VICTORIA - Feb. 5, 2008 Victoria residents have an unprecedented opportunity on Thursday Feb. 28 to meet a scientist, an adventurer and a conservationist involved in the discovery and protection of the Great Bear Rainforest.

That evening, Maple Leaf Adventures and the University of Victoria Alumni Association present "A Great Bear Rainforest Odyssey: An evening of lectures and multimedia shows about science and journeys in the world's largest intact temperate rainforest". The high profile speakers are:

• Chris Darimont, the award-winning UVic alumnus whose groundbreaking research on rainforest wolves has elevated them from scientific mystery and obscurity to renown.
• Vicky Husband, CM (Order of Canada), OBC (Order of B.C.), LL.D (Hon. Doctorate of Laws), one of Canada's most accomplished conservationists.
• Kevin Smith, a geographer, bear guide, and Captain of the tall ship Maple Leaf whose five years of negotiation helped shape the protected areas in the Great Bear Rainforest announced by the B.C. government in 2006.

The evening includes:

• A video and photo odyssey through the Great Bear Rainforest, from mountaintops to the channels known as the Inside Passage, and into the fjords where grizzly bears and wolves feed at the foot of the rainforest.
• Stories and slides of wild wolves Dr. Darimont has gained the trust of, and who have granted him rare insight into this unique island-hopping, salmon-eating "marine wolf". He'll discuss scientific breakthroughs made here in B.C., and hint at what mysteries these rare wolves may help us share.
• Behind-the-scenes insight from Ms. Husband into what it takes to succeed in such seemingly impossible feats as protecting the Khuzteymateen grizzly bear sanctuary, and some wisdom she has learned about humanity's relationship with our natural heritage, including the Great Bear.
• A natural history overview of the temperate rainforest and its creatures, including spirit bears, grizzlies, whales and salmon.
• A door prize of a limited edition signed print, by award-winning coastal artist Mark Hobson.

"Each of these three members of the UVic community has something truly amazing to share with the audience," says Kathleen Barnes, President of the University of Victoria Alumni Association. "We're delighted to sponsor this event."

Maple Leaf Adventures, the evening's co-sponsor, will have tour information available following the show for people interested in travelling to the Great Bear Rainforest. Maple Leaf Adventures is a partner in the UVic Alumni Travel program.

About The Speakers Vicky Husband, CM, OBC, LL.D:
Vicky Husband's contributions to conservation and public education locally, nationally, and internationally have created a lasting impact on society.

Born in Victoria, she has been involved in land use planning across the province of B.C.

Husband was the president of the Friends of Ecological Reserves and worked for more than 18 years with the Sierra Club in BC to protect old-growth forests and watersheds, including Clayoquot Sound and other rainforest valleys on Vancouver Island and in the Great Bear Rainforest. She was a leader in the campaign to protect South Moresby/ Gwaii Haanas, the southern-most part of Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), and also led in conserving the Khutzeymateen Valley on the north coast of British Columbia, Canada's first grizzly bear sanctuary.

In recent years, Husband has focused on marine conservation, working with Watershed Watch Salmon Society, with an emphasis on ensuring sustainable fisheries, especially for groundfish and wild salmon on Canada's West Coast.

Husband has an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria and is a recipient of the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada. In 1988 she received the United Nations Global 500 Award for outstanding contributions to conservation.

Dr. Chris Darimont, Director, Raincoast's Rainforest Wolf Project:
Chris' story is the stuff of novels. As a young UVic biology student almost ten years ago, he travelled north, to the fog-shrouded islands and fecund estuaries of the Great Bear Rainforest. There, he was mentored by a First Nations tracker known as Lone Wolf, who shared his secrets and taught Chris how to find the elusive coastal wolf.

Since then, Chris and his team have discovered that these wolves are much different than any other wolf on the planet: they fish for salmon, hunt seals, and have no compunction about chasing 1,000-pound grizzly bears away from their pups. Yet these wolves have accepted the respectful, non-invasive research approach of Chris and his team. These social hunters have also inspired the reverence of First Nations people there. They have unusual reddish coats, and more genetic diversity than all the rest of the world's wolves put together. "Like nowhere else on earth, rainforest wolves give us insight into how wild wolves used to live, before their lives changed in the rest of North America," Chris says. "They offer us a window to the past and tantalizing hints about what the future could be for human-wolf interactions."

Chris directs the Rainforest Wolf Project for the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, and is the subject of National Geographic and Discovery Channel television features. He has received several awards for his non-invasive research, including a Compassion in Science Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and a UVic Legacy Award.

Chris holds a PhD in biology from the University of Victoria. He is currently an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and continues work in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Kevin Smith, BA, Maple Leaf Adventures:
A geographer, photographer and explorer-guide, Kevin Smith is the owner of an ecotourism company with a well respected reputation. He has explored the coast by boat and on foot since childhood and is one of the few people in B.C. knowledgeable enough about wild bears to have been certified as a full bear guide by the Commercial Bear Viewing Association.

Following his degree in land use planning from UVic, Smith negotiated for five years on the plan that was announced by the B.C. government in 2006 as the Great Bear Rainforest land use plan. Some of the protected areas on the map are lines he drew.

Through his journeys aboard the classic B.C. schooner Maple Leaf, part of the ecotourism company Maple Leaf Adventures, Smith has amassed a beautiful collection of photos of the Great Bear, some of which appear in national magazines. He is an active participant in building a conservation-based economy in the Great Bear.

Read about journeys to the Great Bear Rainforest on the Maple Leaf in spring and fall.