Chris Morgan (ecologist)

Morgan is the Executive Director of Wildlife Media, a non-profit production company whose debut feature film 'BEARTREK' promotes global bear conservation and education.[1]

Morgan was co-founder of the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project (GBOP), now Western Wildlife Outreach (WWO) in 2002. The non-profit organization began with grizzly bear safety and coexistence education efforts, but has since expanded to include wolf and cougar education.[1][10]

Morgan's feature-length film 'BEARTREK' is an independent documentary/adventure/travel film located in Alaska, Peru, Borneo, and Manitoba, Canada that focuses on four bear species and four biologists who study them.[1][10] Morgan conceived 'BEARTREK' as a film and campaign that would support bear conservation efforts around the world and is a collaboration between Morgan (Executive producer/host/narrator) and nature-cinematographer/director, Joe Pontecorvo (Producer/director).[1] The 'BEARTREK' film documents the scientific studies of Robyn Appleton and her Spectacled Bear Conservation Society and their conservation efforts in Northern Peru; Dr. Nick Lunn on polar bears in Manitoba, Canada; Siew Te Wong on sun bears in Borneo; and Chris Morgan's experiences with brown/grizzly bears in Alaska.[11][12][13][14] The documentary also features an element of adventure and discovery as Morgan rides his motorcycle to study sites. The 'BEARTREK' campaign is "a giant experiment that brings a new approach to raising awareness and funding for conservation through a high end theatrical film, a campaign, and a social media movement."[1]

Morgan narrated this award winning series in 2022 for international release. 'Born in the Rockies' follows the lives of several courageous animal families as they struggle to raise their young in one of the most challenging habitats on Earth – North America's Rocky Mountains. The film explores the inner lives of family life,  and reveals just how challenging it can be for a youngster growing up in the Rockies. They must learn how to navigate their environment, understand the rules of their society, and face the challenges of a rapidly changing world. A production of PONTECORVO PRODUCTIONS and THE WNET GROUP in co-production with TERRA MATER FACTUAL STUDIOS in association with PBS and CPB receiving world wide recognition including the following: 2022 Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards 2022 (Cannes, France):[15] Gold Dolphin (Category: Nature and Wildlife) New York Wild Film Festival 2023 (New York, USA): Finalist Episode 01;[16] Mountainfilm International Filmfestival Graz 2022 (Graz, Austria): Official Selected Episode 02;[17] FINN - Festival International Nature Namur 2022 (Namur, Belgium): Official Selected Episode 02;[18] Sondrio Festival 2022 (Sondrio, Italy): Official Selected Episode 02;[19] WFFR - Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam 2022 (Rotterdam, Netherlands): Official Selected Episode 01;[20] MAFF - Matsalu Nature Film Festival 2022 (Lihula, Estonia): Official Selected Episode 01; International Wildlife Film Festival 2022 (Montana, USA): Finalist (Category: Youth Program)

Morgan co-wrote and narrated this short film made for teachers, scientists, non-profits and people interested in bears and preserving wild spaces. The film was made possible by an anonymous donation and was produced in partnership with Wildlife Media and TriFilm. The film's premise is that “What's good for bears is good for people and the planet.”[10][21][22] It explains the ecological and conservation roles that bears can play, and that by protecting them it is conceivable to protect the area represented by their global distribution - about one third of the planet's land mass (does not include circumpolar ice region occupied by polar bears).

On April 8, 15, and 22, 2015, a three-part series titled 'Animal Homes' hosted and narrated by Morgan aired on PBS 'NATURE.'[23] 'Animal Homes' examines the various structures, building methods, and social networks utilized by animals in the wild to protect themselves and their young from predators, invaders, and the natural elements.[24] The series' first episode ('The Nest') focuses on what birds build to house their clutches of eggs using only their beaks and feet and the social interactions they confront while incubating and raising their young. Morgan is shown trying his hand at building a structurally sound nest, testing the strength of other avian structures, and presenting the collection of bird's nests owned by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.[25] Episode two ('Location Location Location'), examines the importance of choosing an appropriate environment for an animal's home and the strategies employed in maximizing their success. In the episode, Morgan observes the dam and lodge building rituals of beavers, the protective relationship between hummingbird bird nests and their proximity to those of raptors, and takes part in the processing of a mother black bear and her cubs who had been hibernating in the forests of Maryland.[23] Morgan is featured in the third episode ('Animal Cities') observing a colony of nesting puffins in northwest Scotland, scuba diving off of Corsica to inspect the complex social and reproductive strategies of the oscillated wrasse, and excavating the fungal garden of a leaf-cutter ant nest in the rainforest.[23]

Morgan hosted[26] and narrated 'The Last Orangutan Eden' for PBS 'NATURE' which aired on February 25, 2015.[27] To make this documentary about the dwindling population of orangutans and the efforts of conservationists to protect them, Morgan traveled to Northern Sumatra for filming. Morgan can be seen interacting with young orangutan orphans, searching the forest for wild orangutans and their nests, and accompanying the conservationist Ian Singleton on a journey to relocate a rehabilitated orangutan candidate-for-release.[28] 'The Last Orangutan Eden' won an Emmy Award in 2016[29] for “Outstanding Music & Sound.”

PBS 'NATURE' began its 31st season with the episode 'Siberian Tiger Quest' hosted/narrated by Morgan who traveled to Siberia for filming.[30] The episode aired October 10, 2012. In the episode, Morgan met with Korean filmmaker Sooyong Park in Siberia to recount Park's efforts at filming Siberian tigers in the wild while embedded for five years and also to attempt to capture a tiger on film again. The episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Nature Programming", and also received awards for "Best Presenter/Host", "Best Cinematography", "Best Human/Wildlife Interaction", "Gold Award", and "Outstanding Contribution to Wildlife Filmmaking Award."[31][32][33][34]

For two years, Morgan and filmmaker Joe Pontecorvo worked on a three-hour, three-part mini-series filmed and produced for PBS 'NATURE' and National Geographic Television International called 'Bears of the Last Frontier' which highlights the three bear species in the state of Alaska.[35][36][37] Co-created by Morgan and Pontecorvo, the show was hosted and narrated by Morgan as the feature character with Pontecorvo acting as producer, director, and cinematographer.[38][39] The mini-series aired in May 2011.[36] During promotion for 'Bears of the Last Frontier' (May 10, 2011), Morgan was a guest on the 'Late Show with David Letterman.'[3] Morgan also wrote a book named for the mini-series featuring large print photos and behind-the-scenes stories of 'Bears of the Last Frontier' released in 2011.[5][40] For his work on the episode 'Bears of the Last Frontier: Arctic Wanderers,' Morgan was awarded "Best Presenter/Host" at the 2012 International Wildlife Film Festival (IWFF). Joe Pontecorvo, also, earned a 2012 Emmy Award Nomination ('Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Cinematography - Documentary and Long Form') for the same episode.[34][41]

Morgan's other television work for PBS 'NATURE' includes narration on the episodes: 'Love in the Animal Kingdom' (2013), 'Great Zebra Exodus' (2013), 'Magic of the Snowy Owl' (2012), 'Fortress of the Bears' (2012), 'Kangaroo Mob' (2012), 'The Animal House' (2011), 'Survivors of the Firestorm' (2011), 'Outback Pelicans' (2011), 'The Himalayas' (2011), 'Elsa's Legacy: The Born Free Story' (2011), and 'Echo: An Elephant to Remember' (2010).[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51]

The BBC/Discovery Channel production 'Great Bear Stakeout' aired in two parts on BBC One April 24 and 25, 2013 with Morgan as an ecologist and bear expert.[52][53][54] 'Great Bear Stakeout' documents the awakening of Alaskan grizzly bears from hibernation through their feeding on the salmon run utilizing specialized camera gear and hidden camera techniques. The program received positive reviews by viewers.[53][55] The show aired in one part on the Discovery Channel May 12, 2013.[52]

'Land of the Lost Wolves' premiered on BBC One in two episodes on April 5 &6, 2012. Morgan is featured as an onscreen scientist in episode two, tracking wolves on the BC coast of Canada.[56]

Morgan was host, narrator, and featured character in an episode of the BBC Two series 'Natural World' titled 'Grizzlies of Alaska' which he co-created with 'BEARTREK' director/producer and cinematographer Joe Pontecorvo.[57] The episode originally aired on March 8, 2012.[58]