- Project Launch - Alberta Grizzly Hunt Documentary
- Insider Event with Grizzly Expert Dr. Sarah Elmeligi
- Tracking Cougars with John
- A Grizzly Podcast about Grizzly Hunting in BC
EXPOSED is currently working tirelessly on producing an urgent, new, documentary-style video regarding the potential return of the trophy grizzly bear hunt in Alberta and we need YOUR help! We need $15,000 to complete this critical documentary in time to pressure the Alberta government to keep the ban on the trophy hunt and to help distribute the video, so that tens of thousands of Albertans see it. We’re crowdfunding for the cause, with 7 levels of grizzly bear-related Rewards for your donations, ranging from digital wallpapers of ‘The Boss’ for your phone and computer screen to a personal zoom call with our co-founder, John E. Marriott -- you can even have your name appear in the credits for the video as an Associate Producer! Please consider donating today to help Alberta’s grizzly bears!
Canada’s most famous grizzly bear, ‘The Boss’, is tucked away in a den high in the Alberta Rocky Mountains hibernating right now. And in less than two months, sometime late in March, he’ll awake and venture into the protected environs of Banff National Park. But grizzly bears elsewhere in Alberta may face an entirely different reality this spring.
For the first time in twelve years, grizzly bears in Alberta could once again be in the crosshairs of trophy hunters. While grizzly hunting has been banned in the province since 2006 and grizzlies were classified as Threatened in 2010, research from Dr. Gordon Stenhouse and the Forest Research Institute (FRI) set to be released this winter is expected to reveal an increase in Alberta’s grizzly bear population. EXPOSED is concerned that the Environment Minister has said the province intends to use this new data to manage grizzlies based on “science, not emotion.” And while we strongly agree that wildlife management should be based on a combination of science and social license, we are extremely concerned the current government will use any increase in bear populations to justify a re-introduction of the trophy grizzly hunt, rather than using it to determine the best management strategies going forward.
As we’ve mentioned in our last few newsletters, co-founder John E. Marriott has been out spending time in the field tracking cougars to collect footage and stills to kick off our Protecting Big Cats Campaign later this year. You can follow John’s ‘One Month Later’ storytelling project on Instagram or Facebook right now as he details his adventures following 31 straight days in the field last month.
In addition to the potential reintroduction of the trophy grizzly bear hunt in Alberta, another extremely concerning recent development in the province, is the re-opening of the eastern slopes of the Rockies to open-pit coal mines (visit CPAWS Northern Alberta for further information). The Alberta Government made this move outside of public scrutiny or discussion and this is exactly the type of approach that we are concerned about with the grizzly hunt. Please continue to put the pressure on Government officials to include the public in all decision making.
This month, we’re proud to feature an image by Exposed Insider Jeff Kovitz. Jeff has literally travelled the world capturing amazing photos of the people, places and wildlife that he has encountered. This image is closer to home and despite the cold wintery conditions we are experiencing right now, it seems to us to be a perfect place to be!
We’re very excited to announce our next Insider’s Forum will be February 18th from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. MST. EXPOSED co-founder John E. Marriott will be joined by Exposed Board Member and Grizzly Bear Biologist Dr. Sarah Elmeligi to spend much of the hour talking about all things grizzly, including some stories from their book, What Bears Teach Us! John will also be sharing a few of his stories from his epic January adventure searching for cougars!
SPOILER ALERT: there may be a story involving a surprise encounter with the namesake of a Marvel X-MEN character!
Insider's Forum: Meet Grizzly Bear Expert Dr. Sarah Elmeligi!
February 18, 2021
7-8pm MST
Become an Insider now so you can join us! (Most importantly, you will be directly helping our bears, by assisting in our efforts to continue the ban on trophy grizzly hunting)
RSVP links will be sent to Insiders soon!
This month, we’re focused on a podcast related to grizzly bear hunting, since it’s hot on our minds. If you’re going for a drive or have a few hours to spare to go down a rabbit hole, check out The Hunter Conservationist with Mark Hall - August 1st, Episode 27: Return to the Grizzly Bear Hunt in Tahltan Territory. This is a BC interviewer and bear hunter, Mark Hall, talking to a BCWF (the hunter’s federation) spokesperson and the Tahltan First Nations chief, Chad Day, who is promoting and paying his band members to hunt grizzlies and predators on their land in British Columbia, despite the provincial grizzly bear hunting ban. The podcast is very informative on that issue and offers hints on how the BC Guide-Outfitter's might try to twist this to use First Nations to restart the hunt everywhere. Some of it is pretty hard to listen to and there is some obvious distorting of the science involved in grizzly bear management, but it's still interesting to see where they're coming from with their decision-making processes.
Get into your own EXPOSED apparel like a hoodie or a t-shirt, and wear your support of the conservancy! We’ve added EXPOSED hats and toques to the shop for those colder days out exploring our wild places, so visit the shop now and get fantastic, comfy clothing AND support the Conservancy with much-needed funding for upcoming conservation projects.
P.S. Remember that our EXPOSED Insiders get a 10% discount on all store purchases!
