REVIEW: ‘Great Bear Wild: Dispatches From a Northern Rainforest’ by Ian McAllister
Photo: A brown bear graces the cover of Great Bear Wild by Ian McAllister. Photo courtesy of University of Washington Press / Provided by official site.
Ian McAllister’s coffee table book, Great Bear Wild: Dispatches From a Northern Rainforest, is a love letter to the flora and fauna of the Great Bear Rainforest that hugs the western coast of Canada. The author and photographer has called this unique habitat home for many years, and within his words and images there’s an obvious appreciation, love and worry. The worry comes because commercial interests throughout the land and waters of the region concern him and other local residents, including members of Indigenous communities, who have been fishing these waters and living on these lands for a great number of years.
Great Bear Wild, which was first published in Canada and is now available in a softcover version via University of Washington Press, makes a case for why this area should be as preserved as possible. The so-called charismatic fauna, including wolves and bears, fill the pages of this weighty tome, but there is equal space given to aquatic species and plants. This diversity of the narrative speaks to the environment McAllister is covering. He is after a holistic portrait rather than simply eliciting the expected oohs and aahs of seeing a giant brown bear or a wolf traipsing around the mossy rocks of the coast.
When one picks up a coffee table book, there’s sometimes an expectation that the photographs will be worth the price of admission, but the words will be space-fillers. Not so with Great Bear Wild. The narrative that McAllister spins is thoughtful and carefully constructed. There is beautiful imagery, compelling characters and vivid descriptions of unique settings. In many ways, the words are the draw here, while the photographs, equally as beautiful, fill in the blanks.
There are many highlights throughout the book. There’s a particular focus on the salmon run, and what this species means to local residents, Indigenous history and the populations of bears who head to the coast looking for a delicious meal. There are several First Nations represented in the book, with leaders quoted and their history explored. There are narrative asides about language, culture, place, identity and fishing practices. The Gitga’at Nation, in particular, comes into fine focus throughout McAllister’s story.
Other highlights include an exploration of the spirit bear, an often marveled at animal, but one that is also misunderstood. There are also tales about the whales that can be seen from the boats that ply these waters, and there’s space given to researchers who have been recording the whales’ calls and whistles.
Sometimes in nature-based narratives, the adjectives “big” and “bad” are attributed to the keystone species, such as bears or wolves, but in McAllister’s exploration of the Great Bear Rainforest, the government and corporate interests are the big, bad entities. The author gives a brief history of the encroachment and subsequent changes that have occurred in the local environment, and he hints at possible solutions for keeping the fisheries well-stocked, the idyllic natural beauty intact and the local culture preserved for the future.
McAllister, cofounder of the wildlife conservation organization Pacific Wild, uses his obvious skills as a writer and photographer to offer readers a chance to transport themselves to the wilds of western Canada. He captures the coast’s diversity, potential and impact, all with his personal love for this area shining through each image and each turn of phrase. Great Bear Wild is a wonderful contribution to nature-based literature and photography.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Great Bear Wild: Dispatches From a Northern Rainforest by Ian McAllister. University of Washington Press. 192 pages. Click here for more information.
