It’s a Fact Chris is a leading Canadian scientist and wildlife advocate that works in remote coastal First Nation communities. His effort to educate aboriginal youth has inspired a new generation of wildlife advocates.

Chris donates all revenues from a coffee-table book he recently co-authored, Last Wild Wolves: Ghosts of the Rain Forests to the QQS Society, a registered charity that supports youth, culture and the environment in the Heiltsuk First Nation community of coastal BC. This follows a seven year legacy of Chris volunteering his time, expertise, and financial donations to annual QQS science and culture camps. Additionally, he has mentored children of the Bella Bella Community School through annual Science Weeks and internship opportunities on Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s research projects in Heiltsuk Territory.

Chris believes these contributions to First Nation’s youth are integral for healthy and sustainable communities, both human and ecological. Children learn about their territory’s wildlife and also incorporate the same animals into important cultural stories and dances that are being resurrected after decades of suppression. Such activities build pride among youth and promote healthy lifestyles. As an additional result, Chris believes that a new generation of wildlife advocates is emerging.

The book has been praised as a clarion call for the protection of coastal wolves and their endangered coastal rainforest home. Importantly, given that intolerance for carnivores and excessive avarice have extirpated wolves and destroyed much of their habitat in many areas, Chris felt strongly that his behaviour should model the philosophies the book urges modern society to adopt: kindness and generosity.

Chris also finds time to volunteer as an advisor for a number of other wildlife conservation projects. He is helping the First Nations Environmental Network start a fledgling wolf project, assisting Parks Canada design and implement the ‘Wildcoast Carnivore-Humans Research Initiative’, and participating as an expert member for the Inland Temperate Raincoast Coalition and the North Cascades Ecoregional Conservation Assessment. He has also recently volunteered to assist the RCMP with a wildlife forensics investigation. Finally, Chris commonly serves as a courtesy reviewer of technical documents and proposals by the David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Investigation Agency (UK), First Nations Environmental Network, Parks Canada and Valhalla Wilderness Society.