome.

SPOIL: The Fight To Save The Great Bear Wins Top Environmental Award At Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival

Feb 22, 2011

"This film and these photos make it crystal clear — we’ve got too much to save... Enbridge’s bid to bring oil to BC’s north coast will not take place without a fight."

Vancouver, BC – Last week, more than 700 people packed into the premier of SPOIL: The Fight To Save The Great Bear, a film by EP Films, at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF). The film documents a team of the world’s best conservation photographers in their effort to capture the iconic wildlife of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest in hopes of protecting it. On Saturday, VIMFF officially announced that SPOIL took the top prize in the Environmental Film category at the festival.

“Thanks to the International League of Conservation Photographers, BC First Nations and everyone who has joined the fight to protect the Great Bear. Their collaboration and continued efforts have made it clear that Enbridge’s bid to bring oil to BC’s north coast will not take place without a fight,” said Ian McAllister, Executive Director of the BC non-profit Pacific Wild. “This film and these photos make it crystal clear — we’ve got too much to save. We will not allow oil on our coast. Thanks to VIMFF for standing with us.”

Enbridge Inc., the world's largest pipeline construction company, has submitted an unprecedented proposal to build a 1,200 km twin pipeline between Alberta's tar sands and British Columbia's north Pacific coast, facilitating Asian access to Canadian oil. The proposal would also introduce super oil tankers to the pristine waters of the Great Bear Rainforest — a threat that prompted the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) to focus their efforts on this region. The iLCP uses conservation photography to produce captivating images and provide effective tools for conservation causes to protect the world's iconic wild places, people and wildlife.

"After witnessing oil disasters in the Gulf of Mexico and Michigan last year, we knew we had to lend a voice to the marine mammals, coastal ecosystems, bears, wolves, eagles and most importantly to the First Nations communities who stand united against this threat," said Cristina Mittermeier, President of the iLCP. "If all goes well, we will build a constituency of opposition to this project both in Canada and abroad. If we fail to be offended to our core by these type of projects, we will deserve every Gulf Oil Spill coming our way in the future.”

BC’s Coastal First Nations have declared a unified opposition to oil tankers in their traditional territories, including the Great Bear Rainforest.

“Growing up with the elders, we were taught to respect everything, and that would be enough to last a lifetime. But if there’s ever a spill, nothing will last,” said Stan Robinson of the Git’gat First Nations.

The watch SPOIL, visit: http://www.ilcp.com/videos/spoil To view images from the iLCP RAVE, visit: http://ilcp.photoshelter.com/gallery/GRB-Exhibit-VIMFF-Media/G0000qTusr1Gf8mw

(Please credit the photographers appropriately below each image)

To take action, visit: http://www.pacificwild.org/site/take_action.html

A traveling exhibition featuring these images will visit key cities in North America and Europe.

For more information to run follow-up stories in publications or web properties, please contact:

Ian McAllister, Pacific Wild: 250.882.7246, ian@pacificwild.org

Meghan Lamb, ILCP: 703.341.2786 meghan@ilcp.com

spOILed: From the Tar Sands to the Great Bear Rainforest

Feb 8, 2011

"When I saw those images of the Gulf spill, to imagine that that's the same kind of future that this coastline could have—it's devastating. It's unacceptable, it's just not going to happen."

Sierra Club BC, Pacific Wild and the iLCP are teaming up with the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) to present spOILed: From the Tar Sands to the Great Bear Rainforest. Join us on February 16 at the Centennial Theatre for the release of a beautifully enigmatic series of photographs and films—featuring renowned filmmakers, conservationists and adventurers. The photography exhibit has been produced by National Geographic and other internationally acclaimed photographers. Speakers and photographers include Ian McAllister (Pacific Wild), Garth Lenz (iLCP), Marven Robinson (Gitga'at First Nation), Frank Wolf and Norm Hann.

Enbridge Inc.'s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline project threatens economic, social and environmental security in every community it touches—from the tar sands to B.C.'s pristine Great Bear Rainforest.

"When I saw those images of the Gulf spill, to imagine that that's the same kind of future that this coastline could have—it's devastating. It's unacceptable, it's just not going to happen," said Ian McAllister, Pacific Wild's Conservation Director.

The photography exhibition and accompanying films and multimedia presentations build on the recent Great Bear Rainforest RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition). During the September 2010 RAVE, a swat-team of internationally celebrated photographers were deployed to create a visually engaging tipping point around conservation of the Great Bear Rainforest.

"By translating conservation science into compelling visual messages, this project seeks to communicate the beauty and wonder of British Columbia, while illustrating the environmental and social threats caused by Canada's tar sands," said iLCP President Cristina Mittermeier.

Join us for an entertaining, visually engaging and thought-provoking evening at the first stop of this traveling multi-media exhibit, slated to tour film festivals and galleries throughout North America over the coming year. This evening will draw attention to what's at stake—the social, environmental and economic implications of the proposed pipeline and tankers project.

Take action to protect the Great Bear Rainforest here.

Great Bear Rainforest RAVE: Press Release

iLCP, Pacific Wild, and Lighthawk

Aug 11, 2010

"The Great Bear Rainforest is an environmental treasure, and the international exposure that the iLCP is capable of generating will undoubtedly prove a clarion call for its protection."

Conservation Photographers Coming To Canada's Great Bear Rainforest

Proposed Pacific coast oil pipeline cited as lead factor for international group

August 11, 2010

Washington D.C. - A selection of the world's most celebrated and talented nature photographers will deploy to Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) announced today. Home to white spirit bears, ancient forests, and stunning marine biodiversity, it is one of the planet's most priceless treasures. Asian oil interests wanting access to western Canada's tar sands, the second largest known oil reserves in the world, have prompted the iLCP to focus on this region.

"The iLCP works in countries around the world and we receive many important requests for support. Yet from the perspective of threats to biodiversity and indigenous culture, few issues compare to the potential environmental catastrophe this proposal could bring about," states Cristina Mittermeier, President of the iLCP. "With the ongoing oil disaster we are witnessing in the Gulf of Mexico, and the State of Michigan, Canada should reconsider bringing oil to the Great Bear Rainforest."

Enbridge Inc., the world's largest pipeline construction company, recently filed an application to the Canadian National Energy Board to build a 1200 km twin pipeline between Alberta's tar sands and British Columbia's north Pacific coast. The unprecedented proposal, facilitating Asian access to Canadian oil, would be constructed over a thousand streams and rivers, including some of the world's largest salmon producing watersheds, while introducing super oil tankers to the pristine waters of the globally recognized Great Bear Rainforest. The indigenous First Nations who call this area home unanimously oppose this project.

"We support this effort to document the lands and seas of our traditional territory," states Ernie Hill Jr., Sn'axeed, Gitga'at Hereditary Eagle Chief. "Enbridge's pipeline and oil tanker proposal will destroy our way of life and we must do everything possible to show what we stand to lose."

Documentation by iLCP photographers will showcase the immense ecological importance of western Canada's threatened rainforest and marine environment. The images and stories from the expedition members will be shared with international media and partner organizations and will be featured in a traveling exhibition across North America and Europe.

"The Great Bear Rainforest is an environmental treasure, and the international exposure that the iLCP is capable of generating will undoubtedly prove a clarion call for its protection," said Ian McAllister, conservation Director for B.C. based Pacific Wild and recently nominated Associate of the iLCP. "We have everything to lose and very little to gain by allowing oil tankers on our coast."

The expedition team will include some of the world's most renowned photographers who will focus on documenting the natural and cultural history of the B.C. coast.

"I have been on assignment for National Geographic Magazine in many of the world's most beautiful places and the B.C. coast ranks among the best," said Paul Nicklen, National Geographic photographer and World Press winner. "I'm looking forward to helping document this ecological treasure and hopefully contributing to its protection."

In 2006, British Columbia legislated protection for nearly 30 percent of the Great Bear Rainforest, signaling support for an economy based on conservation and wilderness protection. Introducing massive oil tankers to the coast threatens existing businesses and emerging economic opportunities.

"Our lodge, the largest community employer in the region is considered Canada's finest according to Conde Nast, but it sits along the pathway of the proposed oil tankers," said Michael Uehara, King Pacific Lodge president. "If this pipeline is built and oil tankers begin transiting these waters, we will go out of business. Plain and simple."

The iLCP will be holding a press conference in Vancouver on September 14th, 2010. The location for the press conference will be announced once determined. Expedition members will discuss their two weeks spent documenting the Great Bear Rainforest and will share their stories, images, and video from the expedition with the media in attendance.

Click here to view images from the Great Bear Rainforest.

Contacts:

CANADA

Ian McAllister

Pacific Wild Conservation Director

office 250 957 2480 cell 250 882 7246 email ian@pacificwild.org

Pacific WILD

King Pacific Lodge

lisa.mccaskill@kingpacificlodge.com

604-987-5452

USA

Marshall Maher

(202) 262-3369

Maher.marshall@gmail.com

National Geographic: Kermode Bear

"In a moss-draped rain forest in British Columbia, towering red cedars live a thousand years, and black bears are born with white fur."

Enbridge Pipeline Faces Prospect of Civil Disobedience

500-Strong Crowd Rallies Outside Northern BC Municipalities Convention in Prince Rupert“I will put my body in front of it.” – Gerald Amos, councillor, Haisla Nation

Enbridge Ready for its Close-up: Pipeline Sparks Creative & Cultural Movement

Great Bear Rainforest event at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIMFF) February 2011

The Yes Men Strike Again: Hair Salons Can’t Protect Against the Effects of Oil Spills

The Yes Men strike again!

Oil Pipelines and Spirit Bears

At the conclusion of the film, a narrator asks the viewer to telephone the prime minister's office to urge the government to introduce an oil tanker ban on B.C. north coast.

"Environmentalists have fired off another round in the ongoing dispute between Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and those who believe a pipeline across B.C. connecting to an oil tanker port in Kitimat would spell the end of what is best about northern British Columbia." - Barbara Yaffe

BBC Wildlife Magazine: Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest: photo spectacular

Thomas Peschak’s unique images of the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada showcase the diversity and fragility of its wild inhabitants.

Thomas Peschak’s unique images of the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada showcase the diversity and fragility of its wild inhabitants.

READ ORIGINAL POST

About Thomas Peschak

Thomas is chief photographer for the Save Our Seas Foundation and a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), spending months each year documenting marine conservation issues.

He has produced four books, and is a multiple prizewinner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Thomas believes that photographs are among the most effective weapons in the conservation armoury. To enjoy more of his photography, click here.

To explore the potential impact of the proposed oil pipeline, the ILCP, in partnership with Pacific Wild and the Save Our Seas Foundation, organised a RAVE (Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition) in September 2010, during which Thomas documented the aquatic realm. Through these images he hopes to promote the safeguarding of this precious area for future generations.

For more information, click here.

Wild and Scenic Film Festival:National Geographic Adventurers (& Familiar Faces)

"Spoil, is about the International League of Conservation Photographer’s adventure through the Great Bear Rainforest to support the coastal First Nation’s fight against a proposed oil export pipeline from the tar sands."

BCB News: Yukoner Paul Nicklen piles up photo awards

Yukon photographer Paul Nicklen has had a lot to celebrate this month — even without Christmas.

The Christmas 2010 issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine named Nicklen one of the world's 40 most influential nature photographers; he is featured in the cover story in the January 2011 issue of Photo Life magazine; and earlier this month, Up Here named him Northerner of the Year.

Earlier this year, Nicklen won first prize for nature photography in the World Press Awards, and he had two images selected for inclusion in the International League of Conservation Photographers' 40 Best Nature Photographs of All Time auction.

The awards are recognition that his photos are telling important stories, Nicklen said.

"There's so many photographers out there, and I started in that realm, too, of just taking pretty pictures and making a living from it, and after a while that started to leave me feeling very empty," Nicklen said. "I went into photojournalism and you realize the power of telling stories with your camera and with your words and creating a difference."

Huffington Post: Athabasca Tar Sands Oil Pipeline Threatens Bears And Other Animals In Pristine Canadian Wilderness (PHOTOS)

Athabasca Tar Sands Oil Pipeline Threatens Bears And Other Animals In Pristine Canadian Wilderness

Interview with Cristina Mittermeier of the iLCP

Recently, there was an opportunity to talk with Cristina Mittermeier, the President of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), about their recent activities working to help protect the Great Bear Rainforest.

The Guardian: Wildlife photographers put focus on Great Bear rainforest

"A team of internationally renowned photographers has released a series of stunning images captured during its rapid assessment visual expedition (Rave) to British Columbia's Great Bear rainforest over the summer."

ABC News Video: The Hunt for the Rare Spirit Bears

"Searching for spirit bears, a rare white bear species revered by locals."

ABC News: Spirit Bears and the Great Bear Rainforest

"Conservationists hope photo spread will bring attention to pipeline proposal."