Wolf School with Chris Darimont

Join us for the last episode of this season's Wolf School.

The last episode of this “semester’s” Wolf School looks toward existing and emerging solutions to the conservation of wolves in British Columbia. Raincoast’s Director of Science, Dr. Chris Darimont, will also look back to share how his mentor, Chester “Lone Wolf” Starr, influenced him, all of our wolf research and the direction of Raincoast’s conservation work on BC’s coast. You can learn more about Chester via memories shared by some of his Raincoast-affiliated friends. Our wolf school is dedicated to his memory.

In 2004, the International Fund for Animal Welfare recognized Chester and Chris with a Compassion in Science Award for their research that treated wolves with respect and compassion. Respect and compassion are fitting context for our last episode (in this series) where we will also explore solutions for the conservation of wolves in BC. 

Since beginning field work with Chester 20 years ago, Chris has gone on to lead Raincoast’s Applied Conservation Science Lab at the University of Victoria. Recognized as one of the top large carnivore scientists in Canada and internationally, Chris’s research spans numerous contemporary topics in coastal conservation.

Beyond his seminal works to identify the distinct genetic make-up and behavioural ecology of coastal wolves, since 2009, Chris has led Raincoast’s salmon carnivore program which is focused on understanding the relationship among bears, salmon and people in the Great Bear Rainforest. Chris has also written and published extensively on aspects of ethics as they pertain to wildlife conservation and non-invasive research, including research of direct relevance to wolves. 

As we close the last in this current series on Wolf School with our partners at the Wolf Conservation Center, I encourage you to make yourself comfortable for this last episode that will explore what wolves have taught Raincoast and, most importantly, how we can respectfully co-exist. 

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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.

Coastal wolf with a salmon in its month.
Photo by Dene Rossouw.