Our field team navigating to shore on their way to a camera service.

What forests mean to coastal wildlife

We know that old-growth forests provide many important services to coastal species, but when these environments are changed, how does the age, diversity, and structure of these forests influence wildlife communities?  Over the past 14 months, a network of wildlife cameras in Heiltsuk Territory has been collecting images of coastal species so that managers and…

A grizzly bear sits in the water munching on a salmon in their hands.

Research: Fisheries management of the Wuikinuxv bear-salmon-human system guided by n̓àn̓akila and data

Guided by the Wuikinuxv principle of n̓àn̓akila (to keep an eye on something or someone; a protector or guardian), a new study shows how fisheries managers can allocate salmon for wildlife, while balancing the needs of local communities.

Bear Language groups spatial patterns overlaid on the Indigenous language families.

Spatial alignment between grizzly bear genetic groups and Indigenous language families in coastal BC

In the landscape on the central coast of what is now known as British Columbia, genetic analyses have identified three distinct genetic groups of grizzly bears.  The spatial areas of these groups align strikingly well with the geographies of three Indigenous language families (Tsimshian, Northern Wakashan, Salishan Nuxalk).  The explanation the research partnership favours is…

A map and a science figure from Christina Service's paper hover in the foreground with a Spirit bear scratching their ear in the background.

Research: Dietary differences among individuals with different genes and coat colours gives insight into the maintenance of the Spirit bears among black bear populations

The paper, “Intrapopulation foraging niche variation between phenotypes and genotypes of Spirit bear populations,” was published in the open-access journal Ecology and Evolution.

A backhoe works on a cutblock on Pender Island, with remaining trees and smoke scattered around the edge.

Welcome to Pender Island, where the destruction of a globally rare ecosystem is ongoing

The Islands Trust was created to protect the unique ecosystems of BC’s Gulf Islands, without being given the authority to do so. But rather than protecting the ­environment from potentially harmful human activities, the Islands Trust is now protecting human activities that harm the environment.

A tiny juvenile Chinook salmon in a viewfinder in the Lower Fraser River.

Chinook salmon exhibit long-term rearing and early marine growth in the Fraser River, B.C., a large urban estuary

Using tiny salmon ear bones, or otoliths, Raincoast researchers and partners were able to demonstrate that Chinook salmon from Harrison River rely on the Fraser estuary for one to two months while they feed and grow. These findings underscore the critical nature of this habitat for the persistence and recovery of Chinook salmon…