Conservation Photographers Working to Protect Canada's Rainforest: Profiling Ian McAllister

Between late August and September 14, the International League of Conservation Photographers (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 on the iLCP blog, on Facebook and Twitter.

Until the end of the expedition, we'll be profiling some of the photographers who are currently out surveying the rainforest; stay tuned for more, including a slideshow of their findings. This post originally appeared on the iLCP blog.

Ian McAllister is a founding director of the Canadian based wildlife conservation group Pacific Wild. His photography and film work focuses on the carnivores of the Pacific coast. In 2010, he was awarded the NANPA Vision award and was also named among Time Magazine's "Leaders of the 21st Century" for his environmental conservation work.

He has published four large format books on wildlife and lives on an island with his wife Karen and two children in the Great Bear Rainforest. We caught up with Ian and asked him a few questions on his work to protect the the Great Bear Rainforest...

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

The Great Bear is in North America's backyard, yet it contains most of the world's remaining intact temperate rainforest, it is home to indigenous First Nations people who still live in their traditional territories and who are supported from the ecologically rich marine and terrestrial environments. It is the kind of place that you can watch grizzly bears, humpback whales, spirit bears, wolves and so much else all in a single day.

Why do you personally care about the Great Bear Rainforest? And have you ever been before?

I live here with my family and I still can't imagine a better place on the planet to call home — or a more fascinating and challenging place to photograph.

What is your assignment on the GBR RAVE?

I am going to attempt as much underwater photography as possible, while keeping an eye on some of my favourite streams to photograph wolves and bears...

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

Few people have the opportunity to visit a place as remote as the Great Bear. This is why images really can be part of the solution in protecting an endangered landscape. The right image can inspire and motivate people to action and that is a big part of the work cut out for us in the coming weeks.

How do you tell a story via your photos?

I write books, present them personally to the public, publish them in magazines and other media. They form a core part of the conservation group I work for: Pacific Wild.

What is the ultimate desired outcome?

The Federal government in Canada announces that they are halting the Enbridge Northern Gateway project and they are legislating an oil tanker ban on the BC north coast.

More on the iLCP
Conservation Photographers Working to Protect Canada's Rainforest: Profiling Cristina Mittermeier
Great Bear Rainforest RAVE blog
Dispatches from the field_iLCP photographers
Take action to protect the Great Bear Rainforest