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Spirit Bear Funding from the Bezos Earth Fund will help ensure the long-term protection of 250,000 acres of old-growth forest and more. © Ralph A. Clevenger

British Columbia

The Great Bear Rainforest

The Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii are part of the largest coastal temperate rainforest on Earth.

Last updated October 01, 2025

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The Next Generation of Indigenous Leaders

Indigenous Guardians

The Great Bear Rainforest and the archipelago of Haida Gwaii is a land and seascape spanning more than 43 million acres (17.5M ha) across the central and north coast of British Columbia.  It is home to 27 First Nations who have inhabited and stewarded the lands and waters for thousands of years. It is the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest.

With mist-shrouded valleys and glacier-cut fjords and old-growth forests, it provides habitat for some of the greatest biodiversity on the planet—including the iconic “spirit bear” (Kermode bear), a rare subspecies of black bear that has white fur and is found nowhere else on Earth.

Wildlife in the Great Bear Rainforest

Salmon in river Salmon running near Canada's Great Bear Rainforest. © Ian McAllister/Pacific Wild
Whale Tail Humpback whale dives in the channel in front of the Spirit Bear Lodge. Klemtu, British Columbia. © Jason Houston
Grizzly Bear Grizzly Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest © Jon McCormack
Bald Eagle An eagle takes flight along the fog shrouded Pacific coastline of the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada. © Sanjayan / TNC
A Kermode bear or "Spirit Bear" Kermode Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest of Canada © John McCormack
Ocean Life in Great Bear Starfish in a tide pool in the Great Bear Rainforest of B.C., Canada. © Jason Houston
× Salmon in river Salmon running near Canada's Great Bear Rainforest. © Ian McAllister/Pacific Wild × Whale Tail Humpback whale dives in the channel in front of the Spirit Bear Lodge. Klemtu, British Columbia. © Jason Houston × Grizzly Bear Grizzly Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest © Jon McCormack × Bald Eagle An eagle takes flight along the fog shrouded Pacific coastline of the Great Bear Rainforest in Canada. © Sanjayan / TNC × A Kermode bear or "Spirit Bear" Kermode Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest of Canada © John McCormack × Ocean Life in Great Bear Starfish in a tide pool in the Great Bear Rainforest of B.C., Canada. © Jason Houston

In 2006, our global affiliate was invited to support protection and sustainable management of 15 million acres (6.4M ha) in the Great Bear Rainforest and 2.6 million acres (1.05M ha) on Haida Gwaii. This partnership resulted in the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement, which was signed between First Nations and the British Columbia government in 2016. 

Alongside this, our global affiliate made a $39 million contribution to a conservation endowment and supported the creation of Coast Funds. These funds are part of a $60 million endowment that supports Indigenous stewardship throughout the region and provides capacity for First Nations to co-manage the area’s resources alongside the provincial government.

Support Our Work in the Great Bear Rainforest

We are now at a critical moment to amplify our conservation impact across one of Canada’s most spectacular landscapes. By supporting our work, you can help Nature United continue to work alongside Indigenous partners to achieve lasting conservation results in Great Bear and throughout coastal B.C.

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Our People

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Michael Reid

British Columbia Program Director

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Laura Smith

Forest and Climate Specialist

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Jessie Corey

Policy Advisor, British Columbia

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Dan Slavik

British Columbia Conservation Portfolio Manager

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