Overview

Visionary Wild is kicking off our program of world-class photography workshops and expeditions with a unique opportunity in British Columbia’s remote and pristine Great Bear Rainforest, based out of the world-class King Pacific Lodge, September 5-12, 2011. This expedition is led by photographers Jack Dykinga and Daniel Beltrá, both of whom became intimately familiar with this threatened coastal ecosystem in September 2010, during a Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition (RAVE) organized by the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). Justin Black of Visionary Wild will manage workshop operations and serve as assistant instructor.

There are few places on Earth where pristine temperate rain forest merges with a healthy and thriving marine ecosystem. Jack Dykinga characterizes the place beautifully:

The Great Bear Rainforest is pure enchantment. It’s a place for the best chance of encounter with the legendary and extremely rare Kermode or “Spirit” bear. Like a ghost, the presence of the white bear deepens the sense of true wilderness. Breaching humpback whales, dense temperate rain-forested islands, and endangered Steller’s sea-lions are just some of the photographic opportunities to excite the senses. This is a rare opportunity to ‘feel’ this magical place.

Expert Gitga’at First Nation wildlife guides will lead our small group in search of the white spirit bears. The Kermode bear (Ursus americanus kermodei) is a subspecies of the black bear with a double-recessive gene that causes about ten percent to be born with white fur, though they are not albino. The white spirit bears number between 200 and 400, making them the rarest bear in the world. Despite the bears’ scarcity, by September each year the local guides have learned the movement and feeding habits of individual bears and know where to find them. We’ll be there during the peak of the great Pacific Northwest salmon run, so the bears will be in the streams and on the beaches, while whales feed in the channels.

Boat excursions each day will take us to nearby landings to photograph spirit bears and the lush landscape under the green canopy of the rain forest itself. We will also make excursions to photograph orcas, Steller’s sea lions, and humpback whales bubble-netting and breaching out of the water, often close enough to the lodge to photograph them from the deck. Wolves, grizzlies, and bald eagles hunting the migrating salmon may also present themselves to us along the way.

We are very fortunate that Jack and Daniel got to know the Great Bear at exactly the same time last year and that they were both available to lead this trip. In addition to being recognized as two of the finest photographers working today, Jack and Daniel are both deeply insightful and inspiring mentors and are about as engaging and gregarious as they come. Without a doubt, there will be fun and laughter to be had by all on this trip.

The G2 Gallery of Venice, California, has graciously offered to host a juried exhibit of participant photographs created during this workshop. This opportunity to show your work at a prestigious Los Angeles photography gallery will help to raise awareness of a special place that few know anything about, at a critical time when it faces challenges to its existence.

Included in the package are the photography workshop with Jack and Daniel (limited to ten participants), expert wildlife guiding, daily boat services for field sessions, all meals, all beverages (including the adult variety), the two round-trip flights necessary to reach the lodge from our initial meeting at the airport in Vancouver, Canada (including the final leg in a float plane), and the opportunity to participate in the follow-up exhibition at the G2 Gallery. The cost is $14,995 per person (based on double occupancy; single supplement is an additional $2,700) for the seven-night stay, including taxes.

There is a helicopter available at King Pacific Lodge as well, in the event that guests wish to charter flights. The helo will comfortably carry up to three photographers at a time with window seats. It is available for aerial photography or to make outings to remote ridge tops overlooking the mountainous rainforest and waterways. Due to limited capacity, the helo is one of the very few King Pacific Lodge amenities not included in the package.

As the date for this trip is approaching, please contact us soon via the online enrollment form (link above) whether you are ready to enroll, wish to express interest, or need more information. We already have several participants enrolled, and we expect to fill the remaining spaces quickly. Payment in full confirms your reservation and is due no later than July 4, 2011. Please do not hesitate to contact us at justin@visionarywild.com or (+1)202-558-9596 with any questions you may have.

Payment may be made by check in $USD may be sent to:

Visionary Wild, LLC
2200 19th St. NW
Suite 806
Washington, DC 20009
USA

Upon enrollment, participants will receive a confirmation letter, followed shortly thereafter by a package containing a detailed itinerary, gear and packing recommendations, resources to help prepare for the workshop, and travel information.

We hope you can join us in the Great Bear Rainforest!