Karsten Heuer, a renowned conservationist, biologist, and filmmaker, passed away at 56 from a rare neurological disease. He was pivotal in promoting the Yellowstone to Yukon Wildlife Corridor and the reintroduction of bison to Banff National Park. He leaves a legacy of activism, including the film Finding Farley, produced with his partner Leanne Allison.

Karsten was a big-picture conservationist and the Rocky Mountains were his big picture. He played a leading role in the promotion of the Yellowstone to Yukon Wildlife Corridor. In 1998-99 he hiked for 3,400 km from Yellowstone National Park to the Yukon to draw attention to it.  His legacy lives on in the Y to Y Conservation Initiative.

As a Parks Canada wildlife biologist he was instrumental in the reintroduction of bison to Banff National Park.

He and his partner Leanne Allison were known for undertaking physically challenging adventures in the cause of conservation. In 2008, with their toddler son Sev, Karsten and Leanne paddled down the Bow River all the way to Nova Scotia, in honour of author Farley Mowat, resulting in the award-winning film, Finding Farley. More recently,  Karsten was active in Bow Valley Engage, a group opposing the large Seven Sisters Development in Canmore, his home town. 

Many of our readers will not have known Karsten personally, but will have been familiar with his activism and adventures over the years. Our condolences to his family and to his many personal friends.

For a better understanding of Karsten’s life and contributions to conservation, check out the article in the environmental magazine The Narwhat at https://thenarwhal.ca/rocky-mountains-karsten-heuer/