Books

The Great Bear Rainforest, Canada's Forgotten Coast,

Ian McAllister, Karen McAllister, and Cameron Young, 1997, Published by Harbour Publishing. ISBN 1-55017-166-6. E-mail: harbour@sunshine.net. Reviewed by Pieter Botman.

Having enjoyed the coastal kayaking experience from many perspectives, I was eager to experience and learn more about the mid-coast area of BC, which I have not yet had the opportunity to visit.

The book is enticing, the photographs (almost all by Ian McAllister) are National Geographic quality, and this is indeed suitable as a "coffee table book", exposing the reader to BC's beautiful coastal rainforest, the spectacular fiords and untouched watersheds, all the best things kayakers have come to appreciate.

The Great Bear Rainforest (3.2 million hectares) is roughly bounded by Bute Inlet to the south, the Alaska border to the north, and the mainland coast and the extent of various watersheds inland to the east (over 100 miles inland in places). While the area is vast (five times the size of Banff National Park), it represents, as Paul George puts it: "the greatest cluster of pristine rain-forested rivers, the greatest number of wild salmon stocks, and the highest concentration of coastal grizzly bears and wolves that we've got left in Canada". In the foreword, Robert F. Kennedy laments the loss of such rainforest to logging in Washington and Oregon.

The narrative is written in a highly personal style, with excerpts from personal journals recounting a journey which took Karen and Ian up the coast, inlet by inlet, watershed by watershed, for a period of months.

The primary focus of the text and to some extent the photos is the rainforest, and the habitat of the native bears (white, grizzly and black). Although the authors traced the shoreline while based on a boat, they spent a great deal of time on land exploring each of the watersheds they encountered, frequently venturing miles into their upper reaches.

The viewpoint of the authors is therefore not one of the kayaker per se, simply that of the naturalist. However, the biological and geographic view alone would not do justice to this area. As an observer familiar with the B.C. coast might expect, there are deep anthropological and sociological stories associated with this coast, and the authors certainly touch upon these aspects of the area in appropriate detail, commenting upon archeological digs at Namu, petroglyphs, and the situations of the various First Nations in the area.

While the photographs illustrate the natural beauty of the land and the wildlife, the authors have also dramatically illustrated the threats and the beginnings of deterioration. They detail in quite specific terms the impact of logging upon salmon streams, forest ecosystems, and bear populations, and some of the resulting damage done to the First Nations in the area.

The authors have a warning for the populace and for those who would attempt to influence land use policy: logging and wildlife management must be held up to scrutiny, and improved.

The book, while not screamingly alarmist in tone, is promoting conservation and appreciation of the ecosystems we tend to ignore. In this intent, it succeeds.

I don't think many kayakers would have a problem with the message in this book, and the attractiveness of the mid-coast area will certainly be of interest. Consequently I recommend this book highly.

The Great Bear Rainforest is also being retailed by the Western Canada Wilderness Committee in Vancouver. Ph: 800/661-9453 or 604/683-8229

Pieter Botman is a part-time kayaker living and working in Vancouver.

Food Plants of Interior First Peoples,

by Nancy J. Turner, published by the University of BC Press, 1997. Pb 0-7748-0606-0. 224 pp, colour and B/W photos, $24.95 Cdn.

For thousands of years, the First Peoples of British Columbia have harvested a variety of wild plant foods, including berries, nuts, roots, greens, mushrooms, lichen, tree bark, and seaweeds. By careful observation and experimentation, they learned which plants and plant parts to eat, the best season for gathering them, the most efficient methods of harvesting, and the best ways to prepare them for eating and storage.

In this companion to her book Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples, Nancy J. Turner describes more than 150 food plants used by First Peoples in the interior of BC and northern Washington.

This fascinating second edition is revised and expanded, with colour as well as black and white photos of the plants, detailed appendices, glossary, and index.

Nancy J. Turner is a leading ethnobotanist and professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria

Giants

by Audrey Grescoe, photographs by Bob Herger, published by Raincoast Books. ISBN 1-55192-039-5 hardcover. 9"x12". 192 pp. 60 colour photos. $39.95 Cdn. Raincoast Books, Ph: 604/323-7100. Fax: 604/323-2600.

This new book by Audrey Grescoe provides a tour of the largest trees in the Pacific Northwest, including giant redwoods, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, red cedar, bigleaf maple, giant sequoia, grand fir, etc.

Giants is full of statistics, maps, native folklore, and historical data, beautiful photographs, and stories of the people who have used, abused, discovered, studied and protected these benemoths.

Grescoe's book is a celebration of 'bigness' as well as a hope that we will continue to cherish one of nature's most awesome creations.

Paddling the Sunshine Coast

by Bodhi and Dorothy Drope, published by Harbour Publishing Ph: 604/883-2730. Fax: 604/883-9451. Email: harbour@sunshine.net. ISBN 1-55017-164-X Pb. 176pp. B/W photos, illustrations. $17.95 Cdn.

Paddling The Sunshine Coast is a great guide to kayaking in this paddler's paradise of secluded islands, coves and inlets.

Bodhi and Dorothy Drope of Sunshine Kayaking have documented their personal experience along with excellent photographs, illustrations, and maps.

The introduction includes essential tips on dealing with the Sunshine Coast's weather, tides, and various hazards, camping with minimal impact on the environment, and interacting with the flora and fauna.

To Save the Wild Earth: Field Notes From the Environmental Frontline

1997, published by Raincoast Books. ISBN 1-55192-122-7. B/W photos. 240 pages. Index. Paperback. $18.95.

Endorsed by David Brower, and with a foreword by Maurice Strong, this inspiring book by BC Spaces for Nature Executive Director Ric Careless chronicles his 25 years of campaigns which led to the protection of 5.5 million acres of BC wilderness, including the Tatshenshini, Spatsizi, Nitinat, Purcell Wilderness, and Height of the Rockies. Unique as a first hand account of the evolution of British Columbia's environmental movement, To Save the Wild Earth ably demonstrates that that individuals can do a lot to save the treasured places of this earth.

This is an inspiring, exciting and useful book, well worth reading. Careless provides behind-the-scene glimpses of critical moments in each of nine wilderness campaigns; discusses the strategies that achieve environmental victories; gives us personal reminiscences of political leaders such as Prime Minister Jean Chretien, US Vice-President Al Gore, and former BC Premier Mike Harcourt whom he encountered along the way; and interweaves his narrative with heartfelt, lyrical appreciations of why protecting wilderness is crucial for the survival of nature and humanity.

"The conservation work we do today is of historic consequence. Future ages of humanity will judge us by what we accomplish. And surely in some distant year when the chance for further wilderness preservation is long gone, many will envy the drama of our lifetime when we took on overwhelming odds to achieve the impossible, when we overcame the corporate forces of development, when we prevailed in spite of adversity."

Careless writes eloquently about the clash of values between environmentalists and industry, and exhalts the task of conservation as a calling of conscience.

In 1992 he was the first non-American to be awarded the title Outstanding River Conservationist. His other distinctions include Environmentalist of the Year (1991), River Conservationist of the Year (1993), and the Order of British Columbia (1994). Careless, who lives in Gibsons, British Columbia, edited and co-authored the successful book, Tatshenshini River Wild.

Ric Careless is currently executive director of BC Spaces for Nature, a key wilderness preservation organization (bcspaces@sunshine.net).

Sunshine and Salt Air

by Bryan Carson and Karen Southern, edited by Peter A. Robson, published by Harbour Publishing. Ph: 604/883-2730. Fax: 604/883-9451. Email: harbour@sunshine.net ISBN 1-55017-143-7 Pb. 160 pp. B/W photos and maps. $17.95 Cdn.

From downtown Vancouver, it's only a half-hour drive and a 40-minute ferry ride to the Sunshine Coast where countless opportunities await for paddling, hiking, cycling, beachcombing, diving, and wildlife viewing. Sunshine and Salt Air is a great resource for finding the starting points for adventure in the 160 kilometres of picturesque coastline, from Gibsons in the south, to Lund in the north.

This new edition of Sunshine and Salt Air includes a full range of outdoor recreation information as well as many new features such as community histories, accommodation and dining listings, fascinating notes on coastal curiosities and a new section on off-road travel.

Performance Sea Kayaking: The Basics and Beyond,

by Kent Ford & John Davis. 50 minutes, $29.95 US. Available through paddling shops and catalogues, or from Performance Video and Instruction, Inc., 550 Riverbend, Durango, CO 81301, USA. Ph: 970/259-1361. Fax: 970/259-4148 Email: 73374.1760@compuserve.com

Performance Sea Kayaking is an entertaining look at the basics of kayak touring, and beyond. It teaches the essentials of efficient paddling, strokes, turns, capsize recovery, rolling, paddling in challenging conditions, navigation, surfing, and much more.

Many experienced sea kayakers volunteered their time to assist in the production, ensuring top-notch skill demonstrations and explanations, including Olympic Gold Medalist, Greg Barton, TASK Instructor Exchange, Chairman Wayne Horodowich, and Tsunami Rangers, Eric Soares and Jim Kakuk.

The settings provides a beautiful backdrop to the action, including the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, the Channel Islands of California, and the coasts of Maine and Washington.

This is one of the best videos we've seen. It would be a good addition to your home or club's video library.

The Sacred Balance, Rediscovering Our Place in Nature

by David Suzuki with Amanda McConnell, 1997, Greystone Books, ISBN 1-55054-548-5, 260 pages, hardcover, $29.95.

Every day we are bombarded with the message that the bottom line for society and governments must be the economy and global competitiveness. But what are the real needs that we must satisfy to live rich, fulfilling lives? In his new book, The Sacred Balance, Canada's pre-eminent science broadcaster, Dr. David Suzuki presents a different perspective on our basic needs and the real bottom line.

Throughout the book he reminds us that we are creatures of the Earth, and as such, we are utterly dependent on its gifts of air, water, soil and the energy of the sun. These elements are not just external factors, we take them into our bodies, where they are incorporated into our very essence.

We seem to have forgotten our roots, Suzuki says. "Our brash exuberance over our incredible inventiveness and productivity in this century has made us forget where we belong."

"When you realize how intimately you need air-go without it for three minutes and you're dead-why would we ever use it as a toxic sewer?"

Although a scientist himself, Suzuki admits that science and technology cannot save us from ourselves. "...There are gaps in our knowledge large enough for the future of the planet to fall through."

Instead, he proposes we recognize our limitations: "What a sign of maturity it would be for our species to acknowledge the profound limitations inherent in human knowledge and the destructive consequences of our crude but powerful technologies. There is no ignominy in admitting ignorance or in confessing our inability to manage wild things, to control the forces of nature or even to grasp the cosmic forces that shape our lives. Recognizing and accepting these limitations with humility is the birth of wisdom and the beginning of hope that we will finally rediscover our place in the natural order."

He quotes Pablo Neruda:

If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving, and for once could do nothing, perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death.

As social animals, Suzuki says, "we have an absolute need for love; without it we suffer dire psychological and physical consequences. The strength of that love is reflected in healthy, vibrant families and communities supported with full employment, security and justice. And we have spiritual needs, which are ultimately rooted in nature, the source of our inspiration and belonging. These are the real requirements of all humanity and should form the basis of any society aspiring to a truly sustainable future."

This powerful, deeply felt book gives concrete suggestions for how we can meet these basic needs and create a way of life that is ecologically sustainable, fulfilling and just. It also tells the stories of people who have put their beliefs into action and are helping to create such a way of life. And it offers the seeds of a new direction for us all, one in which we can rediscover our place in nature and live in balance with our surroundings.