Expedition

Everything is connected

Canada expedition with Robert Marc Lehmann

A whale-watching boat on a mission to protect nature

From 29 June to 24 July, a small team was on the move along Canada’s west coast, in British Columbia. This time, we travelled by boat – the iconic and historic Gikumi – from Vancouver northwards to the small town of Prince Rupert and back again.

Our aim was to explore new areas of land for wilderness conservation and to inspect areas we had already purchased. The drones from DJI and Quantum-Systems GmbH were a great help to us on this trip!

A group of people poses on a wooden dock in front of the ship Giseumi, with some standing and others kneeling, a bearded man with red sunglasses in the foreground.
We were also joined once again by Robert Marc Lehmann (Mission Erde e.V.). You can look forward to an emotional and exciting YouTube series in December, which will bring you up close to the beautiful temperate west coast rainforest and its inhabitants. It will make it clear that we too – on the other side of the world – are closely connected to the Canadian west coast rainforest, and must therefore protect it at all costs!

The Gikumi is the first whale-watching boat on the Canadian coast, and parts of the famous film *Free Willy* were also filmed on board. How fitting, then, that we are using her to champion the freedom and safety of the beautiful 

wildlife and its habitats along the coast of British Columbia.

Impressions from the trip

A boat amidst the waves, mighty grizzly bears and ancient giant trees – the temperate rainforest of the north-west coast is a wild treasure.
Brown bear wading through green marsh grass near a mountain lake surrounded by dense coniferous forest and snowy peaks.
A grizzly bear eats grass in the Khutzeymateen Reserve
Three people with cameras and telephoto lenses observe wildlife from a boat deck on a green lake surrounded by forested shoreline.
I wonder what Nico, Lukas and Robert are taking photos and filming here?
Motorboat with tender on a lake at sunset, surrounded by forested rocky hills.
The Gikumi is moored on the rugged west coast
Hiker with backpack stands on tree stump overlooking forested mountains and river valley
Unfortunately, the west coast rainforests are under serious threat from large-scale clear-cutting
Fishing vessel
The Gikumi in the harbour
Tattooed man adjusts underwater camera equipment on a wooden dock at sunset with sailboat and calm waters in background.
Robert is installing a baited remote underwater video system for deep-sea research
Person holding a drone above a snowy shoreline with evergreen forest in the background.
DJI’s drones help us to analyse potential conservation areas from the air as part of rapid assessments
Upward view inside a massive hollow tree trunk surrounded by green canopy and forest.
an ancient, giant tree of life
Runner in yellow shirt jogging through lush forest with tall trees and ferns on trail.
Lukas even flies a drone in the woods