For the past 30 years, Canadian geneticist David Suzuki has been one of the world’s most tireless, outspoken and passionate environmentalists. He’s also been one of the most lauded. His major awards include the Order of Canada and a UNESCO prize for science.

He’s perhaps best known to Canadians as the guy behind CBC Television’s The Nature of Things, a show he’s hosted since 1979. His favourite place is the Queen Charlotte Islands, located west of Prince Rupert, just off the British Columbia coast.

“My absolute favourite place is Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Islands. This is a place that I only got to know in the late ’70s, because there was a battle looming over an area that is now Gwaii Hannas, a national park reserve. What that means is the Haida are equal partners in administering that reserve, [which encompasses] the bottom third of the Queen Charlotte Islands.

“I’ve come to regard it as my second home. I’ve been adopted there; my whole family has been adopted there. I [returned in the fall] from my third visit there last summer. I stay with a family there that I’ve known for years—with Miles Richardson and his family.

“I was adopted by an elder, Ada Yovanovich, who was one of the leaders of the fight against logging. She adopted me and Svend Robinson, who was a Member of Parliament for many years. Once you’re adopted, you assume many responsibilities. You have to attend feasts and celebrations and funerals, and so on. Through her, I became committed to visiting regularly.

“Miles Richardson [and I], we’re big pals. We go fishing together. Miles’ father, who is also named Miles Richardson, adopted my wife and two children. In Haida tradition, [my wife] Ada was an Eagle and I’m an Eagle. Eagles can’t marry Eagles, and since I was already married, it was felt that my wife and children should be Ravens.

“I’ve become very involved with the Haida people, who have taught me so much, but it’s the area, too. For Canada, it’s one of those very special places, but it’s also under assault because of the riches in the ocean. Sport fishermen are drawn there, and I think they’re really hammering it. The logging and the fishing going on there—it’s huge.

“But the overwhelming power of nature is so evident there. As one of the young people that visited there said to me once, ‘Going up to Haida Gwaii, you realize how insignificant humans are, and that nature has been doing fine for thousands and thousands of years without our help.’

“The forests are filled with these immense trees: the cedar, the Sitka spruce, the balsam, the Douglas fir. They’re just immense trees that can live 1,200 years. They tower 100 metres above the ground. And the largest black bear in the world is there, and the waters are filled with fish. The Haida people have learned to live very well, while protecting that nature.

“Since I was up there three times last summer, I’m probably not going back up until April. I’m helping Miles build his house, and we’re planning a fishing trip for salmon. We catch enough, but we never bring our allotment, our allowable number… and we don’t catch the big ones. They’re our egg layers. We’ll eat what we catch right there. Usually what we do is we clean them and flash-freeze them. About half of them I eat raw. They’re quite good for sashimi. There’s nothing better.”