By sharing their Life on the Coast photography collection with West Coast Environmental Law, April and Tavish are ensuring their work continues to inspire us and you to protect the Great Bear Sea. Thank you April and Tavish!
Protecting the Great Bear Sea is about working together – with government, nations, NGOs and the public – to protect a special part of the ocean known as the Great Bear Sea, a water body as beautiful as it is valuable.
When we set out on this effort, we knew that words could not do justice to the Great Bear Sea’s vitality, and that’s why we’re thrilled to be partnering with conservation photographers, April Bencze and Tavish Campbell.
April and Tavish are outstanding examples of the collaboration and ethics that West Coast Environmental Law’s Protect the Great Bear Sea effort seeks to embody. Together, they have chosen to donate their Life on the Coast collection to West Coast Environmental Law’s public education work to push for legal protections for the Great Bear Sea, and we are thrilled to accept their generous support.
Following in the tradition of their mentors Paul Nicklen (National Geographic/Sea Legacy), Cristina Mittermeier (International League of Conservation Photographers/National Geographic/Sea Legacy), and Ian McAllister (Pacific Wild), April and Tavish are two early-career photographers and videographers whose work is already making waves.
The Life on the Coast collection is a compilation of the work they routinely share on their Instagram feeds, the vast majority from the Great Bear Sea. (For links, jump to the end of this post.) Every fall, the duo works together to present the best photos in a calendar, which they sell to generate funds to support their and others’ conservation work.
The images aren’t always pretty though.
Last year, just prior to assembling the calendar, they flew to Bella Bella at the request of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council (HTC) to document the fuel spill in Seaforth Channel. The team joined the Heiltsuk Nation on what proved to be gruelling effort – on and below the water – documenting the spill’s devastating impacts.
The work they did with the HTC went viral and was picked up on local and national news channels, ultimately helping the HTC secure over $60,000 to help cover costs associated with the clean-up.
After experiencing the most tangible impact of their work yet, April and Tavish returned to their home on Vancouver Island and decided the 2017 calendar’s proceeds would go towards upgrading their gear kit to ensure they were at the ready next time they were called on to support a nation or other group along the coast in their hour of need. On the brighter side, the improvements to their gear mean their regular documentary efforts will continue at an even higher level than before, and, they hope, will inspire awe and interest by focusing less on devastation and more on what’s at stake.
Whatever the images, they trust West Coast Environmental Law and others to leverage them in support of conservation campaigns and in particular, strong, legal marine protections for the Great Bear Sea.
To subscribe to receive an alert from April and Tavish when the 2018 calendar becomes available and to learn what the proceeds will go to this year, click here.
For links to April and Tav’s work, see below:
April Bencze
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilbencze/
Website: http://www.aprilbenczewildlife.com/
Tavish Campbell
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tavishcampbell/
Website: http://www.tavishcampbell.ca/