"Pink salmon are the most abundant species of salmon in the Great Bear Rainforest. They are counted by the millions as they migrate into the area's many creeks and rivers."
Because Erin has lived in Victoria for five years and I have made a number of visits to British Columbia, I found I was very interested in learning more about the Great Bear Rainforest on the western coast of the mainland. I did not know that, once started, I would find it hard to stop reading...not my usual habit with informational text. But read it I did, cover to cover, and came away with my head filled with the wonders of this rare and productive habitat.
It has trees 'as tall as skyscrapers', giant grizzly bears, the American black bear and its counterpart, the spirit bear (black bears with white fur)and roaring ocean waves. If you want to visit, you must hop in a boat or fly in on a float plane. It is not only forest. It boasts mountains, glaciers, ice fields and bogs. However, it is the forest that harbors the wildlife that is indigenous to the area. All that and we are only on page 4!
Once introduced to the rainforest we go on a seasonal journey with the bears who thrive within its boundaries. As each season passes we become aware of the daily events that determine the life that sustains itself within this amazing ecosystem. Sidebars (Just the Bear Facts) give answsers to common questions and add to our growing store of knowledge. The photographs are up close and personal, adding beauty to each page of text. It reads like a story and tells not only of the bears, but of habitat in which they survive and thrive. The research is current, the writing style is captivating and often humorous.
The more we know the better equipped we are to want to protect what could be lost. If we want the animals of this ecosystem to survive, we must help to preserve and protect it. That is the underlying message of this worthy book. Check it out and you are in for a couple of hours of learning and enjoyment.
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