Conservation Photographers Team Up To Protect Canadian Rainforest

A group consisting of some of the world's top nature photographers has descended upon Canada's Great Bear Rainforest in an effort to raise awareness of threats to the spectacular natural environments there. Working in conjunction with the International League of Conservation Photographers, the team has been blogging about their experiences while sharing insights into this wild place and the unique species that inhabit it.

Located in British Columbia, the Great Bear Rainforest also happens to be home to the second largest know oil reserves in the world.  As of now, those reserves are untapped, leaving the wilderness in a pristine condition. By, Enbridge, Inc., a company that builds large scale pipeline projects, has announced its intentions to construct a 1200km twin pipeline through the region that will deliver oil to Canada's Pacific coast for shipment to Asia. That pipeline would cross over thousands of rivers and streams, potentially doing damage to a massive salmon producing watershed, while simultaneously introducing super tankers to the Great Bear coastline for the first time.

Naturally, there are a lot of people who would prefer that this untouched wilderness remain in that state. The potential for damage to the wilderness there has spurred this team of photographers into action, with such well known names as Cristina Mittermeier, Paul Nicklen, Florian Schulz, and Jack Dykinga all taking part. Their hope is that through their stories and images, they'll be able to convey the importance of the Great Bear Rainforest, which the home to white spirit bears and a wide array of marine. biodiversity.

The team has been in the field for the past couple of weeks and their Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE) is coming to an end today with a press conference scheduled to take part tomorrow, during which they'll discuss their findings and thoughts on the impact of the oil industry on the rainforest.

Photo courtesy Ian McAllister, iLCP