Conservation Northwest protects and connects old-growth forests and other wild areas from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, vital to a healthy future for us, our children, and wildlife. Since 1989, Conservation Northwest has worke
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Inside Conservation Northwest 14 Winter/Spring 2016 conservationnw.org When I decided to spend last July exploring the world of mountain cari- bou in northeastern Washington and the interior of British Columbia , I thought I understood the basic chal- lenges this creature faces in the modern world. Delving deeper, I have discovered the staggering complexity of the ecolog- ical, economic and ethical dilemma we humans have created in this remote and beautiful ecosystem. Never before have I attempted to unpack a conservation co - nundrum as knotty as this one, with so much unknown about the prospects for success even in the best-case scenarios. You might suspect that caribou are an easy story to get depressed about. But the conservation conundrum we face with mountain caribou and their moun - tain rainforest home is an amazing op- portunity for us as a culture to step into a new way of looking at conservation, one that better fits the problems and possibilities of today's world. A 21st century conservation opportunity FOR MOUNTAIN CARIBOU David Moskowitz Author and wildlife tracker A mountain caribou peers out through the forest. Hart Range, British Columbia. Top: Home range of the Southern Selkirks Herd of mountain caribou along the border of Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. This herd, the last to cross back and forth between Canada and the United States, is down to less than 20 animals. Photos: David Moskowitz We live at a time when borders and boundaries are becoming more perme- able or functionally disappearing alto- gether, posing challenges to systems that have been defined by past distinctions including the regulations of one nation or another; the protection of an indi - vidual species with consideration for the ecosystem they live in only as it pertains to the animal; the human economics and management of natural systems and ser - vices as separate tasks; the parsing of the local impacts without the ever broaden- ing global context; and ultimately, the separation of human and wild, devel- oped landscapes and wilderness. With the support of a number of forward thinking conservation groups such as Conservation Northwest, my team and I are working on unpacking the complicated story of mountain cari - bou: their relationship to the mountains and rainforests they call home and their relationship with the odd primates who share this planet with them. Starting this summer, we will be re - leasing a wide variety of educational re- sources, magazine stories, photo essays, slideshows and videos to inspire and engage people to care about mountain caribou survival and also help chart a new vision forward for conservation in the 21st century, a vision which I have learned a lot about from Conservation Northwest. It's a discernment that rec - ognizes community investment and dia- logue as central to success; that is found- ed on our best understanding of the actual situation on the ground; and that is both aspirational and pragmatic, re- spectful yet challenging. It is a vision for mountain caribou that faces the reality of the challenging road ahead of us with curiosity, optimism and confidence. We have a lot of work to do to pro - tect the biodiversity and natural heri- tage of our region. e ongoing struggle to turn the tide for endangered moun- tain caribou is a struggle not just for this unique creature, but also for a new way of taking on conservation challenges in our quickly evolving times. Stay tuned for images and stories from the field and opportunities both to bring this story to your community and to bring the power of your community to bear on this story. Editor's Note: David is a biologist, and mountaineering and wildlife track - ing instructor. He helps lead our Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project as a contrac- tor, and is the author of several renowned books on Northwest wildlife. Please sup- port the Mountain Caribou Initiative on Kickstarter at: http://kck.st/1XibZEW To learn more about the plight of mountain caribou and our efforts to support their recovery, please visit: www.conservationnw.org/caribou Mountain Caribou Initiative