Expedition

Canada Expedition 2024

We’ve been visiting our conservation areas on Porcher Island and are sending our regards from the Canadian west coast!

Imagine you’re on a desert island just off the coast of Alaska and a storm surge is coming. Would you rather camp on the beach, where the water could reach you, or in the woods, where branches might fall on you? 

We were faced with this decision a few days ago during our expedition to Porcher Island in British Columbia, western Canada. 

The tides were set to reach their monthly peak that very week, flooding almost the entire beach where we’d pitched our tents. On the first evening, the floodwaters had already reached our ‘kitchen’, and the next day the storm made things even more exciting. Tyler and Ryan volunteered to keep watch for the flood and patrolled the beach back and forth until 3 am to protect our tents from the worst of it. All we can say is: it’s quite a thrill sleeping with the waves right at the entrance to your tent! Did we end up getting wet or did we have to move tents in the middle of the night? 

You can find out on the channels of Tomatolix, Breaking Lab, as well as Rick Azas and Theresa Kirchner! These four content creators accompanied us into the wilderness as part of our new ambassador programme. Filmmaker Dennis Schmelz was also part of the adventure and shares his experiences in his vlog. So make sure you subscribe to all of them so you don’t miss out on the incredible wildlife sightings we were lucky enough to witness and how the four of them experienced the wilderness!

Forested lakeside campsite with grey and blue tents nestled among evergreens and rocks
Our camp on Porcher Island beach, dangerously close to the waves. 
Person in yellow waders collecting shellfish in shallow ocean waters among rocky outcrops.
We got our feet wet more than once.
Bald eagle perched on a nest of branches and twigs on weathered wooden beams against a clear blue sky.
A rare sight: a bald eagle sitting in its nest with its chicks.
Four smiling young people wearing green sweaters celebrate with raised arms on rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean and forest.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere was good – including amongst the creators travelling with the group: Theresa Kirchner, Rick Azas, Felix Michels and Jacob Beautemps.
Rainbow arcing over a forested lake valley with coniferous trees and misty mountain peaks.
Canada, however, more than made up for the mixed weather!
Belted kingfisher with blue plumage and rust-coloured breast perched on a lichen-covered branch.
With wonderful encounters with wildlife, such as this kingfisher... 
Silhouettes of two people and driftwood on a beach at sunset with golden sky and shimmering ocean water.
... with beautiful sunsets on the beach ... 
Smiling man holding a small fish in a rocky coastal landscape with evergreen trees and boulders.
... and with fascinating finds from nature, such as this whale bone that Felix found on the beach. 
Four people in teal shirts hiking through a forest jump over a moss-covered fallen log while two others watch and smile nearby.
Together, the creators explored the forests of Canada ... 
Towering ancient tree with gnarled trunk shot from below, surrounded by green foliage in the forest.
... and marvelled at the gigantic giant sequoias. 
Person performing a handstand on a tree stump in a barren, log-strewn mountainside with coniferous forest in the background.
Unfortunately, however, it’s not like that everywhere: Rick demonstrates, by doing a handstand, just how tall some of the felled rainforest trees were.
Moss-covered branches in a boreal forest with a lake and coniferous trees in the background
We also explored the Porcher Island woodlands.
Muscular man jumping over a stream in a mountainous landscape with forest and moorland.
For one of his challenges, Rick even dares to take the plunge into the bog! 
Man filming another man with a camera on a rocky beach with sea and rocks in background.
For one of his videos, Felix stepped into the shoes of a whale researcher for a day.
Three people examine oysters in a black basket on a beach with forested shoreline in the background.
Jacob is building an underwater camera with Felix and marine biologist Tyra Bains.
Two people in bright jackets crouch on a pebbly riverbank, examining stones, with forested mountains visible across the water.
Felix and Jacob are looking at the sea creatures that the ebb tide has revealed.
Orange starfish on rocks surrounded by seaweed, mussels, and shells in a tidal zone
In the intertidal zone, for example, you can also find starfish. 
Five cranes flying in formation against a cloudy sky.
From our spot right on the beach, we were also able to watch lots of cranes flying past.
Person in orange jacket stands on rocky coastline, gazing across a bay with forested shores and distant mountains under cloudy sky.
Even so, we were mainly on the lookout for one particular species of animal ... 
Whale's dorsal fin and back surfacing in grey ocean water with overcast sky
... and towards the end of the expedition, the orcas actually came right up to the beach to visit us!

As always, we have also expanded the scientific monitoring of our protected areas. For the first time, camera traps have now been used in Canada, along with audio sensors and eDNA samples. The results will soon provide us – and you – with fascinating insights into the inhabitants of our forests. 

Now we’re taking a moment to catch our breath and gather our strength so that we can give our all for wilderness conservation again this weekend at the Dresden EIlbhangfest!

Large group wearing teal shirts posing on rocky coastal rocks with ocean, forest, and cloudy sky in background.
Our expedition was a resounding success!

Videos featuring the ambassadors

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