It is springtime in the Khutzeymateen Valley of northern British Columbia and the rainforest has again come alive after a long winter's nap. A new addition to the valley is Sparky, a frisky mischievous grizzly bear cub eager to explore the world the bears call Waipo. During Sparky's first summer there is much to learn; not only from his mother, but also from the other creatures of the forest and from nature itself.
"Sparky: The World's Most Lovable and Mischievous Bear Cub" takes the reader on an intriguing journey into the lives of the elusive grizzly bear, as seen through the eyes of a first-year cub. This novel is based upon factual information and stories recorded by the author over a ten year period of studying and photographing the Khutzeymateen Valley grizzly bears. This remarkable harborage is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, including approximately sixty grizzly bears. Shymanski has delicately woven her observations into a playful, heartwarming story to delight all ages. Sparky: The World's Most Lovable and Mischievous Bear Cub is a beautiful, magical tale of the mystical Khutzeymateen Valley and the grizzly bears, who, if they could speak, might have told the story themselves.

It is springtime in the Khutzeymateen Valley of northern British Columbia and the rainforest has again come alive after a long winter's nap. A new addition to the valley is Sparky, a frisky mischievous grizzly bear cub eager to explore the world the bears call Waipo. During Sparky's first summer there is much to learn; not only from his mother, but also from the other creatures of the forest and from nature itself.
"Sparky: The World's Most Lovable and Mischievous Bear Cub" takes the reader on an intriguing journey into the lives of the elusive grizzly bear, as seen through the eyes of a first-year cub. This novel is based upon factual information and stories recorded by the author over a ten year period of studying and photographing the Khutzeymateen Valley grizzly bears. This remarkable harborage is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, including approximately sixty grizzly bears. Shymanski has delicately woven her observations into a playful, heartwarming story to delight all ages. Sparky: The World's Most Lovable and Mischievous Bear Cub is a beautiful, magical tale of the mystical Khutzeymateen Valley and the grizzly bears, who, if they could speak, might have told the story themselves.

In a remote valley near the BC-Alaska border lives a remarkable group of grizzly bears who have never learned to fear humans. When logging threatened this valley, people from all over the world joined a battle to save the bears. In 1994, their efforts paid off with the establishment of the Khutzymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, one of the world's most important protected wildlife areas. Dan Wakeman, a core member of the Save the Khutzymateen campaign, was one of only two guides licensed to take visitors into the heart of this ecological reserve. Photographer Wendy Shymanski, who worked with Dan for many years, amassed a folio of exquisite colour photographs of the bears in this special part of the world. In "Fortress of the Grizzlies," these avid naturalists share what they have learned and seen during years of respectful interaction with this community of grizzlies.