Angela Gnyp: A wilderness artist down under

If you were to ask me what one thing always captures my attention, I would say it is a vision to protect the land and the animals that live on it.

When I first found out about Raincoast’s goal to buy up the commercial hunting territories in 2013, it was something I couldn’t ignore. So, on discovering the opportunity to fundraise for the Safeguarding Coastal Carnivores campaign earlier this year, I knew I had to sign up.

Having the ability to raise funds online has enabled me to proactively support this cause that I am passionate about, despite the thousands of kilometres that lay between my home in New Zealand and the Great Bear Rainforest on the northwest coast.

By being involved as a volunteer fundraiser, it keeps me hopeful for the well-being and long-term survival of every bear, wolf, wolverine and cougar that lives in this rain-swept region.

The purchase of the Nadeea tenure will not only give these animals a safe and secure existence, but will also lead to richer, stronger and more resilient ecosystems that are honoured and never exploited again.

Safeguarding coastal carnivores is particularly important to me because it is about respecting life. This campaign reflects back my own love for the wild and is a vital step in changing the way people perceive and treat the natural environment.

That is why it means a lot to me to be supporting Raincoast as a fundraiser right now. It is about declaring what behaviour is no longer acceptable towards all bear species, including black bears, in the Great Bear Rainforest.

I imagine giving generations of these wild and diverse animals the safety and freedom to live in the landscape where they were born, and to me, that is a future worth fundraising for.

You can help

Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.

We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.