Necessary Journeys Finding Farley, Being Caribou, Y2Y Hike

Dear Friends and Supporters,

It’s been almost two years since we sent out an update and although we haven’t been following a caribou herd or canoeing across Canada with a two-year-old child for quite some time now, we have some exciting news to report about our projects:

Finding Farley

As many of you know, we spent 5 months in 2007 canoeing and sailing from our home in Canmore, Alberta to that of famed author Farley Mowat in Nova Scotia, visiting the settings for many of his books along the way (e.g. Owls in the Family, Never Cry Wolf, A Whale for the Killing). After a winter’s worth of writing and editing, we’re happy to announce that the National Film Board of Canada documentary about this incredible journey (and the challenges of doing it with a toddler) will be out this fall (Check out the trailer!).

It will be screened at a number of film festivals across North America, the NFB will be pushing to have it screened in public libraries across Canada, and the DVD (in English and French) will be out in early 2010. Although many film festivals are still in the process of selecting the films they will screen two are confirmed so far:

• Vancouver International Film Festival October 13th (premier)
• Planet in Focus Festival on October 21st in Toronto with Farley Mowat and us attending!

As for the book (cough), Karsten is still working on it and hopes to have it out in fall 2010 (to be published in Canada by McClelland and Stewart). In the meantime, please see the Canadian Geographic Magazine article posted on our website.

Being Caribou

Although a few years old now, both the film and book about our 5-month trip with the Porcupine Caribou Herd continue to attract attention. In response to its overwhelming popularity, the National Film Board has released a bilingual version of the film and has developed a teacher’s guide for use in schools.

Also, the entire film is now available online on the NFB website.

On the book front, Canada McClelland and Stewart has gone to a second printing of the paperback and Milkweed Editions in the US will soon do the same. And finally, we have our fingers crossed that the Being Caribou story will be included in an IMAX film (tentatively entitled To the Arctic) that is scheduled for release in February 2011. Leanne and Karsten spent 10 days in Alaska this spring with an IMAX crew recreating scenes from the trip.

Meanwhile, on the political front, the herd’s calving grounds remain unprotected. The threat of oil drilling is less severe than it was during the Bush Administration but it is still very real and your voice is urgently needed, especially if you live in the USA. A pro-protection bill is currently circulating the House of Representatives so please pass this link on to any American friends so they can support the bill.

Yellowstone to Yukon

This fall marks the ten-year anniversary of the completion of the 3,400km Yellowstone to Yukon Hike which highlighted the need for wildlife corridors so wolves, grizzly bears, lynx, wolverines and other wide-ranging animals can continue to travel between parks and reserves to meet their food and mating needs. Since then the Y2Y Conservation Initiative has advanced its vision of an interconnected network of protected areas on a number of fronts. A grizzly bear conservation strategy highlighted eight priority areas where action is needed to protect critical habitat.

A key area of focus for Y2Y is along Highway 3 in southern Canada. Working with partners Y2Y has identified over three dozen wildlife crossing locations and is working to promote over- and underpasses to increase safety for both people and wildlife. Y2Y is also helping to buy parcels of private land along the highway to ensure they remain free from developments that would hinder wildlife movement. These and many other strategies will help preserve the ability of wildlife to migrate in response to changing climatic conditions in the Y2Y region.

For more information on Y2Y’s programs and activities, visit www.y2y.net.

Before we sign off, we just want to say how much we appreciate everyone’s support. We feel blessed to be working creatively on important conservation issues and are keeping our ears to the ground for hints of what the next “necessary journey” might be. Until then, we’ll continue to get the stories about Y2Y, Being Caribou and Finding Farley out there in whatever way we can. Please check our website for updates on film screenings and other important new.

For the wild,
Karsten, Leanne and Zev

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