Brian Keating
Calgary, Alberta
As a conservationist and communicator, Brian Keating has been leading groups on nature-based trips for more than 40 years, exploring some of the greatest wildlife areas on the planet. He’s a CBC Radio regular and, for many years, was on the Discovery Channel. He is in high demand as an international speaker, presenting at some 50 events a year. His wife, Dee, is a physician and keen naturalist who always joins him on his adventures. Together, they have explored nearly 50 countries on all seven continents. He has worked with world-renowned conservationists Bob Sandford, Bob Peart and Jane Goodall (who in 2011 said, “Brian has inspired thousands to share his love of nature. I wish we could clone him.”). In turn, Keating has been an effective and well-respected mentor to thousands of students and aspiring conservationists, inspiring a generation to work together to find solutions to complex conservation issues in Canada and abroad.
WHAT HIS NOMINATORS SAID
- “Throughout the four decades of his exemplary career, he has been tirelessly working to educate people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds about the beauty and importance of wildlife diversity in Canada and the benefits we all reap when humans and wildlife are nurtured together and valued equally. Brian has been a loyal advocate of animal rights, taking brave stances on sensitive issues in the protection of species at risk of extinction and humane wildlife management practices.”
IN HIS OWN WORDS
- “I never had a plan. All I ever did was follow my heart. My career is a bit like a canoe. I got in it at the headwaters of an unknown river and just kept paddling. Whenever the river split, I chose the stronger current. And it has led me to some amazing and some scary encounters. Life has been such an adventure, I am very lucky. My work has been my life, and I share it with a partner who has the same emotional attachment to nature. We explore the world together.”
LEARN MORE
Going Wild, a new four-part TV series, will air on National Geographic Canada this fall. Keating is currently collaborating on a web-based “nature library” online resource. “It will be fast, fun and full of information,” says Keating. Visit goingwild.org for more info.