For the second year in a row, our incredible friends of Cimarron Middle School have taken a remarkable stand for the spirit bear.

Having symbolically adopted a spirit bear last year, they have raised the money do so again in 2013. Their support of this incredible animal has left all of us at the Youth Coalition touched and speechless.

Last year, the support of Cimarron Middle School enabled us to reach new heights in our quest to create sanctuary.

Of note, we were able to, for the first time ever, ensure that no Kermode bears were killed during trophy hunt season. And with Cimarron’s renewed support, we know we can finish what we started and save the spirit bear this year.

On behalf of everyone involved, thank you to all of the students and staff of Cimarron Middle School from the bottom of our hearts. You have and continue to make a world of difference.

Cimarron Middle School is a true hero for the spirit bear.

After nearly two decades of work, we’re on the brink of saving the spirit bear.

This spring, help us take the final steps toward reaching our goals by supporting two visions that will strengthen our campaign, generate support and challenge youth to champion a new social movement for a wilder world.

1. Help us finish our first social movement, our campaign to save the spirit bear.

For nearly two decades, our volunteer-run organization has helped make the spirit bear a house-hold name around the world and translated the support of millions into meaningful and lasting policy change for the spirit bear. From political and business agreements to what was North America’s largest land protection measure, we have not only helped set aside critical land for the spirit bear, but also ensured its continued conservation is supported by people from all walks of life and of all political stripes.

As we seek to put ourselves out of business by finishing the job we started, we ask for your support in helping us raise $7500 to ensure that whoever wins the upcoming BC election knows what needs to be done to finish establishing meaningful sanctuary for the spirit bear and allow us to build a new online presence for the Youth Coalition to help us share our story in the quest to empower emerging young leaders to learn from our successes and failures as they seek to carry on our legacy.

Every dollar counts and we are, as always, grateful for your continued support and generosity.

• ACTION ITEM: Help us reach our goal of raising $7500 to finish what we started!

2. Help us build a new social movement, CoalitionWILD, to create a wilder world.

We know we need to protect nature. It’s what sustains all life on this planet. While the threats facing our world are almost too many to count, hope is not lost. There are seven billion of us – each with a passion; each with a skill set. And when we each do our part – when we do one simple positive act – anything is possible.

For this reason, in partnership with The WILD Foundation and The Murie Center, the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition is creating CoalitionWILD – a new social movement of people under 30 to working to create a wilder world.

The initiative seeks to inspire and empower young people to create a new movement for nature – one that unites people across political divides, from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe – by providing a social media platform for innovative ideas, on-the-ground projects, activities and events. By focusing attention on the power of younger generations to initiate change, we want to take the lessons learned through the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and help catalyze thousands of ventures that will establish a new vision for a wilder world.

As we prepare to launch this new movement at WILD10 in Spain this October, we want to hear about your brilliant idea to help nature. Join us in building the CoalitionWILD movement by registering your idea to create a #wilderworld for a chance to present your vision at WILD10 and for the opportunity to receive funding and mentorship for a year.

• ACTION ITEM: Help us start a new social movement by registering your idea for creating a wilder world!

And of course, keep making your voice heard: Visit our web site often for the latest news and ways to make a difference for the spirit bear.

Our sincere thanks for your continued support. We wouldn’t be where we are without you.

Spirit Bear Youth Coalition Team

PS

If you’re looking for two additional ways to help save the spirit bear, please consider these opportunities from our supporters:

• Author Randa Handler along with Premier Digital Publishing is teaming up with the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition to help celebrate the release of three wonderful books for young readers: If I Were King; Cubbie Blue and His Dog Dot; What’s Up with Mike? For every book purchased, 25% of profits will be donated to support the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition’s work to engage young people meaningfully in the issues that affect their future. Each book tells a beautiful story alongside captivating artwork that will capture the imaginations of young readers, help them find their voices, and encourage them to speak out in favor of social justice. Help us spread the word about these three books and, in doing, make a profound difference for the spirit bear while igniting compassion in the hearts of young readers.

For more information: Purchase Books | Randa and the Youth Coalition

• Projekt Karma: Last year, the spirit bear lost one of its true heroes: Bud Norquist. One of his dreams was to see established a lasting sanctuary for the spirit bear and to help honour Bud’s legacy, we elected to dedicate this aspect of our work to him. To help us achieve this goal in Bud’s name, his daughter, Wendy Steinmetz, launched a fundraising campaign through Projekt Karma to help rally support to fund our work to establish a sanctuary. Join us in helping save the spirit bear and securing a remarkable legacy for a great man.

For more information: Projekt Karma and the Spirit Bear

Time Magazine’s Hero for the Planet and acclaimed motivational speaker, Simon Jackson, will be visiting 50 schools and over 25 communities across Canada this spring in support of two of the most renowned conservation organizations in the country: the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada – and their new social movement, CoalitionWILD.

Through almost two decades of working to save the spirit bear and engage youth in environmental issues, Simon has become a model of the power of one.

Simon founded the Youth Coalition at the age of 13, growing it into the largest youth-led environmental organization in the world, and helped establish the largest land protection measure in North American history. His work for the spirit bear models and builds on the leadership of Dr. Jane Goodall, who personally selected Simon to sit on JGI Canada’s board of directors when he was just 20.

In the telling of his unique story – the focus of a recent made-for-TV movie – Simon illustrates how he overcame roadblocks, sceptics and bullying in school to help make the spirit bear one of the world’s foremost environmental issues.

His speeches avoid divisive politics and instead underscore the importance of balance, collaboration and innovation.

The lessons he learned and the insight he gained is not just the recipe to save the spirit bear or the chimpanzee, but also a blueprint for any student to take a stand for a better world through their own passion and skill set under the umbrella of CoalitionWILD.

Simon’s message is inspirational, motivational, and educational: not only will you want to catch the spirit to save the bear and become a chimp guardian, but you’ll be a believer in the power of one.

Interested in having Simon visit your school or community? Email us at letters@spiritbearyouth.org!

Spirit Bear Youth Coalition | www.spiritbearyouth.org

Jane Goodall Institute of Canada | www.janegoodall.ca

CoalitionWILD | www.coalitionwild.org

Simon Jackson | www.speakers.ca/jackson_simon.html

Hope abounds that this might indeed be the final time the Kermode subspecies is threatened with a lack of meaningful sanctuary.

Help us take the final three steps need to save this endangered subspecies by joining thousands from around the world in calling for decision makers to create meaningful and lasting sanctuary for the spirit bear.

FIVE WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE SPIRIT BEAR

1) Write a letter to urge BC Premier Christy Clark to save the spirit bear
2) Sign the petition to create sanctuary for the spirit bear
3) Voice your support for shifting the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline
4) Champion this campaign in your community
5) Spread the word by forwarding this message to your social network

WHY YOU CAN SAVE THE SPIRIT BEAR

Today, while habitat loss, trophy hunting and the long term concern of an oil spill continues to imperil the future of this endangered subspecies, we are making considerable progress toward finding lasting solutions to augment the progress that has already been achieved, ensuring Canada will always have a healthy economy and a protected spirit bear.

It might only take the support of one more person or maybe it will take the support of one hundred thousand more people to put this issue over the top, but for each individual who makes their voice heard, the global call to protect this bear becomes stronger and impossible to ignore.

After all, decision makers can only represent us if they know how and it is up to us to show our representatives that the majority of global citizens stand behind leaders who seek innovative ideas to protect the spirit bear without burdening one people or one community.

HOW OUR DECISION MAKERS CAN SAVE THE SPIRIT BEAR

• Work with the Youth Coalition to identify the cost of protecting the final, unprotected third of the spirit bear’s last intact habitat and allow the Youth Coalition the opportunity to put our money where our mouth is in the form of the forthcoming Hollywood CGI animated movie, The Spirit Bear.
• Create a true sanctuary for the spirit bear by taking the first step of not re-allocating the bear trophy hunting licenses that have been purchased to protect this bear’s gene pool.
• Shift the route of the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline from Kitimat to Vancouver or Prince Rupert, ensuring oil tankers will not travel through the treacherous waters of the spirit bear’s habitat.

Each letter you, your friends and your family write is viewed as the opinion of 100 people in eyes of government.

Please choose to be heard: the spirit bear needs your voice.

HOW TO STAY INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE SPIRIT BEAR

1) Become a member
2) Join our Facebook group
3) Follow us on Twitter
4) Adopt-a-Spirit Bear
5) Sign-up for our education program

British Columbia – the world’s only home of the spirit bear – is preparing to head to the polls.

After more than a decade of power, the BC Liberals are in a tight race with the NDP (the current Official Opposition) to form the next government, with the BC Conservative Party and BC Green Party looking to increase their profile and position in the province’s political arena.

What does this mean for the spirit bear?

No matter who wins the election, the politicians of all stripes that we elect to represent us will have three urgent tasks at hand in order to protect this endangered bear for generations to come:

• Work with the Youth Coalition to identify the cost of protecting the final, unprotected third of the spirit bear’s last intact habitat and allow the Youth Coalition the opportunity to put our money where our mouth is in the form of the forthcoming Hollywood CGI animated movie, The Spirit Bear.
• Create a true sanctuary for the spirit bear by taking the first step of not re-allocating the bear trophy hunting licenses that have been purchased to protect this bear’s gene pool.
• Ensure the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta’s oil sands to the BC coast doesn’t send oil tankers through the treacherous waters of the spirit bear’s habitat.

For each challenge, the Youth Coalition has offered a reasonable solution that will benefit the bears, the province and the country’s economy.

How you can help!

1. If you live in BC, speak to the candidates from all parties in your riding and encourage them to pledge to provide the leadership necessary to save the spirit bear in 2013.

2. If you live outside of BC, continue to make your voice heard – by writing letters to the government or spreading the word to family and friends – to show BC politicians running for office that in this globalized world, this issue matters to you.

Together, we will ensure that the next BC government listens to the overwhelming majority of British Columbians and global citizens who support finding a balanced solution to saving the spirit bear in 2013.

FIVE WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE SPIRIT BEAR

1) Write a letter to urge BC Premier Christy Clark to save the spirit bear
2) Sign the petition to create sanctuary for the spirit bear
3) Voice your support for shifting the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline
4) Symbolically Adopt-a-Spirit Bear and champion this campaign in your community
5) Spread the word by forwarding this message to your social network

HOW TO STAY INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE SPIRIT BEAR

1) Become a member
2) Join our Facebook group
3) Follow us on Twitter
4) Adopt-a-Spirit Bear
5) Sign-up for our education program

Globe and Mail columnist Gary Mason outlines why he believes Northern Gateway has soured the national energy debate and ensured the current route will never be built.

The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition strongly supports the David Suzuki Foundation in its call for strong legal protection for grizzly bears. Protecting grizzlies – one of the most iconic creatures on the planet – is not only a moral imperative, but also critical to sustaining the delicate ecological balance of the spirit bear’s last intact habitat.

The federal government has the ability and the responsibility to legally list and protect Canada’s at-risk grizzlies under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). We want our leaders to work with the western provinces and territories to create strong recovery and management plans that identify and protect critical grizzly habitat. This is of critical importance for sub-populations that are about to disappear, such as in the B.C. Lower Mainland and the Canadian southern Rockies, and in areas where their displacement could harm other threatened species, including the spirit bear.

Join the thousands of people who are calling on the federal government to legally protect and recover grizzly bear populations in Canada under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD TODAY!

Students from Toronto’s Our Lady of Fatima School were inspired to catch the spirit to save the bear.

Youth Coalition founder Simon Jackson spoke to the students of Our Lady of Fatima School to encourage them to make their voice heard for the spirit bear.

With the debate on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline that would send oil tankers through the spirit bear’s habitat currently monopolizing the news, students were informed that their voice matters on this issue and all issues.

Jackson preached balance, innovation and youth engagement during his address and students responded with overwhelming support for protecting the spirit bear and becoming leaders in their community today.

Students from Toronto’s Holy Redeemer School were inspired to catch the spirit to save the bear.

Youth Coalition founder Simon Jackson spoke to the studentsof  Holy Redeemer School to encourage them to make their voice heard for the spirit bear.

With the debate on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline that would send oil tankers through the spirit bear’s habitat currently monopolizing the news, students were informed that their voice matters on this issue and all issues.

Jackson preached balance, innovation and youth engagement during his address and students responded with overwhelming support for protecting the spirit bear and becoming leaders in their community today.

The Spirit Bear Youth Coalition is supporting author Jennifer Harrington and her new e-book ‘Spirit Bear’ that aims to help children learn about the spirit bear.

The story is about a young spirit bear who becomes separated from his family, and the adventures that he encounters in the Great Bear Rainforest as he tries to find them again.

The intent of the book is to raise awareness about the spirit bear and it’s habitat, and to educate Canadians (particularly those back east) about the threat to the Great Bear Rainforest. The author has worked with naturalist Tim Irvine to ensure that the facts about the bears’ life-cycle and habits are accurate, so that the book can be used as a resource for teachers and librarians.

The book will primary be promoted as a free ebook, as the goal is to have the largest number of people possible to see this book and learn about these
magnificent animals.

Please visit www.ecobooks4kids.com for more information and to learn how to download your copy!