And on the 7th day he rested

Spent the day catching up on sleep and writing. Actually enjoyed not lifting my camera once today. Back at it bright and early tomorrow.

Day 6: Sick of listening to ravens

Spent much of the day back in the same location as yesterday. No wolf activity but the ravens and eagles where quite active further upstream. After three hours of sitting in my makeshift blind I wandered upstream to see what was so interesting and discovered the remains of about a dozen coho that had been killed by wolves the day before (likely around the time we were photographing the pups).

For some more images of the area check out the awesome photos of Douglas Brown at his website: www.douglasjbrown.com

More info on my project at: davidmoskowitz.blogspot.com/2010/03/wolves-of-pacific-northwest.html

One of the many ravens lingering along a salmon bearing stream and feeding on the remains of coho killed the day before by wolves.

Day 5: Puppies!

Doug and I walked into a area where he has found wolves fishing for salmon in past years to see if there were fish running in the stream yet. Apparently we weren't the only one's curious about it!

Three curious wolf pups in a wet meadow.

Two ravens discussing the morning's events.

Learn more about my project on Wolves in the Pacific Northwest!

Day 4: Quiet day on the water

Calm morning water on an inlet north of Bella Bella

Jumping chum salmon are a common sight in the still waters close to fresh water streams at the moment

Day 3: Salmon are spawning!

We discovered a stream in an inlet northeast of Bella Bella today in which the chum salmon have started moving into and spawning. Along the banks close to the mouth we also discovered about a half dozen carcasses that had been fed on by wolves and a couple of fresh scats.

Spawned out chum salmon in a small stream in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Chum salmon carcass with the top of the head removed by a wolf and a fresh wolf scat besides it.

Learn more about my project Wolves in the Pacific Northwest.

Great Bear Rainforest Day 1-2

View from the flight into Bella Bella-a maze of rainforest clad islands
and wandering ocean inlets bounded by the Coast Range to the east

View from the water on my first day out in the field.

Doug Brown, the field station manager for Raincoast Conservation Foundation,
and my guide, spotted this wolf along the shore of a small island northeast of Bella Bella

Sunshine and wolves greeted me on my first day in the field here on the central coast of British Columbia. The salmon are gathering at the mouths of the creeks and rivers here.

Learn more about my current project on Wolves in the Pacific Northwest!

Wolves of the Pacific Northwest

Contact David at moskowitz_david@hotmail.com to support his project! 

WOLVES IN THE LAND OF SALMON 

A unique and fascinating story is waiting to be told about one of the world’s most intriguing animals and its place in the diverse and striking landscapes of the Pacific Northwest; from wild coastlines and rainforests to remote mountain ranges and inhospitable deserts.

• How do wolves survive in a temperate rainforest and how is this different from their behavior and ecology in the harsh high deserts east of the Cascades and BC Coast Range?
• What have been the impacts of over a century of wolf extirpation from Western Washington and Oregon?
• What are the prospects and ecological significance of their recovery across Oregon, Washington and Northern California?
• What is the cultural significance of this iconic predator for indigenous peoples of the region and for modern western culture in the Northwest?

Answers questions such as these, and inspiring appreciation and conservation of our region’s wildlife and wildlands are at the heart of Wolves of the Pacific Northwest, a book I have a contract to write and photograph (Timber Press, Portland, Oregon). Lyrically written and strikingly photographed, while also academically rigorous and original, this book is designed for a broad audience. 


THE FUTURE OF WOLVES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
The wolf is an icon of the wild, and a critical element of many of the ecosystems it inhabits. The story of wolves living in the Pacific Northwest is unique and provides a new lens to explore the ecology of a well known species, one often associated with the wide open tundra or vast grasslands rather than dense old growth forests, wild coastlines, mountainous landscapes, or deserts. As wolves become an increasingly conspicuous element in wildlands of our region and capture headlines in the news, people’s interest and curiosity about this regal symbol of the wild will also grow.
The re-establishment of wolves is now underway in the southern Pacific Northwest, making this project both a timely and time-sensitive one. With state and federal managers actively working on preparing for a rapid increase in the numbers and associated issues of wolves in the region, interest from the general public will only be growing in the near future.

On the wild Central Coast of British Columbia, one the most inaccessible parts of the region, wolves face challenges from increases in industrial resource extraction and declining salmon runs. Vancouver Island, where wolves were once extirpated but naturally re-established themselves has been at the forefront of challenges between wolves and recreation wilderness users, an issue which will also likely be prominent in Washington and Oregon.




NOT JUST A BOOK: A CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
There are few single elements of the natural world more compelling to the human psyche then wolves. Across the globe, and throughout time, wolves have captured the imaginations of humans. Here in the Pacific Northwest, both their recent absence and now reestablishment have brought into sharp focus the interest in this charismatic apex carnivore.
Along with the production of a book, photographs, articles, and presentations from this project will be used to promote awareness and conservation regionally through collaborations with educational and conservation organizations including Conservation Northwest (www.conservationnw.org)  Wilderness Awareness School (www.wildernessawareness.org), and Wildlands Network (www.wildlandsnetwork.org) .



CAPTURING THE STORY
Pulling together the multitude of parts of this complex story will involve extensive literature research, interviews with experts in the field and expeditions across the region to places where wolves have maintained healthy populations, areas where reestablishment of populations in now occurring, and locations were wolf extirpation has had significant impacts on the regional ecology.
All of the writings and other media produced for this project will draw on the latest research findings on wolves and my own first hand encounters in the field with wolves and their environment. Field research and photography expeditions will be carried out via kayak, ski, backpacking and boat trips.


YOUR SUPPORT
 The support of numerous individuals, along with grant funding I am seeking from foundations, and in kind donations, has helped secure equipment needed for field work and photography, defray travel costs, and help underwrite other research and cost of living expenses as I've started this project. However, with many field trips ahead to complete the main manuscript for this project and plan public outreach events I am still actively seeking funding.


If you are interested in supporting this project please send me an email at moskowitz_david@hotmail.com.