For the past 17 years, Shadow has been living completely off-grid in a floating island home largely made out of salvaged material he’s found around the Pitt River close to Vancouver, British Columbia. Being completely alone (sometimes up to 6 months at a time) in such a small part of the world, he’s has had a unique perspective on the threats facing the area. What first began as a desire to escape the chaotic world around him, turned into a mission to protect nature until he feels as though he isn’t needed anymore.
During my visit with him, he recounted some heartbreaking stories like when he watched a Black Bear grow up in the area until the day he found it recently illegally killed by poachers. He also explained that many types of wildlife aren’t able to thrive in the area like they used to. Fruit-bearing trees that used to feed hundreds of birds were removed, industrial waste is polluting the waters and the area is becoming more developed and part is even turning into a park.
Despite considering himself a guardian of the ecosystem, the local government and police have repeatedly tried to evict him over the years. Sometimes visiting him multiple times per week, setting up cameras pointing at his property, and removing things he builds. Now that park construction has begun around the marsh he lives, the future seems uncertain for him.
