The Wildest Place in America- Home of the Spirit Bear

Everyone in Hartley Bay and Gitga'at are really excited and proud about the recent issue of National Geographic. Paul Nicklen's Spirit Bear article landed on the front cover of National Geographic this month. Paul has been up working with Gitga'at guide and community leader Marven Robinson for the last two years searching for the Spirit Bear and getting some amazing photos. I have had the chance to look at the article and the photos are stunning. The is another great article in the issue titled "Pipeline through Paradise." This issue will bring world wide attention to the threat of oil tankers on our coastlines, tankers that would go right by the front door of the Gitga'at people. If you get a chance, watch the documentary SPOIL that highlights Hartley Bay, the International League of Conservation photographers, Marven Robinson and Paul Nicklen as they search for the Spirit Bear highlighted in National Geographic while under threat of proposed oil tankers. Watch this amazing documentary by EP Films.


It is so important for our Gitga'at Interns to be stewards of their land and help to protect this incredible area for generations to come. I am so proud of the community and so fortunate that we have a world class destination right on our doorstep. The newly formed Gitga'at Watchmen lead by Richard Brown and team have been doing an incredible job in their territory. They have just completed the Watchman cabin on Rennison and i thank them for taking the interns under their wings while on patrol.

Click here for a preview of the issue, then go out and buy a copy yourself.

Here is the team.

Gitga'at Interns Isaiah Dundas, Shawn Reece, Rachel Hill and Brodie Danes

Great shot of the interns together after a day on the water doing whale surveys with the Gitga'at Watchmen. They also spent the past weekend working with Herman and Janey at Cetacea Lab monitoring the area for whales and boat traffic and collecting date. They will be back out next week and heading down to Kiel again with teacher Cam Hill as they continue to work, learn and explore within their territory. Great job team!!

The 2011 Coastal Youth Connections Interns hired and program under way!

Welcome to our blog. I just arrived today in Hartley Bay and upon getting off the boat I was greeted by two of our excited new interns, Brodie Danes and Isaiah Dundas.  They have been hired along with Sean Reece and Rachel Hill as part of the CYC intern program here in Hartley Bay. They have already been working for the last two weeks and I was excited to hear that they were out in their territory last week working at Cetacea Lab with Herman and Janey, spending time with mentor Cam Hill at Kiel and doing marine resource surveys with Richard Brown and the newly formed Gitga'at Watchman program. I will be meeting with the students tonight and i am excited to get caught up with their work in the program. Stay posted for updates, pictures and videos from the students themselves within the Gitga'at territory.

Here are a couple of our student interns this past winter, winners of the photo contest.

Brodie Danes- Best Wildlife shot, Humpback Whale

Rachel Hill, Overall Winner