Six Canadian environmentalists are recognized for their dramatic stories of endangered species. Including whales, wolves and wandering Polar Bears.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HEROES Saving Coastal Wolves, Whales, Wandering Polar Bears & Other Endangered Species
The Trebek Initiative is a partnership between the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the National Geographic Society. It has announced six new recipients of its 2025 grants supporting Research and Storytelling projects in Canada.
Who is The Trebek Initiative named after?
Alex Trebek. The late, renowned host of Jeopardy! and philanthropist had a passion for geographic literacy and supported both The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (where he served as Honourary President until his passing) and the National Geographic Society. That’s why they named this initiative after him.
This year’s Trebek Initiative grantees include scientists, filmmakers, conservationists, and photographers. Together, they have examined some of the most pressing environmental issues across Canada:
- Robert Masaki Hechler
- Sam Rose Phillips
- Nicole Holman
- Liam Brennan
- Samantha Stephens
- Mitch Bowmile
“Research and Storytelling.” I like this phrase. These six environmentalists are out there discovering and uncovering what’s happening to our endangered wildlife species. And telling us their stories.
Their work spans
- Deep-sea ecosystems
- Climate impacts in the Bay of Fundy
- Salmon health under heat stress
- Wolf coexistence in Nuu-chah-nulth territory
- Road-related threats to freshwater turtles
- And the southward shift of polar bear habitat.
As well as the Cree community-led efforts to understand and respond to these changes affecting different species.
“This is the kind of work the Trebek Initiative was created to support,” said David Court, Chair of the Trebek Council, a group of donors supporting the Trebek Initiative.
“Each project explores a critical issue. And engages the public through powerful storytelling that aims to deepen our understanding and inspire action,” David explained.
“The Trebek Initiative is generously supported by members of the Trebek Council and our corporate partner, Kensington. Since its launch in 2021, the Trebek Initiative has funded 45 projects nationwide.”
2025 Grants
1. Robert Masaki Hechler
Species: Wild Salmon. Investigating wild salmon health in relation to heat stress from logging.
Ecologist and National Geographic Explorer, Robert Masaki Hechler, is working in partnership with the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Fisheries Group and Salmon Coast Field Station to evaluate the health of wild salmon in relation to heat stress. While also developing a non-invasive genomic method to do so. Robert is testing whether environmental RNA (eRNA) naturally shed by wild salmon into surrounding waters can reveal their heat stress responses. Offering a potential alternative to the conventional tissue sampling approach.
His previous experimental research demonstrated that eRNA can detect species stress responses in the lab. And this new field study will test its effectiveness in natural settings. This will help us better understand the impact of heat stress resulting from pressures like logging and climate change on wild salmon. And also whether eRNA could serve as a non-invasive alternative for monitoring fish health in the wild.
If successful, this innovative approach could pave the way for non-invasive health assessments across the food chain, as all animals shed eRNA into their environment.
2. Sam Rose Phillips
Species: Coastal Wolves. QʷAYAĆIIK
In British Columbia, hundreds of wolves are dying at the hands of inhumane wolf culls. The BC government estimates that more than 1,200 wolves are killed annually by recreational hunting and trapping. Additionally, habituated wolves[1] are often euthanized after posing a serious threat to public safety. These losses are disruptive and have significantly negative implications for the rest of the pack.
Co-produced by Seal Folk Films and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Sam Rose Phillips will develop QʷAYAĆIIK. This is a feature documentary and impact campaign about learning to coexist with wolves, among increased human-wolf conflicts in Nuu-chah-nulth territory.
QʷAYAĆIIK follows Skookum and Marcie, who return to Skookum’s ancestral home in Nuu-chah-nulth territory. They quickly realize they must protect their close neighbours — a pack of coastal wolves — from habituation. This project will call local, national, and international audiences to action for place-based and Indigenous-led protection of coastal wolves. While answering an age-old question: how do we live in harmony with other beings?
3. Nicole Holman
Deep-sea Guardians: Protecting Our Planet’s Last Frontier.
Canada’s west coast deep-sea ecosystems are some of the most biodiverse yet least-explored regions on Earth. These remote areas provide invaluable services, from carbon cycling that mitigates climate change to breakthroughs in medicine. They’re also under threat of deep-sea mining, which is endangering some of our most biodiverse areas faster than our ability to understand and protect them.
Nicole Holman is developing a documentary to reveal the astonishing life that thrives in the deep. She’s working alongside representatives from four First Nations communities and DFO scientists aboard the J.P. Tully research vessel, National Geographic Explorer. Exploring the severe impact of extractive industries on these fragile ecosystems. And how Canada is responding and how these insights and solutions could support the global ocean.
4. Liam Brennan
Tides of Change Species: Here there be Whales. Using ecological modeling and photography to investigate climate impacts on the Bay of Fundy ecosystem.
With the highest tides in the world, local oceanographic conditions in the Bay of Fundy create summer and fall feeding habitat for numerous species of endangered marine mammals, fish, and birds. As migratory species, these animals rely upon the abundance of food in the region to fuel continent-wide voyages.
The Bay of Fundy, however, has experienced intense warming associated with climate change. And is subjected to a variety of human pressures, such as commercial fishing and marine transportation. Liam Brennan is leading a project that uses scientific and photographic techniques to better understand climate change impacts. As well as support sustainable management of this unique ecosystem.
5. Samantha Stephens
Road to Recovery: Protecting Ontario’s Freshwater Turtles From Car Strikes.
Stories about the impacts of roads on wildlife often focus on large mammals, like deer or bears. While smaller species, such as turtles, are overlooked. And yet, death by car strikes disproportionately affects turtle populations because they’re long-lived animals that reproduce slowly. Losing just one breeding female can have an impact on the persistence and recovery of a turtle population. Today, all eight of Ontario’s native turtle species are experiencing population declines.
Samantha Stephens’ photography project will document road mortality solutions being implemented by biologists, communities, and conservation organizations. As well as actions that individuals can take to protect turtles. Her work aims to raise awareness and inspire individual action, so that together we can protect the turtles who play a critical role in maintaining the health of our freshwater ecosystems.
6. Mitch Bowmile
Species: Southern Polar Bears.
In Eeyou Istchee, on the east coast of Wiinipaakw (James Bay), the world’s southernmost subpopulation of polar bears just endured the species’ longest ice-free season ever recorded.
Changes in sea-ice coverage are driving polar bears and coastal Cree communities closer together than ever before. In the most dire situations, polar bears have been killed for human safety.
The Cree Trappers’ Association. The Eeyou Marine Region Wildlife Board. The Northern Wildlife Knowledges Lab. Coexistence Films. With these groups, Mitch Bowmile is developing a documentary that deepens our understanding of the future of polar bears and people amidst a changing climate. Doing it by looking at the bears’ and communities’ responses to climate change in Wiinipaakw.
The film will reveal unique footage of polar bears at the southern edge of their global range. Give voice to those with lived-experience in polar bear territory. Capture innovative community-led research that braids together different knowledge systems. Delve into the nuance of critical decision-making. And showcase how what we learn about the southernmost polar bears on Earth can inform our understanding of this beloved species’ future in a changing Arctic.
Big applause for these six latest Trebek Initiative recipients. They’re telling stories we all need to hear.[2]
“Live Free, Mon Ami!” – Brian Alan Burhoe
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==>> Go to What are Spirit Bears? Sacred White Bears & Native American Legends
Liam Brennan, Samantha Stephens, Mitch Bowmile.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HEROES Saving Coastal Wolves, Whales, Wandering Polar Bears & Other Endangered Species
[1] “…habituation, during which wolves gradually lose their fear of Humans. This was apparent in cases involving habituated North American wolves in Algonquin…” SEE Habituated Wolves & Wolf Attack. This sounds like a bad thing, eh? But it looks like wolf packs first followed and then accompanied Human hunting parties thousands of years ago. Which means wolf habituation started long ago. Resulting in Humans taking wolf cubs into their own families. Becoming dogs.
Here’s a strange fact. While there have been hundreds of verified accounts of Humans killed by Coyotes, there are fewer factual incidents of Humans killed by Grey Wolves! For some reason, Wolves seem to like us! For more on this, SEE WOLF HUNT: Wolfers in the Old West & Canada – In History & Now and DOG INTELLIGENCE: Most Intelligent Dog Breed List – Wolves & Dogs.
[2] The Trebek Initiative welcomes applications from Canadian researchers, storytellers, and conservationists each year in October. Learn more at www.trebekinitiative.com.
IMAGE CREDITS: Photos on this page are from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society or my own Wildlife Digital Album.
SOURCE: Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Cision Canada & Civilized Bears
