The (re)naming of caribou

In the dream, I am on a saddle horse leading a string of packhorses up a mountain trail. Moose look up from the willows along the creeks. Grey specks in alpine meadows are Stone’s sheep. On cliffs are mountain goats. And everywhere above the tree line are caribou: singles or small groups. In a high mountain pass, 20 caribou laze on a late snow patch in the lee of a peak, avoiding flies. Then I wake up and realize it’s not a dream; it’s a memory.

These were Osborn’s caribou, the largest subspecies of caribou, which can weigh up to 340 kilograms. I was guiding for big game in the northern Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. As a mammalogist, I’ve studied mountain caribou, woodland caribou in the boreal forest of northern Alberta and the N.W.T., barren-ground caribou in northern Yukon and Nunavut, and the Peary caribou, the smallest caribou subspecies, in the High Arctic islands. I’ve also photographed Rocky Mountain caribou in Banff and Jasper National Parks and tundra reindeer in Norway. Since 1961, all these varieties of caribou have been lumped together under just one species, Rangifer tarandus. This has caused conservation problems because most caribou subspecies are not recognized under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Conflating multiple species and subspecies into one makes it difficult—practically and legally—to develop conservation plans and regulatory protections specific to each.

From a lunar flyby to an ice-seeking “microrover,” Canada is set to play a leading role in the next phase of lunar exploration

Humans last walked on the surface of the Moon 50 years ago this week, during the Apollo 17 mission. If you have been watching the news over the past month, you’ll have seen that NASA recently took the first major step in returning humans to the Moon with the Artemis I mission. Launched on November 22 on the new Space Launch System – the most powerful rocket ever built – the uncrewed Orion spacecraft spent 28 days in space before splashing down to Earth on Dec. 11.

Extensive snow and ice cover, large areas of permafrost and icebergs shaped into incredible forms. These are the hallmarks of the Arctic landscape — but for how long? The northernmost region on Earth, the Arctic is often characterized by vast expanses of frozen land with a climate heavily influenced by sea currents. Because of these unique characteristics, the Arctic is an important region in assisting with our understanding of the Earth’s changing climate. And it’s changing…

Now, typhoons, smoke from wildfires and increased rainfall are some of the several climate-driven phenomena that are altering our perception of how we “think” the Arctic should appear, according to this year’s Arctic Report Card. Since 2006, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued this annual report that pulls together peer-reviewed, reliable and concise environmental information, analyzing various components of the Arctic’s current environment system relative to historical records.

The Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative discusses COP15, the importance of the boreal forest and the vital role of Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship

Canadian Geographic‘s David McGuffin sat down with the Indigenous Leadership’s Initiative’s Valérie Courtois for an inspirational conservation about the role Indigenous leadership can play in biodiversity conservation.

On Nitassinan, the boreal forest and caribou

Nitassinan is the Innu word for “our land.” “Assi” is the name for land. We’re in the easternmost extent of the boreal forest, which is the largest intact forest left on the planet. It is a caribou landscape, which is why my people are here. We are a caribou people. And the George River herd— a caribou that occupies most of the Quebec-Labrador peninsula — in particular has been essential to our story of why we’re here on this landscape. Our understanding of our place in the world revolves around that relationship. In fact, much of our food security historically has also depended on that herd. So it’s essential for for our nations and not just the Innu Nation of which I’m a member, but all of the nations that depend on Caribou to really figure this out and work hard on what can be done to ensure that that relationship continues in perpetuity.

in full swing in this amazing region of central Alberta, and birding will be the focus each morning. We will explore several unique habitats including Prairie sloughs, riparian cottonwood forests, and the desert-like conditions of the badlands. Our afternoons will be spent learning about the unique geology and natural history of the region at Dinosaur Provincial Park and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
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Check out these other upcoming trips:

- Natural Wonders of Western Newfoundland with Charlene Bearhead
- Classic Dolomites with Marlis Butcher
- Wildlife of the Zambezi Valley with Travis Steffens