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Avatar Grove Boardwalk Now Completed and Open

Aug 10 2017/in News Coverage

After 4 years of work involving hundreds of volunteers, Avatar Grove now has a kilometre-long trail and boardwalk that includes extensive stairs, steps, walkways, bridges, and viewing platforms.

In 2013, the Ancient Forest Alliance began constructing the boardwalk on both sides of the Gordon River Main logging road in the Upper and Lower Avatar Groves.

Now it's open the Ancient Forest Alliance's Ken Wu says it's been great for eco-tourism. “That is a message for other rural communities to stand up for the ancient forest in your area. Maybe take a page out of Costa Rica's book and take a step towards a sustainable economy and instead log second growth forest sustainably instead of logging the last of our ancient forests as well.”

The Grove is located on the Gordon River Main logging road, about 20 minutes from Port Renfrew.

It is home to one of the most spectacular and easily accessible stands of monumental old-growth trees in BC and has become among BC's most popular old-growth forest tourism destinations, bolstering and transforming the economy of the local region and allowing Port Renfrew to rebrand itself as the “Tall Trees Capital of Canada”.

CFAX article: https://www.iheartradio.ca/cfax-1070/news/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open-1.3063436

New pathway for ancient forest

Aug 10 2017/in News Coverage

Volunteers have put the finishing touches on one of the region’s newest big-tree destinations.

The boardwalk and trail at Avatar Grove, an old-growth forest 20 minutes from Port Renfrew, is complete after four years of work.

“If you were to arrive at Avatar Grove, you’ll find a one-kilometre trail with hundreds of metres of high-quality boardwalk that takes you through one of the most spectacular ancient forests in the country,” said TJ Watt, Avatar Grove boardwalk co-ordinator with the Ancient Forest Alliance.

The boardwalk protects the tree roots and vegetation from excessive trampling and provides safe public access to the forest, he said. “It allows people to spend more time looking at the trees and less time looking at their feet.”

Avatar Grove, also known as T’l’oqwxwat, received provincial protection in 2012 after a campaign led by the Ancient Forest Alliance and the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce. Port Renfrew has branded itself the Tall Tree Capital of Canada, as part of its economic shift toward tourism and away from logging.

The area includes Big Lonely Doug, an old-growth tree believed to be the second-largest Douglas fir in Canada and stands in the middle of a clearcut. On the road toward Port Renfrew is another old-growth forest that the Ancient Forest Alliance is tentatively calling Jurassic Park, another area it hopes will be protected.

Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance, said about 300 tourists visit Avatar Grove on a summer weekend afternoon. “Avatar Grove has shown that saving ancient forests benefits the local economy — businesses and jobs. And it’s changed the whole narrative from the previous way of thinking, which was that saving ancient forests would undermine rural economies,” Wu said.

The project was supported by the Pacheedaht First Nation, the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce and a team of volunteers at the Ancient Forest Alliance.

Strong winds that knocked down several trees in October 2016 delayed the boardwalk completion.

See article here: www.timescolonist.com/news/local/new-pathway-for-ancient-forest-1.21785180

Ancient forest hot spot: Port Renfrew’s Avatar Grove now accessible to public

Aug 10 2017/in News Coverage

See this link for CHEK News Video coverage: www.cheknews.ca/ancient-forest-hot-spot-port-renfrews-avator-grove-now-accessible-public-355742/

They are some of the most magnificent trees on Vancouver Island or even the world.

“You're going to see some of the grandest forest left not only in Canada but on planet Earth. To have these 14-15 foot wide trees here is a very rare thing, these trees can be 1,000 years old,” said Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance.

Once a little-known area, the 50-hectare forest outside of Port Renfrew is now easily accessible, after a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday officially opened “Avatar Grove” to the public.

Work on the boardwalk project started four years ago, after the Ancient Forest Alliance fought and won a battle to have the area protected.

It took hundreds of volunteers endless hours to transform the rugged terrain.

“It obviously involved tremendous effort carrying the heavy boardwalk planks and buckets of gravel to top of the hill to build these,” said TJ Watt, boardwalk co-ordinator with the Ancient Forest Alliance.

One of the main goals was to protect the sensitive ecosystem

“We wanted to first and foremost protect plants and tree roots from all foot traffic going by,” said Watt.

But it was also to make it a tourist draw — and it has worked.

On Thursday, there were dozens of visitors from Victoria, Toronto, and even Germany on the one-kilometre trail.

“I think it's bigger than I pictured it, the big trees and everything's so green,” said Tim Schumaker, a tourist from Germany.

Visitors included several families with young children, who said they found the trail, with its new boardwalks, easy to hike.

The popularity of Avatar Grove's ancient trees is providing a major boost to the small community of Port Renfrew.

“That's created a spur, a flurry of economic activity, between new employment, construction, people becoming more interested in Renfrew and making Renfrew a destination,” said Dan Hager, president of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce.

Those who fought to protect Avatar Grove, and it's unique beauty, are hoping it sends a message to the government that protecting old growth forests is more than just an environmental decision.

“People used to think saving old growth forest undermines rural economies, instead it shows the opposite, saving old growth forest actually brings in tremendous amounts of revenues, businesses, and jobs for rural economies,” said Wu.

And now people of all ages, from around the world, will have a chance to see the gentle giants up close.

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