The Caribou/Human Migration Team: Background Biographies What if wildlife had a voice? What if the caribou could communicate their point of view to the average North American? What if people across this continent could actually live the hardship and trials of a caribou's life, encounter the floods, bears, wolves, snow, insects, and accidents that plague their every day? That is the goal of the Being Caribou expedition to go deep into the lives of these caribou and emerge with a story so compelling it stirs public emotion and builds support for full protection of their calving grounds. Here is a bit of background of the Being Caribou expedition trekkers: Karsten Heuer Karsten Heuer Karsten has been working in the Canadian portion of the Porcupine Caribou Herd’s calving grounds for the past two years as a park warden in Ivvavik National Park. Prior to that he completed a 3,400km trek from Yellowstone to the Yukon in order to highlight the need for wildlife corridors in the Rocky Mountains. Taking the wildest route possible, his 1.5 year trek helped to bring an ambitious reserve network proposal – the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative – to millions of people via National Geographic Radio, Equinox Magazine, Smithsonian, the Globe and Mail, the New York Times, CBC, NBC, ABC TV and other media outlets. His book about the trip, Walking the Big Wild, recently hit the Canadian non-fiction bestseller list. Prior to symbolizing wild animal movements, Karsten studied ecology at the University of Calgary and worked as a biologist in South Africa, Slovakia, and in Canada’s Banff National Park. His main motivation to “be” caribou is to immerse himself in the rhythms of an animal’s life for month after month without the disruptions of modern civilization. “Some people have said we’re likely to see things no person has ever seen before,” says Heuer of the upcoming trip. “For me, that’s reason enough to put our lives on hold for the next 7 months.” Leanne Allison Leanne Allison Leanne was also involved in the Y2Y Hike, followed by two years of work with Raincoast Conservation Society in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, where she still holds a position on Raincoast's Board of Directors. She is a recent graduate of the Gulf Islands Film and Television School’s media intensive program, and producer of the film ‘Vadzaih’, which toured hundreds of American towns and cities with the Caribou Commons ‘Walk to Washington Tour’ in the fall of 2002. ‘Vadzaih’, which means caribou in Gwich’in, is a 7-minute documentary and music video that presents the Gwich’in native youth’s perspective on oil and gas development in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge. Before making films, Leanne worked as an assistant to glaciologists and avalanche scientists in such far-flung places as Antarctica and the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia. She was also a member of the first all-women’s expedition to the top of Canada’s highest peak via Mt. Logan’s difficult East Ridge. When asked why she wants to symbolize the caribou herd, Leanne cites a desire to “experience the migration in as pure a way as possible” as her chief motivation. Like Karsten, she sees the urgency in telling the caribou’s story before it’s too late. “Once you’ve experienced the migration in real life and all that follows it across the landscape, it’s hard to imagine putting it all at risk for a few months of oil.” Leanne and Karsten, now both 34 years old, were married in the fall of 2002. Copyright 2003 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form