Michael is an independent Canadian bear research ecologist. He received a doctorate in grizzly bear ecology in 2003 from the University of Calgary and has researched grizzly bears in southern Canada since 1995. Before becoming an ecologist, he built wooden boats and canoes, rebuilt pianos, taught piano, built musical instruments, and spent a lot of time exploring the mountains of British Columbia. Michael publishes his work regularly in scientific journals, does his own field work, and lives to explore the many wild rivers and ecosystems of the Canadian north. He currently researches and implements conservation solutions for the small threatened grizzly bear populations in the trans-border region spanning the Canada and the U.S border. He is a co-founder of the Trans-border Grizzly Bear Project (in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and works out of Kaslo, B.C. Beyond Canada, he has worked on international bear projects in Ecuador, Italy, and Mongolia.