Chris Morgan has worked internationally as an ecologist, conservationist and educator since 1987 on more than twenty international projects in countries including Spain, Ecuador, Pakistan, Canada and the USA. Through Insight, Chris seeks to ‘to nurture the role of humans as wildlife stewards by enhancing current understanding and appreciation of the natural world through the insight of informed science and innovative education’. He strives to accomplish this through his work as a scientist, businessman and educator - creating imaginative conservation strategies that work for wildlife and people. Insight blends ecological consulting, environmental education, project design and management, and programs that strive to meet the needs of multiple ecosystem stakeholders. The main focus has been the bears of the world and the invaluable ecological role that they play as umbrella species. Whether Andean bears in Ecuador or grizzly bears in the USA, the promotion of landscape-level conservation using these and other large carnivores as charismatic representatives for landscape-level ecosystems is an approach that has great value. Chris presently holds positions as Director of IWM, Director of Science Strategies for Canopy (CA, USA), and lecturer at Western Washington University (WA, USA).

   

QUALIFICATIONS

NOVEMBER 1994: Masters Degree in Advanced Ecology. Received 1st for research thesis.
JULY 1993: Bachelors Degree (with Honors) in Applied Ecology.
JULY 1991: Higher National Diploma in Conservation Management (received ‘George Whalley-Kirby Prize’ for ‘consistently good performance’).
MARCH 1988: RSA Preparatory Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

• Experimental design and methodology development;
• Ecological field research (management through technician tasks): habitat evaluation, vegetation sampling, human wildlife interface management, mammal capture and handling, radio telemetry, nuisance wildlife management;
• Project proposal development and fund-raising;
• Project management assistance;
• Design and implementation of environmental information and education programs (school and university programs, slide shows, PSAs, information packs, information brochures and guides, field trip design and implementation, public interpretation programs etc.);
• Design, production and dissemination of wildlife information and education publications and literature (e.g. Agency-endorsed ‘Bear Safe Washington’ guide);
• Promotion of multi-party dialogue regarding ecosystem management;
• Course instruction/tutelage/teaching;
• Ecotourism development and field trip guiding;
• Slide shows/lecture circuit;
• Media promotion of wildlife research and conservation activities.

CURRENTLY: Director-Ecologist; Insight Wildlife Management, Inc., WA, USA (December 1997 – present).
As a consultancy business, IWM provides ecological research, project management and environmental education services to government and non-government organizations from the local to the international level. Main activities: Coordinator: North Cascades Grizzly Bear Outreach Project (GBOP), State of Washington, USA. TravelWild: guide for educational/recreational expeditions to Svalbard, Alaska, and Antarctica. BearTrack: wilderness adventure tours in Washington State. Editor for Outreach/Education page of International Bear News (IBA/IUCN-SSC). Director of Bear Safe Washington program: community outreach and educational materials. Also, other local and international conservation issues including wildlife research fieldwork, project proposal development and fund acquisition.

CURRENTLY: Co-Founder & Director of Science Strategies; Canopy, CA, USA (December 2000 – present).
Central to the development and evolution of Canopy, a non-profit organization that promotes multi-party dialogue on ecosystem management issues. Canopy focuses upon uniting corporations with wildlife biologists and other ecosystem stakeholders for the furtherance of sustainable conservation strategies that make sound ecological and economic sense. Canopy advises companies on the formulation of proactive, environmental strategies that simultaneously enhance their business operations and protect wildlife species and habitat.

CURRENTLY: Lecturer at Western Washington University; Bellingham, WA, USA (January 2000 – present).
Teaching classroom (environmental science) and extended field courses (carnivore ecology, research and education in the North Cascades Ecosystem, WA). 300-level courses taught: Environmental Disturbances; Natural History of the Pacific Northwest; Environmental Systems; North Cascades Wilderness Field Course.

CURRENTLY: Adjunct Professor with San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA (September 1999 – present).
Teaching field-based ecology and conservation class in Glacier National Park, Montana.

Miscellaneous media consulting: BBC Natural History Unit. Bear sequence consultant, ‘Lords of the Land’, ‘Life of Mammals’ (Sir David Attenborough). November 1999. Dorling Kindersley Publications, UK. Bear chapter consultant for 650 page publication ‘Animal’. January 2000. Tigress Productions, UK. Consultant for ‘People and Predators’. May 1999. United Productions, UK. Consultant for ‘Giants’. July 1999.

Libearty Wildlife Officer; World Society for the Protection of Animals, London, UK (September 1996 – November 1997).
Responsible for assessing, implementing and managing projects relating to the conservation and welfare of bears at an international level through the ‘Libearty’ Campaign. Extensive work with fund-raising, field research, budget management, international correspondence, media aspects, promotion. Responsible for fund-raising, implementation and management of WSPA’s Andean bear research and environmental education project, Ecuador.

Grizzly bear research ecologist; Eastern Slopes Grizzly Bear Project, Calgary, Canada (April 1996 – August 1996).
Five month post with the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Year three of a five year project assessing cumulative effects of humans on grizzly bear behavior and mortality in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. Responsible for backcountry habitat analysis and telemetry relating to bear food species selection and habitat utilization. Project Chairman: Dr Stephen Herrero.
 
 

Grizzly bear research ecologist; Eastern Slopes Grizzly Bear Project, Calgary, Canada (April 1995 – October 1995).
Six month post with the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Year two of a five year project assessing cumulative effects of humans on grizzly bear behavior and mortality in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. Two months of grizzly trapping & processing (foot-snares) in order to fit radio telemetry transmitters, take samples and record biometrics followed by four months of backcountry habitat analysis and radio telemetry relating to bear food species selection and habitat utilization. Project Chairman: Dr Steve Herrero.

Project Viability Assessor; World Society for the Protection of Animals/University of Durham, Ecuador (March 1995).
Viability study for a proposed research project on wild and reintroduced spectacled bears in South America. One month visit to Ecuador involving meetings with national and international wildlife and education organizations to discuss collaboration and project logistics. Made numerous reserve visits to aid study site selection and proposal development.

Field work assistant; Sea Mammal Research Unit/University of Durham, Outer Hebrides, Scotland (October 1994).
Atlantic gray seal research project, Monach Isles, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Assisted with seal captures, handling, tagging process, tooth removal, branding, skin and blood sampling etc. Conducted regular assessments of seal number fluctuations during the breeding season. The study represents a component of a long term research project comparing aspects of a number of seal populations in Scotland.

Masters research; A study of the home range, activity patterns and habitat utilization of female red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in southern Kielder Forest, England (April 1994 – October 1994).
Intensive radio telemetry study comparing the behavior and ecology of lactating and non-lactating females. Included daily radio tracking, trapping and biometric comparisons plus thesis write-up.

Brown Bear Research Advisor; Himalayan Wildlife Project, Pakistan (April 1994 – September 1994).
Two month period of field studies in the Karakorum mountains supervising a team carrying out the first research undertaken on the brown bears of the Deosai Plateau. Centered upon population, behavior and habitat utilization studies and interaction with locals regarding legislation and attitudes. Project support: World Society for the Protection of Animals, UK & WWF. Report on the local education prospects submitted to WSPA by C.P.Morgan.

TEFL Course Director; UK Study, Blackpool, UK (July 1993 – August 1993).
Teaching English to Italian students in the York and Blackpool centers and co-ordination/supervision of teachers, organizing lesson formats and managing school activities.

Assistant to Grizzly/Wolf Biologist; Northwest Territories Government Department of Renewable Resources, NWT, Canada (April 1991 – August 1991).
Grizzly bear population/telemetry studies of the Northwest Territories including assistance with free-range capture and bear processing. Wide-ranging aspects of Arctic ecology were investigated including wolf radio tracking, wolf and bear necropsy studies and 5 weeks on northern Banks Island assisting with musk oxen vegetation selection analysis. Assisted with wildlife management proposal development involving a high degree of interaction with Inuit, Indian and Inuvialuit locals.

HND research; Status and Conservation of the Brown Bear in the Cordillera Cantabrica, Spain (July 1990 – September 1990).
Traveled extensively and independently throughout northern Spain in association with the University of León to complete a report via a habitat assessment and report on each of the critical reserves and a series of interviews throughout the Cantabrican Mountains with NGO members and local residents.

Teacher; International Teaching and Training Center, Bournemouth, UK (May 1988 – June 1989).
Responsible for teaching English to several mixed nationality classes of both adults and children and organizing tours and social activities.

Camp Counselor; Barry Conservation Camp, New Hampshire, USA (June 1987 – September 1987).
Responsible for the supervision of 10-18 year old campers and teaching conservation aspects such as biology, environmental issues, wildlife management, firearms use etc. Simultaneously assisted with the University of New Hampshire population study on the black bears of the White Mountains.
 
 

• Extensive international travel has given me a broad but solid foundation in a variety of ecological, conservation, cultural and environmental policy issues and approaches.
• Leadership qualities that encourage team participation and individual recognition create a productive, content environment.
• Strong organizational/co-ordination/facilitation skills allow me to initiate, implement and oversee activities very effectively while successfully promoting collaborative partnerships for project evolution.
• Personable nature enables me to strike an immediately comfortable rapport with a wide variety of people.
• Thrive on new and stimulating challenges.
• An eye for detail means that I set the highest standards for myself in whatever I do.
• Member of several institutions including the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA), the Zoological Society of London, the British Ecological Society and Friends of the Scott Polar Institute.
• Main areas of ecological interest lie in conservation and education - especially that of bears and other mammals with respect to landscape-level ecosystem protection and appreciation.
• I established Insight Wildlife Management, Inc. in 1997 after moving to the USA from England.
• Interests include mountain biking, hiking, & photography.

• US and European driving licenses held. Proficient with several PC packages including the Microsoft suite. Trained and experienced in GIS, radio telemetry, mammal trapping and handling procedures, bird netting, firearms use, conservation and management theory and techniques, teaching and presentation methods, interpretation techniques, statistical analyses. Extensive back-country skills. Extensive specialized conservation, management, status and welfare knowledge of bear species. Communication skills in Spanish.

A selection of informal reference comments from students, peers and mentors.

1.
…...His interest and enthusiasm are infectious and he has an enormous capacity for communication with students, colleagues, academic staff and the general public of all ages. His talks are informative, well illustrated and well researched. On a recent trip field to Mallorca I likened him to the Pied Piper, since his charismatic character makes him extremely popular.
Dr. Nigel Dunstone, Masters degree supervisor, University of Durham, England

2.
I have never before been part of a field course that was so intensive, supportive, motivating, and rewarding. Chris led us into the life of bears; his enthusiasm, motivation, and energy was inspiring. Chris is a teacher in the true sense of the word. He made us all alive and aware of our surroundings, helping us not only to better understand bears, but helping to celebrate and know the natural world around us. It is an honor knowing him; anyone can benefit from taking part in one of his courses. I can say with pride that Chris's support has helped me follow the path of a wildlife field biologist. I have just completed my stint in Glacier National Park as part of the Grizzly Bear DNA crew. My enthusiasm and love of this field is fueled by wonderful instructors like Chris.
Kathy Bereza, Glacier National Park Grizzly Bear Field Course, 1999.

3.
Although all of my instructors were wonderful, I think that Chris was perhaps my favorite. He possessed a great camaraderie with the group and was extremely knowledgeable about the material. He is patient, thoughtful, level-headed, funny, intelligent, kind, a superb teacher and an excellent person in general. His enthusiasm toward the project, group and subject matter was refreshing and inspiring and I would recommend him to anyone as a fabulous instructor. In addition, he really made a great effort (and very much succeeded) in getting to know the students on a more personal level and was quite encouraging and helpful with giving advice, information and contacts.
Student, Glacier National Park Grizzly Bear Field Course, 1999.

4.
In September and October of 1999, I spent a few weeks on a field course taught by Chris Morgan. The course involved rigorous field activity in Glacier National Park and it also involved multi-day classroom participation. Chris has an unbelievable talent for combining separate aspects of an intensive course. The classroom course was insightful, challenging and creative. Chris has contagious energy which created an exciting learning atmosphere. Chris also gave perspicuous lectures concerning ecology, conservation and bear management, all of which nicely supplemented our fieldwork. In the field Chris was very knowledgeable. he maintained a very affable, yet professional attitude through sometimes demanding field conditions. Once again, his enthusiasm carried into the outdoors, and he made data collection a terrific learning experience. Without a doubt, I would recommend anyone to take a course with Chris.
Tyler Coleman, Student, Glacier National Park Grizzly Bear Field Course student, 1999.

5.
Chris Morgan, deserves special praise. His British sense of humor was good and infectious - with many members of the tour group joining in with jokes and quips. His knowledge of bears was excellent. His enthusiasm for the subject couldn't help but be noticed. My wife and I also observed Chris reaching out to all members of the tour group to see that they felt included. Chris was organized. He wanted to see that every member of the party was pleased - with the food, accommodations, the day, with everything. My wife and I are very happy to have been on a tour led by Chris Morgan. There can be no substitute for having a bear biologist with you when you observe bears at close range. I only wish that there had been someone like Chris at Katmai (Alaska) when my wife and I visited that National Park. The memorable trip would probably have been more memorable, more informative, and probably a lot more fun.
Jeff van Ee, Polar Bear Tour (Canada) 1999

6.
Chris Morgan is not only an exceptional, knowledgeable and prudent instructor, but also a delightful person and a personal friend. He is intensely excited and involved in his work, as well as accommodating, good spirited, hard working and kind. I give him my utmost recommendation and respect and would strongly encourage anyone to participate in one of his field projects. Last year I had the pleasure of working with Chris in Glacier National Park as a student on his wildlands studies program. The experience was easily one of the best of my life, and a large part of that had to do with his wonderful teaching skills and his very company.
Katie Yale, Glacier National Park Grizzly Bear Field Course student, 1999.

7.
Thanks again for the amazing experiences we all shared in our two weeks in the mountains. I enjoyed the course very much and learned many things I hope to hold on to forever. Good luck with your amazing research and keep inspiring our generation.
Student, North Cascades Wilderness Field Course, WA, 2001.