A pipeline has been proposed to transport Tar Sands oil to the West coast of Canada, where it will be shipped in supertankers to Asian markets. The pipeline will pass directly through the Great Bear Rainforest, the largest costal temperate rainforest in the world, and the only place on earth where the spirit bear can be found. The spirit bear is actually a subspecies of the American black bear, that carries a recessive gene for white fur. All bears that carry the gene are called Kermodes, and they may be either black or white. 10% of Kermodes are born with white fur, and these white bears are commonly called spirit bears. Spirit bears are much revered by local First Nations groups, who believe them to be the guardians of the rainforest. For more about this amazing environment check out this National Geographic article and this WWF investigation.
The opposition to this pipeline is not being left to international environmental organisations alone–local people are also finding ways to spread knowledge about this incredible ecosystem. Among them is Eco Books 4 Kids, a publishing company that has created a children's book called 'Spirit Bear' to educate young people about the Great Bear Rainforest and the threat of the Northern Gateway/Trans Mountain Pipeline.
Starting June 1st, Eco Books 4 Kids is launching a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to print their first run of paperback books. They are offering signed copies of their printed book plus a special animated version of their ebook as incentives to backers who help to fund their project. Check out www.ecobooks4kids.com for information about their upcoming campaign, and to find out how you can be the first to receive a copy of 'Spirit Bear'!
Edited by Jennifer Harrington
Below is the Pre-Kickstarter campaign video
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