New book profiles B.C. wilderness region dubbed 'Chilcotin Ark'

The Great Bear Rainforest is known for being one of the most spectacular places in B.C., but near that region is an area that some people believe is even more special.

Dubbed the "Chilcotin Ark", it'sa stretch of land that reaches from west of the Fraser River in the Cariboo to the Coast Mountains on B.C.'s Central Coast.

And it's the subject of a new book by photographer Chris Harris.

Wildlife refuge

Harris's book British Columbia's Cariboo Chilcotin Coast: A Photographer's Journeyfeatures the story of the areaand some beautiful photographs of the region.

"You might consider the ChilcotinArk to be a refuge," said Harris.

"'Much like during the last ice age, there was a refuge in Yukon [and]Alaska called Beringia and that's where plant life, animal life and human life survived during the ice age," he said.

"Should climate warming continue, theChilcotinArk is large enough and diverse enough and it's continuous. It's enclosed where life could survive during extreme heat."

• West Chilcotin land donation completes protection of Tatlayoko Valley
• Great Bear Rainforest agreement creates 'a gift to the world'
• How green are the royals? Great Bear Rainforest will give William and Kate glimpse of 'stunning' natural world

The term "Chilcotin Ark" was first coined by conservationist Ric Careless.

The executive director of B.C. Spaces for Nature says he was looking into how to preserve the area when it became clear to him that it could be a significant location as the climate began to change.

"In the case of the Chilcotin, one of those saving graces is going to be that there's a lot of vertical elevation there," said Careless.

"Animals that are going to be looking for colder ecosystems can either try to go hundreds of kilometres north or hundreds of metres up slope. So a place like theChilcotintruly does become an ark."

'Best kept wilderness secret'

Careless is excited to see the area getting more attention.

"It's really the best kept wilderness secret in Canada," he said.

Harris said his hope is that people feel better connected to the areaand understand its significance because of his book and his photos.

"My greatest dream is the people embark on a journey of reconnecting with the planet," said Harris.

With files from CBC Radio One's Daybreak Kamloops

For more stories about the Kamloopsarea, likethe Daybreak KamloopsFacebook page.