whitebear_blog

$100,000 for the Great Bear Rainforest

With the one year anniversary approaching since our launch last spring, we are proud to announce this Earth Week (and Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival Week) we have made a substantial donation to aid in the preservation of the Great Bear Rainforest on BC’s Central Coast.  Developed solely to support the cause, 15% of sales from White Bear wines are being donated for marine and rainforest conservation of the rare Kermode or Spirit Bear’s habitat to World Wildlife Fund Canada, Tides Canada, and other partners.

 

A hit with consumers since our introduction last May, White Bear is the top selling new wine in BC and the second top selling new wine in Alberta!

 

At an intimate reception this afternoon at the historic Flack Building, our proprietor Anthony von Mandl along with representatives from the Rainforest Solutions Project and WWF, were on hand to discuss their preservation efforts, as well as fine art photographer Marni Grossman with her visually stunning Great Bear Rainforest photography.

The Bear Necessities

Published today, a gorgeous new picture book for young adults by environmental photographer Ian McAllister. The Salmon Bears: Giants of the Great Bear Rainforest, features various stages of the grizzly bear and rare Kermode or Spirit Bears in their natural habitat and the interconnectedness of their eco-system. An eloquent description by the publisher Orca Books:

The Salmon Bears explores the delicate balance that exists between the grizzly, black and spirit bears and their natural environment, the last great wilderness along the central coast of British Columbia. Key to this relationship are the salmon that are born in the rivers each spring, who then go out to sea as juveniles and return as adults to spawn and die, completing a cycle of life that ensures the survival of not only their own species but also virtually every other plant and animal in the rainforest.

All proceeds from the book go towards Pacific Wild's conservation initiatives. A great gift for a great cause...

The earth for more than an hour

In honour of Earth Hour I thought I'd compile a list of the top ten things you could do today besides turning off the lights between 8:30 and 9:30 pm...

1. Limit your driving and ride your bike, skateboard or walk
2. Dine on Ocean Wise seafood for dinner - we're making grilled wild Pacific Halibut tonight
3. Support your local grower and eat healthy at the same time - stock up at farmer's markets on weekends
4. Re-watch An Inconvenient Truth with friends and family
5. Read a book by candlelight -- there's numerous books on Spirit Bears available on Amazon
6. Go for a hike before dusk. In the Okanagan the views from atop Giant's Head Mountain of the lake and Valley below are breathtaking
7. Play a non-electronic game - my favorite retro board games: Clue, Scrabble, and Masterpiece
8. Be inspired by the riveting presentations at TED, ideas worth spreading
9. Take your dog for a walk - good exercise for you and Fido. Near my home, the dog friendly beach at Peach Orchard Park in Summerland is an ideal place for frolicking/swimming
10. Pick up a three pack of sustainable wine and enjoy a crisp and refreshing bottle of White Bear Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc, 15% of profits go towards conservation efforts in the Great Bear Rainforest

An Olympic Spirit Bear

We are delighted and proud to see the significantly larger-than-life depiction of a Kermode or "Spirit Bear" in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

The illuminated Spirit Bear was part of a spectacular homage to BC's wilderness shown with images of salmon runs and old growth forests, which hold special significance for Coastal First Nations. Kudos to VANOC for highlighting such an important part of BC's heritage.

Miga the snowboarding spirit bear?

One of BC's rarest creatures has been selected by VANOC to be an Olympic mascot for the Vancouver 2010 Games.  Inspired by local mythology of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, Miga is a "sea bear" - part killer whale and part Spirit Bear.  Legend has it that orca whales would transform on land into the rare Kermode or Spirit Bear.

The First Nations believe that the Spirit Bear was turned white by the Raven to remind us of the Ice Age. They also believe that orcas are travellers and guardians of the sea.

Miga, apparently lives in the ocean near Tofino and spends the summers surfing at Long Beach and in the winters has taken up snowboarding.  I'm not sure where, perhaps at Mount Washington on the Island?  Like most Spirit Bears her favourite food is salmon.

Great choice by VANOC of Miga and the other two mascots, Sumi (a thunderbird, orca and black bear) and Quatchi (a Sasquatch), who aren't just cute toys but may also be seen as "protectors of nature" here in BC.

Garden of the Spirit Bear

In keeping with our holiday gift theme, a book for the younger set, "Garden of the Spirit Bear: Life in the Great Bear Rainforest" by noted naturalist Dr. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, looks like a lovely present for a child (grades 3-5).

One reviewer describes it as:

"By concentrating on the bears' interactions with various plants and animals, she helps readers see the interrelationships that form a delicate balance for all of the inhabitants. Also described are threats posed by logging and the attempts of the Valhalla Wilderness Society to establish the Spirit Bear Conservancy. Milton's watercolor illustrations depict vast, unspoiled landscapes and show the animals at home in the forest. Patent's work highlights the threat to one irreplaceable stretch of wilderness and the creatures that live there."

Though a few years old, it's a beautifully illustrated children's book, that still entertains and educates...

Canada's Forgotten Coast

With just two weeks until Christmas, what better present than a gorgeous picture book on the Great Bear Rainforest in support of charity?  An older, but still beautiful publication: The Great Bear Rainforest: Canada's Forgotten Coast by Ian and Karen McAllister (and forward by Robert F. Kenndey Jr.) is available online.  All proceeds support the environmental organization, Pacific Wild, who you can contact directly for signed copies! 

The publisher notes that the McAllisters -- both environmental campaigners -- spent over ten years exploring, photographing and researching this once-forgotten coast. The book contains over 150 stunning colour photographs.  With these photographs, a personable, informative commentary and full-colour maps and drawings, this book is the first to unveil the beauty and magnificence of this unique place.

One reviewer eloquently describes it as:

"This book is written as a journal of a sailing voyage. Although the authors had previously visited the remarkable areas they photograph and describe six times before, the seventh visit is chronicled in these pages. Thus there is a great depth of knowledge and experience inherent to this work which transforms a simple if elegant journal into a powerful, somewhat doleful, environmental monograph."

A lovely coffee table book that supports wildlife and habitat protection in the Great Bear Rainforest, which also informs and motivates.  The ideal green gift for the holidays!

Uncommon Solutions for the Common Good

Tides Canada held their holiday party last evening with donors, partners and friends and naturally served White Bear wines paired with delicious food from One Planet Catering for their guests.  We are proud to support them and contribute part of our proceeds to their preservation activities for the Spirit Bear's habitat in BC's Great Bear Rainforest.

Tides Canada identifies environmental and social challenges and brings the resources and leadership to make change happen. They pool ideas, strategies, people, and capital to achieve the greatest impacts on the key environmental and social issues of our time.

An example of their leadership role can be seen in the Great Bear Rainforest – the largest and most significant integrated conservation program in North American history. Tides Canada led the Canadian fundraising campaign and enabled coalition building among Canada’s leading environmental organizations including ForestEthics, Sierra Club of BC and Greenpeace Canada. They also aided scientific research that contributed to these agreements and worked with The Nature Conservancy to raise funds for this initiative in Canada and the United States.  Their efforts helped ensure a healthy future for the Great Bear Rainforest – now one of the most protected forest regions in the world.

Spirit of Christmas

Conservationist and Photographer Steve Williamson has just released a "Spirit of Christmas" gallery of prints that feature his favorite Spirit Bear images.  He has spent much of the past year working with Pacific Wild and other charities in the Great Bear Rainforest.  The images will be on display at the Comox Center Mall on Vancouver Island Dec. 2-6 and are also available on Steve's website.

Emeralds at the Edge

A gorgeous new picture book of the Great Bear Rainforest has just been released by wildlife photographer Andrew Wright.  The publication features personal experiences and stunning images of the Spirit Bear's habitat.

Come to the book launch in Victoria on November 20th at the Maritime Museum and hear Andrew speak about Emeralds at the Edge: Observations of an Accidental Activist. Join us there and have your copy signed by the author!  Profits from the sale of this book support the Sierra Club BC's work, please contact the Sierra Club BC for more information.