Outer Shores and Sierra Club BC join forces again to support Great Bear Rainforest Initiatives
In 2017 Outer Shores Expeditions and Sierra Club BC joined forces to support initiatives in British Columbia’s coastal rainforests. With the inaugural sail through the southern region of the Great Bear Rainforest this spring, Outer Shores welcomed 6 guests onboard the 70’ schooner, Passing Cloud, to showcase a region Sierra Club has been instrumental in protecting, with Forest and Climate Campaigner, Jens Wieting, as onboard naturalist. We’re very proud to announce two new expeditions with Sierra Club BC in 2018, to explore two different regions of the Great Bear Rainforest along the central coast of British Columbia.
The first expedition will depart from Port McNeill on Vancouver Island, on April 28-May 2 for a 5-day/4-night sail through the diverse marine ecosystems of Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound, regions world-renowned for marine mammal activity, specifically the northern resident killer whales. Going ashore we will explore the vast terrestrial ecosystem of the Southern Great Bear Rainforest, a region Sierra Club BC has been actively finding solutions to work for communities, First Nations, and the environment.
We’re looking forward to welcoming Jens back onboard the Passing Cloud for this departure. As such an instrumental player in the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements, Jens brings aboard a wealth of knowledge on ecosystem management and a passion for rainforest protection and policy.
“There are very few ways to grasp the ecological and cultural richness of the BC coast and even fewer are as exhilarating as spending a week on the Passing Cloud. This beautiful ship and the Outer Shore crew are not only offering a medium of transportation. They invite you to understand the interconnectedness of life on land and in the sea, and feel what it means that First Nations have lived along this vast coast for over 10,000 years,” says Wieting. With an incredible response from this year’s Spring in the Great Bear Rainforest expedition, we will join forces once again and return to the Central Great Bear Rainforest on May 13-20. Enjoy 8-days/7-nights aboard the Passing Cloud, in search of sea otters, whales, and bears as they emerge from hibernation, with the stunning scenery of wildflowers in bloom against a backdrop of glacier-capped peaks.
For this departure, we welcome aboard Sierra Cub BC’s Conservation and Climate Campaigner, Mark Worthing, as our onboard naturalist. Mark brings a multitude of skills and experience with him as a multidisciplinary activist, naturalist, and journalist with an affinity for the wilder landscapes of British Columbia.
“I couldn’t have gone on a better holiday than the cruise of the Passing Cloud around some of the islands in the Great Bear Rainforest. I was awed by the beauty of the meadows and moss-covered trees framed by the mountains. And I was surprised by the variety of wildlife we saw including large numbers of dolphins and sea otters. The crew was the best– friendly and willing to share their knowledge. They even slowed down for every great “photo op”. You have the right formula for a perfect cruise. Keep it!”
— Marian, Vancouver, BC
Partial proceeds from each of these departures will go towards ongoing monitoring of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements and applying lessons learned to protect highly endangered rainforest areas on Vancouver Island. Outer Shores and Sierra Club BC hope that by introducing this region to our guests, it will encourage a better understanding and the importance of protecting it. Limited space is available with only 6 guests aboard on this small-ship expedition. Call 1-855-714-7233 to book your expedition.
