May 26, 2023
Canadian Geographic
By Madigan Cotterill
How a niche British Columbia-based community is working to bring attention to the importance of old-growth forests
Amanda Lewis stands completely alone on the edge of British Columbia’s Stewart-Cassiar Highway, contemplating her next step as she confronts a wall of dense, dark trees. Will she venture into the woods unaccompanied, potentially risking her life to reach her destination? Or will she decide to wait for the company of others, knowing there is safety in numbers?
It’s a cloudy summer day, and Lewis is searching for one of Canada’s largest trees, a subalpine fir initially located in 1987. It is already late in the day, and it would take Lewis at least 30 minutes of trekking through the bush to reach the tree. An occasional car passes her on the highway — the only sign of human life as she debates her next move.
If she runs into trouble deep in the forest, Lewis knows that finding her would be difficult as no marked path leads to her destination. “Am I overthinking,” she asks herself. “Should I just zip in and get to this tree?”
She texts her sister, an archeologist with experience in the forest, who points out the danger of going in alone. She makes the tough decision to wait until she is in the company of others before embarking on her quest.
Lewis, who has been a big-tree hunter since 2018, has been on a mission to visit each of the 43 champion trees in the BC Big Tree registry and chronicle that journey through her memoir, Tracking Giants. Like many big-tree hunters, Lewis’ passion for the environment continues to bring her back to the forest where ancient trees have stood for hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of years. But as each day passes, more ancient trees in BC disappear, felled by logging.
Old-growth forests have significant ecological value and play a key role in climate resilience and biodiversity. They are home to many animals, including grizzly bears, black bears, coastal wolves and black-tailed deer, which all rely on these ancient forests for survival. Old-growth forests contain about 90 per cent more shrubs and forbs than second-growth environments, resulting in a complex heterogeneous canopy with light pouring into the understudy. Great reservoirs of biodiversity, old-growth forests also boast an unparalleled ability to keep carbon out of the atmosphere. Yet, with each passing day, these ancient ecosystems continue to vanish, felled by intense logging.
An interactive map released by Conservation North, a science-based conservation organization, shows how much of BC’s last primary forests have been disturbed. A sea of red makes it obvious just how much of the province’s forests have been disturbed. According to the province, BC has about 11.1 million hectares of old-growth forest, 10 million of which are protected or not economical to harvest. However, despite the government’s promise to maintain these forests, logging continues apace, with companies such as Drax Global, the UK’s largest renewable energy company, moving in, wiping large expanses of primary forest.
Conservation photographer and big-tree hunter TJ Watt has been using his camera to document the disappearance of ancient trees in a powerful Before & After series. Watt hopes to draw viewers’ attention to their destruction by highlighting the incredible grandeur of old-growth ecosystems. A Trebek Initiative grantee, Watt often photographs himself beside a tree, using his body to provide a perspective on just how magnificent these ancient giants are. He reshoots the same image after the tree has been logged, a massive stump is all that remains.
“I’m trying to remind people that unless we speak up and advocate for the permanent protection of endangered old-growth forests, which will happen through conservation financing for First Nations to support sustainable economic development in those communities while also offsetting lost logging revenues when old-growth is deferred and protected, then we will continue losing ancient ecosystems that are second in grandeur only to the redwoods of California,” says Watt. “These trees take many centuries or even 1,000 years to grow, and nobody’s waiting around for them to come back again.”
Deep in the forest, there is no cell reception, designated trail or signage indicating you are on the right path. In the middle of the woods, everything is up to instinct and the natural inclination that something larger than life is just around the corner. When it comes to big-tree tracking, hunters have an inherent desire to be in the presence of something giant.
They feel an emotional connection to each ancient tree. For them, being with such a tree is akin to visiting a relic like Stonehenge or the Parthenon. This spiritual relationship often drives hunters to risk their lives to locate these giants in some of the last untouched* areas of the planet.
It’s late June 2022 in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, BC, and two friends are about to make the discovery of a lifetime. Both experienced outdoorsmen, Ian Thomas and Colin Spratt have been big-tree hunters for about three years. “Nature is where I feel at peace,” says Spratt. “It’s my therapy.”
On this midsummer day, they hike into the Lynn Valley under a blanket of fog. Moving at a snail’s pace, the two tree-hunters clamber over logs and under branches, driven by the thought of “What if?”
After about 10 hours of bushwhacking, they find it — the North Shore Giant.
Ian Thomas beside the North Shore Giant. (Photo: Colin Spratt)
“Oh my god, this is the biggest tree I have ever found!” says Thomas. Spratt is frozen, unable to believe his eyes as he watches Thomas approach the tree, seeming to shrink as his body is dwarfed by the enormous tree. Named by Spratt and Thomas, the North Shore Giant is thought to be about 2,000 years old and is estimated at 5.8 metres in diameter, making it Canada’s fourth-widest tree. For Spratt, big-tree hunting is not just a Guinness Book of World Records pursuit; it is a way to experience the last untouched areas of the planet while making the point that if these areas are not protected, thousands of years of biodiversity, ecology and significant ecosystems will be lost.
Hundreds of massive logs continue to be hauled out of BC’s forests. A 2019 report from the Sierra Club of BC found that 3.6 million hectares of forest was clear-cut between 2005 and 2017, a combined area larger than Vancouver Island. Once cut, these areas become “sequestration dead zones” that release more carbon than they absorb.
A forest technologist with British Columbia Timber Sales, Greg Herringer is a knowledgeable big-tree hunter who helps to manage a legacy big-tree program that reserves large trees in the area he supervises. Herringer’s job requires him to target the best places for harvesting. “I walk a tightrope,” he says. “I am conflicted most of the time between satisfying the needs of what British Columbia Timber Sales is mandated to do and my ethics and moral values.”
Herringer explains that his supervisors view him as a “pain in the ass” because his job is to advocate for reserving trees in certain areas. He often explores with fellow big-tree hunters, as well as experienced outdoors people like Mick Bailey.
For more than 40 years, Bailey has searched the forests for big trees and documented his experiences on his blog, BCtreehunter. He wants more people to be aware of the consequences of cutting down these giants. As a mentor to younger big-tree hunters, he hopes their use of social-media platforms like Instagram will allow them to connect with like-minded individuals and reach a wider audience of concerned people. He often gets together with other tree hunters to venture into the woods. “We call ourselves the ‘tree crew,’” says Lewis. “I enjoy tree tracking a lot more now. Going out with a group is way more fun.”
By going in and ground truthing areas of BC far from the public eye, big-tree hunters show communities what is still standing and what needs to be saved. “By getting out in the forest, by being the sort of boots on the ground, finding these incredibly rare ancient trees, we’re able to effectively advocate for their protection,” says Thomas.
“It’s up to us to ensure these trees are protected, and I encourage people to safely get out there and explore the landscapes themselves,” says Watt. “Reconnect with nature and see what you might find.”
*Although old-growth forests may have been “untouched” by logging, they were used by First Nations peoples for millennia and often still bear the markings of cultural use, be that bark stripping on trees, test holes, or even old canoes in the forest.
See the original article with more photos here.
See VIDEO of Canada’s Most Impressive Tree!
/in VideoThis is huge — literally! We’re thrilled to share a video of what may very well be Canada’s most impressive tree. This gargantuan redcedar measures over 17 ft (5 m) wide near its base and 151 ft (46 m) tall. However, unlike most other trees, its trunk gets wider going upwards, culminating in a sprawling fortress-like crown of wooden spires akin to a massive wooden wall of an ancient castle.
This giant could possibly have the largest or near largest timber volume of any tree in Canada for about the first 50 feet of its trunk — the part you see and experience from the ground. This would make it, experientially, perhaps the most impressive tree in Canada, despite other cedars being taller or ranking higher overall.
It grows in a remote region of Flores Island in Ahousaht territory in Clayoquot Sound, BC, and has so far garnered the nickname ‘The Wall’, or ‘ʔiiḥaq ḥumiis’, meaning ‘big redcedar’ in the Nuu-chah-nulth language. The exact location has been asked to be kept private at this time.
AFA Photographer & Campaigner TJ Watt first located and photographed the tree in 2022 with his friend Nathaniel Glickman before returning in the spring of 2023 with Tyson Atleo, Hereditary Representative of the Ahousaht Nation and the Natural Climate Solutions Program Director of Nature United, and members of the Maaqutusiis Hahoutlhee Stewardship Society (MHSS).
Thankfully, the incredible Land Use Vision from the Ahousaht Nation, currently in the late stages of negotiations with the BC government, calls for the protection of 80% of Ahousaht territory, including the ancient forest where this tree is found. This would happen through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) to be legislated as Provincial Conservancies by the province.
The BC government must fully fund and support Indigenous-led protection of old-growth across BC, including in the remaining monumental old-growth stands and those identified as most at risk by the province’s science panel, the Technical Advisory Panel.
AFA commends the Ahousaht Nation for continuing to be such incredible stewards of their lands, which thankfully still harbour some of the most magnificent ancient forests, trees, and wildlife on Earth.
When visiting Ahousaht territory, visitors are encouraged to participate in their voluntary Stewardship Fee. Revenues from the Stewardship Fee directly fund the MHSS Stewardship Guardian Program which works on restoration, monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, and visitor engagement for the Ahousaht. Stewardship Fees can be paid online or at their office at 9-368 Main Street in Tofino. Also be sure to check out Ahous Adventures.
Thank you to the Trebek Initiative for helping make this expedition work possible.
▶️ Read our full media release here!
? Take a look at our photo gallery here!
? And don’t forget to SPEAK UP! Send-a-Message calling on the province to commit funding and set ecosystem-based targets for protecting the last monumental old-growth forests across BC.
Canada’s Most Impressive Tree Located by Conservationists in Clayoquot Sound, BC
/in Media ReleaseFor Immediate Release
July 26, 2023
Conservationists on Vancouver Island with the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) have identified what may very well be Canada’s most impressive tree in a remote location in Ahousaht First Nation territory near Tofino in Clayoquot Sound. While the gargantuan ancient western redcedar tree, located by AFA Photographer and Campaigner TJ Watt on Flores Island, measures over 17 feet (5 metres) wide near its base, its trunk gets even wider going upwards over dozens of meters — as opposed to tapering like virtually all other trees. The widening trunk eventually becomes a sprawling, fortress-like crown of wooden spires, creating a most impressive spectacle akin to a massive wooden wall of an ancient castle. The tree stands 151 feet (46 metres) tall and is almost certainly well over a thousand years old given its size.
See incredible video footage here.
See the full photo gallery here.
This giant could very well have the largest or near largest wood volume of any tree in Canada for about the first 50 feet of its trunk – the part you see and experience from the ground (since humans don’t fly or swing through the canopies at the tops of trees). This means that, experientially, it’s perhaps the most impressive tree in Canada, despite other cedars being taller or ranking higher based on the American Forestry Association points system (based on a tree’s height, diameter at breast height at 1.37 meters, and crown spread).
Ancient Forest Alliance photographer TJ Watt beside the gargantuan redcedar on the day he first came across it.
“After nearly two decades of photographing, exploring, and searching for big trees in old-growth forests across BC, no tree has blown me away more than this one,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance Photographer & Campaigner TJ Watt, who first located and photographed the tree while exploring with his friend Nathaniel Glickman. “It’s a literal wall of wood. Your brain can’t compute the scale when you stand below it. The first time I arrived, from a distance I thought it had to be two trees because of how wide the trunk and limbs are. It defies words. As an avid big tree hunter, it’s a highlight of my life to find something as spectacular as this.”
The record-sized tree has so far garnered the nickname ‘The Wall’, or ‘ʔiiḥaq ḥumiis’, meaning ‘big redcedar’ in the Nuu-chah-nulth language. It grows on unprotected Crown/public lands in the unceded territory of the Ahousaht First Nation, who have asked to keep the exact location of the tree private at this time. No logging plans exist for the area and thankfully, the Ahousaht First Nation’s Land Use Vision, currently in the late stages of negotiations with the BC government, includes the protection of the forest where this tree is found. Their Land Use Vision calls for the protection of 80% of Ahousaht territory through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), encompassing most of the old-growth forests in their territory, to be legislated as Provincial Conservancies by the province. Watt re-visited the giant tree in spring with members of the Ahousaht Nation and Stewardship Guardian Program, the Maaqutusiis Hahoutlhee Stewardship Society (MHSS).
“Old-growth forests with their monumental redcedar trees have been of great cultural importance for the Ahousaht Nation since time immemorial,” stated Tyson Atleo, a Hereditary Representative of the Ahousaht Nation and the Natural Climate Solutions Program Director of Nature United. “A tree as large and ancient as this supports an incredible web of life both above and below ground while also storing huge amounts of carbon. Large, intact old-growth ecosystems are critical in combating the global biodiversity and climate crisis, and the Ahousaht Nation’s Land Use Vision will ensure they remain standing for generations to come.”
According to the BC Big Tree Registry, the tree would currently rank as the 6th largest known redcedar in the country. That it doesn’t rank at the top is in large part due to the limitations in how a tree’s overall score is calculated using a formula that factors in the diameter at breast height (1.37 meters from the ground), height, and average crown spread. This method is fairly effective for depicting the size of trees that have a typical cone shape. However, since this tree gets wider as it goes up, it harbours an incredible volume of wood that’s difficult to calculate. If one was able to factor in the tree’s full scale, it would likely rank right near the top of the list.
“Having visited most of the top 10 old-growth redcedar trees on record in Canada, including the Cheewhat Giant near Nitinat Lake that currently ranks as the largest cedar on Earth, to me, this one still feels the most impressive in person,” adds Watt. “That this unique tree is not the grandest tree in Canada is largely an artifact of the methodology used to measure trees under the points system of the American Forestry Association. Its towering presence is all-encompassing. Of the few people who’ve come to see it with me since, more than one thought that they were approaching not a tree but a rock wall. It goes to show that some of the most spectacular living organisms on all of Planet Earth grow right here in BC, and the provincial government should be fully funding and supporting the Indigenous-led protection of old-growth forests, including the remaining monumental old-growth stands.”
Ancient Forest Alliance photographer TJ Watt and Ahousaht Hereditary Representative Tyson Atleo stand beside an ancient western redcedar tree thought to be the most impressive tree in Canada.
The BC government is currently developing a number of different policies and initiatives that have the potential to vastly expand the protection of old-growth forests across BC if done right, including creating a new conservation financing fund by early fall to help protect old-growth forests through the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). This funding, if directed wisely, will help to supplant the lost revenues and jobs for First Nations communities from forgoing old-growth logging opportunities through the creation of economic alternatives such as eco-tourism, sustainable aquaculture, non-timber forest products, renewable energy, and sustainable, value-added second-growth forestry. It should also provide the funding needed by First Nations for guardian and stewardship programs.
Conservation financing has already played a pivotal role in helping the Ahousaht Nation propose protection for the majority of the old-growth in their territory while supporting the creation of new sustainable business opportunities such as Ahous Adventures, an Ahousaht-owned and operated eco-cultural tour company in Tofino.
Tyson Atleo, Ahousaht Nation.
“We encourage those who are interested in learning more about Ahousaht culture and viewing the incredible natural beauty found in our territory to take a trip with Ahous Adventures next time they’re in Tofino,” notes Atleo. “Supporting conservation-based economies is integral to protecting old-growth ecosystems while still providing good jobs for members of our community that connect them with the land. We hope our story can be an example for other Indigenous communities who might be considering how to leave old-growth forests standing while building a more prosperous, sustainable economy.”
When visiting Ahousaht territory, visitors are encouraged to participate in their voluntary Stewardship Fee. Revenues from the Stewardship Fee directly fund the MHSS Stewardship Guardian Program which works on restoration, monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, and visitor engagement for the Ahousaht. Stewardship Fees can be paid online or at their office at 9-368 Main Street in Tofino.
“I extend my gratitude to the Ahousaht Nation for continuing to be amazing stewards of their lands in Clayoquot Sound, which harbour some of the most magnificent ancient forests, trees, and wildlife on Earth,” notes Watt. “Across BC, over a century of industrial logging has vastly decimated the productive old-growth forests with the giants like this one. Only a tiny, tiny fraction of the grandest temperate rainforest stands remain today. The BC government has a chance and an obligation to support First Nations communities to both protect these ecosystems while funding sustainable economic development alternatives. Creating conservation economies that allow new, sustainable jobs and businesses to flourish while preserving imperiled ecosystems is a win-win for humans and nature.”
The photos and exploration for this project were made possible in part by support from the Trebek Initiative, a grantmaking partnership between the National Geographic Society and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society that supports emerging Canadian explorers, scientists, photographers, geographers, and educators with a goal of using storytelling to ignite “a passion to preserve” in all Canadians. Watt was among the first round of grant recipients in 2021 and was named a National Geographic Explorer and Royal Canadian Geographical Society Explorer.
Aerial view over the ancient forests of Flores Island in Ahousaht territory in Clayoqout Sound, BC.
Background Info on Endangered Old-Growth Forests in BC
Old-growth forests have unique characteristics not found in the ensuing second-growth tree plantations that they are being replaced with and which are re-logged every 50 to 60 years on BC’s coast – never to become old-growth again. Old-growth forests are vital to support endangered species, the multi-billion dollar tourism industry, carbon storage, clean water, wild salmon, and First Nations cultures. Well over 90% of the high-productivity old-growth forests with the biggest trees and over 80% of the medium-productivity old-growth forests have been logged in BC.
Banana Slugs
/in Creature Feature, EducationalBC’s coastal rainforests are famously home to giant organisms. But beyond the big trees, these forests also produce giant slugs! The banana slug is the second largest slug on earth, being able to reach 9 inches (23 cm) in length. These charismatic, often bright yellow creatures are signature members of the rainforest community.
Banana slugs are enthusiastic omnivores that feed on plants, detritus, and carrion, but they seem to have a special fondness for mushrooms. Feeding is done through their specialized rasp-like tongue called a radula. This tongue is equipped with over 20,000 ‘teeth’ that the slugs use to shred their food. If mushrooms have nightmares, they’re probably of tooth-studded tongues!
Another secret to the banana slug’s success is its slime, which is hydrophilic and able to absorb 100 times its weight in water, keeping the slug moist. The slime also provides the animal with locomotion, adhesion, and protection.
The slime is neither solid nor liquid, but a strange substance known as a liquid crystal, in which the molecules are fluid but structured. The slime is, paradoxically, both an adhesive (allowing the slug to stick to things) and a lubricant, allowing the slug to slide without resistance. Thanks to slime, a slug can even travel across a razor blade without injury.
Finally, the slime provides protection, as it contains a paralytic toxin. Any human foolish to give a slug a big lick will find their tongue and lips go numb. Clever raccoons will roll the slugs in dirt in order to bind up and remove the slime before these little bandits dine on banana-escargot.
Scouler’s Corydalis
/in EducationalBeautiful and extremely rare in Canada, the Scouler’s corydalis is found only on southwest Vancouver Island around the Nitinat, Carmanah, and Klanawa valleys in Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht territories. With delicate pink-purple flowers and bright feathery leaves that look like stylized green flames when first emerging, this relative of the bleeding-heart flourishes in the rich soils along the banks of the rivers as well as disturbed areas.
Scouler’s corydalis has some interesting strategies for distributing its seeds. When jarred, the elastic seedpods will hurl the seeds up to 2 metres away from the parent. Fascinatingly, the seeds of the corydalis are sheathed in a lipid-rich layer (called an eliaosome) that contain proteins, sugar, and vitamins, which is not believed to be for feeding the baby plant, but for ants!
Ants are thought to harvest these seeds and take them back to their nests, where they strip off the fatty, nutritious coating to feed to their offspring and toss the seed onto their rubbish heap. This nutrient-rich substrate provides the infant seed with ideal growing conditions and the new colony of corydalis gets a headstart in the ant colony’s waste management site. That same seed coating that is so delectable for ants is believed to taste repulsive to deer mice, a handy way to deter these rodents which might otherwise eat the seeds.
Scouler’s corydalis is provincially blue-listed with only 24 known occurrences in Canada. Not only are they rare, they’re also ephemeral, with the plant dying back in the summer after seeding. The beauty of this unusual plant is present for only a few short months in spring, one of the countless wonders of our incredible coastal rainforest. If you see it, savour the experience!
False Hellebore
/in EducationalOne of the most violently poisonous plants of the coastal rainforest is false hellebore (also known as Indian hellebore). This tall but unassuming plant grows in wet areas and is lethal if consumed. Even drinking water from where it grows has been known to cause stomach cramps.
In Chinook jargon, the historical trade language of the west coast, this plant was referred to as ‘skookum’ root, with ‘skookum’ meaning powerful or brave. Despite its toxic nature, this plant has enormous medicinal value for First Nations cultures, though practitioners would have to be extremely careful about consumption — something we do NOT recommend.
Totem Pole Ceremony – Opitsaht, Meares Island
/in Photo GalleryLast summer, members of the House of Ewos from the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation, and many invited guests, raised a totem pole at the ancient village of Opitsaht on Meares Island for the first time since 1993. Prior to colonization, each house in the village, located just across from Tofino, would have had up to four totem poles in front of them. Today, with the addition of this new pole, three now stand in total in the village.
The pole was created by Tla-o-qui-aht master carver Joe Martin and a team of helpers. The top crest is a female thunderbird, representing female ancestry & connection to the supernatural. Eagle down was placed in the talons and could be seen blowing in the breeze.
The totem also bears four ominous skulls representing the multiple pandemics and losses the Nation has faced. These include COVID-19, tuberculosis & smallpox, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, and the Residential School System and the children who never came home from them.
The population of Tla-o-qui-aht Nation was about 10,000 strong when the first Europeans arrived. In the year 1900, there were only 122 survivors. Without their consent, colonial governments used this to take control of the wealth of natural resources on their unceded territory.
Today, the logging industry has destroyed well over 90% of the old-growth forests with the biggest trees in BC and continues to aggressively target old-growth cedar in particular. Without monumental cedars, it’s impossible to make canoes and totem poles, resulting in a loss of Indigenous culture.
Known as the ‘Tree of Life’, there are thousands of ways cedar plays a role in the lives and culture of First Nations people. Trees would never be felled during spring or summer months as great respect was paid to any nesting birds or denning animals in the area.
Ensuring that old-growth forests are protected, while still allowing for select trees to be used for cultural purposes, will help preserve the diversity of life — both human and non-human — that depend on them.
Double your impact when supporting AFA until July 15th!
/in AnnouncementsWe’re grateful to announce that a generous supporter has offered to match donations made to the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) dollar-for-dollar up to $20,000. This means for the next month when you donate to the AFA, your gift will have DOUBLE the impact!
Match My Gift
Together, we have the opportunity to raise $40,000+ toward the protection of endangered ancient forests in BC. This support will allow us to continue our most important work at this critical time, including activities such as:
We’re at a pivotal point in the decades-long push to protect old-growth forests in BC. What happens in the next few years — even months — will determine the fate of these irreplaceable forests for generations to come.
That is why now is the most critical time to support our organization since our inception 13 years ago.
As a direct result of our advocacy and your support, the BC government has made a number of recent commitments toward increased old-growth conservation.
These include commitments to double the total protected area in BC from 15% to 30% by 2030 (much of which will happen sooner); creating a conservation financing mechanism that will support the protection of old-growth forests through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs); and developing a BC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework that should prioritize biodiversity and ecosystems in forestry and land-use decisions.
So far, however, there are still major provincial conservation funding gaps for both the short- and long-term protection of old-growth forests, and a lack of ecosystem-based targets set by science and informed by Traditional Knowledge Holders that prioritize the most at-risk areas for protection — critical components that AFA continues to push for every day.
Your donations keep the engine of old-growth protection running. Consider monthly giving as an even greater way to make an impact. Consistent, reliable support provides us with stable funding — allowing us to plan ahead and take on new projects that help advance the old-growth campaign.
Any new or increased monthly gifts during this time will be matched. If monthly donations aren’t financially feasible at the moment, we encourage you to give a one-time gift — any amount helps ensure the forests are left standing!
Progress is happening because we continue to fight for it. Please help us keep the momentum going.
Ways to Donate:
Thank you for your support!
Massive Thanks to our Incredible Business Supporters!
/in Thank YouWe would like to extend a huge thank you to the business community for generously supporting the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) and the old-growth campaign.
Thank you to:
Wildcoast Perfumery, who donated a portion of its proceeds to our work.
Barbara Brown Art, who is donating 5% of proceeds from the sales of her art.
Zula Jewelry, who are donating $1 from every cedar piece of jewelry to the campaign.
And Elastic Email, Seaflora Skincare, and Corvidae Environmental Consulting, who have all been monthly donors since 2016, 2020, and 2022 respectively!
Your continued support makes our important work possible and we’re extremely grateful!
Recent Updates on Old-Growth Deferrals in BC
/in News CoverageGreat news — thanks to the leadership of the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, and Huu-ay-aht First Nations, the logging deferral in the Central Walbran valley was extended last year until March 2024 and the deferral at Fairy Creek (excluding the surrounding watersheds) has now been extended as well until February 2025.
Logging deferrals are interim protection measures that safeguard old-growth forests in the short-term, while long-term land-use plans (which may include new protected areas) are developed by First Nations.
When seeking to understand how old-growth forests can ultimately be protected, it’s vital to note that the BC government cannot just “save the old growth” by unilaterally creating new legislated protected areas, as First Nations support is a legal necessity, and First Nations consent for logging deferrals is an important precursor to building the trust for potential future protected areas.
However, the BC government can and should be advocates for old-growth protection after its failed policies have led to today’s ecological emergency. The province must also use its vast resources (much of which came from the exploitation of old-growth forests) to ensure that First Nations have an equitable choice when being asked whether they want to defer or protect old-growth on their unceded territories.
The government must do this by supporting First Nations with funding for sustainable economic alternatives to their logging jobs and revenues, due to many (even most) nations in BC relying heavily on the old-growth logging industry — an economic dependency fostered by successive BC governments.
Across BC, over a million hectares of at-risk old-growth forests are now under temporary deferral, but millions more have no protection at all. What’s needed now from the province — beyond major conservation financing funds — are ecosystem-based targets set by science and informed by Traditional Ecological Knowledge that prioritize the most at-risk ecosystems (such as those with big trees vs. stunted subalpine and bog forests) for protection.
Send a message to the BC government calling for funding.
Read about the newest Fairy Creek deferrals here.
CanGeo: “Big tree hunters: saving the last untouched* areas of the planet”
/in News CoverageMay 26, 2023
Canadian Geographic
By Madigan Cotterill
How a niche British Columbia-based community is working to bring attention to the importance of old-growth forests
Amanda Lewis stands completely alone on the edge of British Columbia’s Stewart-Cassiar Highway, contemplating her next step as she confronts a wall of dense, dark trees. Will she venture into the woods unaccompanied, potentially risking her life to reach her destination? Or will she decide to wait for the company of others, knowing there is safety in numbers?
It’s a cloudy summer day, and Lewis is searching for one of Canada’s largest trees, a subalpine fir initially located in 1987. It is already late in the day, and it would take Lewis at least 30 minutes of trekking through the bush to reach the tree. An occasional car passes her on the highway — the only sign of human life as she debates her next move.
If she runs into trouble deep in the forest, Lewis knows that finding her would be difficult as no marked path leads to her destination. “Am I overthinking,” she asks herself. “Should I just zip in and get to this tree?”
She texts her sister, an archeologist with experience in the forest, who points out the danger of going in alone. She makes the tough decision to wait until she is in the company of others before embarking on her quest.
Lewis, who has been a big-tree hunter since 2018, has been on a mission to visit each of the 43 champion trees in the BC Big Tree registry and chronicle that journey through her memoir, Tracking Giants. Like many big-tree hunters, Lewis’ passion for the environment continues to bring her back to the forest where ancient trees have stood for hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of years. But as each day passes, more ancient trees in BC disappear, felled by logging.
Old-growth forests have significant ecological value and play a key role in climate resilience and biodiversity. They are home to many animals, including grizzly bears, black bears, coastal wolves and black-tailed deer, which all rely on these ancient forests for survival. Old-growth forests contain about 90 per cent more shrubs and forbs than second-growth environments, resulting in a complex heterogeneous canopy with light pouring into the understudy. Great reservoirs of biodiversity, old-growth forests also boast an unparalleled ability to keep carbon out of the atmosphere. Yet, with each passing day, these ancient ecosystems continue to vanish, felled by intense logging.
An interactive map released by Conservation North, a science-based conservation organization, shows how much of BC’s last primary forests have been disturbed. A sea of red makes it obvious just how much of the province’s forests have been disturbed. According to the province, BC has about 11.1 million hectares of old-growth forest, 10 million of which are protected or not economical to harvest. However, despite the government’s promise to maintain these forests, logging continues apace, with companies such as Drax Global, the UK’s largest renewable energy company, moving in, wiping large expanses of primary forest.
Conservation photographer and big-tree hunter TJ Watt has been using his camera to document the disappearance of ancient trees in a powerful Before & After series. Watt hopes to draw viewers’ attention to their destruction by highlighting the incredible grandeur of old-growth ecosystems. A Trebek Initiative grantee, Watt often photographs himself beside a tree, using his body to provide a perspective on just how magnificent these ancient giants are. He reshoots the same image after the tree has been logged, a massive stump is all that remains.
“I’m trying to remind people that unless we speak up and advocate for the permanent protection of endangered old-growth forests, which will happen through conservation financing for First Nations to support sustainable economic development in those communities while also offsetting lost logging revenues when old-growth is deferred and protected, then we will continue losing ancient ecosystems that are second in grandeur only to the redwoods of California,” says Watt. “These trees take many centuries or even 1,000 years to grow, and nobody’s waiting around for them to come back again.”
Deep in the forest, there is no cell reception, designated trail or signage indicating you are on the right path. In the middle of the woods, everything is up to instinct and the natural inclination that something larger than life is just around the corner. When it comes to big-tree tracking, hunters have an inherent desire to be in the presence of something giant.
They feel an emotional connection to each ancient tree. For them, being with such a tree is akin to visiting a relic like Stonehenge or the Parthenon. This spiritual relationship often drives hunters to risk their lives to locate these giants in some of the last untouched* areas of the planet.
It’s late June 2022 in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, BC, and two friends are about to make the discovery of a lifetime. Both experienced outdoorsmen, Ian Thomas and Colin Spratt have been big-tree hunters for about three years. “Nature is where I feel at peace,” says Spratt. “It’s my therapy.”
On this midsummer day, they hike into the Lynn Valley under a blanket of fog. Moving at a snail’s pace, the two tree-hunters clamber over logs and under branches, driven by the thought of “What if?”
After about 10 hours of bushwhacking, they find it — the North Shore Giant.
Ian Thomas beside the North Shore Giant. (Photo: Colin Spratt)
“Oh my god, this is the biggest tree I have ever found!” says Thomas. Spratt is frozen, unable to believe his eyes as he watches Thomas approach the tree, seeming to shrink as his body is dwarfed by the enormous tree. Named by Spratt and Thomas, the North Shore Giant is thought to be about 2,000 years old and is estimated at 5.8 metres in diameter, making it Canada’s fourth-widest tree. For Spratt, big-tree hunting is not just a Guinness Book of World Records pursuit; it is a way to experience the last untouched areas of the planet while making the point that if these areas are not protected, thousands of years of biodiversity, ecology and significant ecosystems will be lost.
Hundreds of massive logs continue to be hauled out of BC’s forests. A 2019 report from the Sierra Club of BC found that 3.6 million hectares of forest was clear-cut between 2005 and 2017, a combined area larger than Vancouver Island. Once cut, these areas become “sequestration dead zones” that release more carbon than they absorb.
A forest technologist with British Columbia Timber Sales, Greg Herringer is a knowledgeable big-tree hunter who helps to manage a legacy big-tree program that reserves large trees in the area he supervises. Herringer’s job requires him to target the best places for harvesting. “I walk a tightrope,” he says. “I am conflicted most of the time between satisfying the needs of what British Columbia Timber Sales is mandated to do and my ethics and moral values.”
Herringer explains that his supervisors view him as a “pain in the ass” because his job is to advocate for reserving trees in certain areas. He often explores with fellow big-tree hunters, as well as experienced outdoors people like Mick Bailey.
For more than 40 years, Bailey has searched the forests for big trees and documented his experiences on his blog, BCtreehunter. He wants more people to be aware of the consequences of cutting down these giants. As a mentor to younger big-tree hunters, he hopes their use of social-media platforms like Instagram will allow them to connect with like-minded individuals and reach a wider audience of concerned people. He often gets together with other tree hunters to venture into the woods. “We call ourselves the ‘tree crew,’” says Lewis. “I enjoy tree tracking a lot more now. Going out with a group is way more fun.”
By going in and ground truthing areas of BC far from the public eye, big-tree hunters show communities what is still standing and what needs to be saved. “By getting out in the forest, by being the sort of boots on the ground, finding these incredibly rare ancient trees, we’re able to effectively advocate for their protection,” says Thomas.
“It’s up to us to ensure these trees are protected, and I encourage people to safely get out there and explore the landscapes themselves,” says Watt. “Reconnect with nature and see what you might find.”
*Although old-growth forests may have been “untouched” by logging, they were used by First Nations peoples for millennia and often still bear the markings of cultural use, be that bark stripping on trees, test holes, or even old canoes in the forest.
See the original article with more photos here.