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Photo of Old-Growth Clearcut on Vancouver Island Takes Top Prize

Feb 4 2011/in News Coverage

A raw and striking image of an old-growth tree stump in a clearcut near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island, BC, recently claimed 1^st place in Outdoor Photography Canada magazine’s “Human Impact” photo contest in its latest fall/winter edition. The photo, taken by Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) photographer TJ Watt in the Gordon River Valley last March, shows a stark, foggy clearcut with a man solemnly poised on a giant stump surrounded by logging slash and a fringe of the former forest in the background. See the winning photo here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/pic.php?pID=12

“As a photographer working for a cause you’re always looking for that elusive shot that truly captures both the emotional and the factual aspects of the issue in one image. It’s difficult to get both together but this picture is quickly proving to have done just that. Of the hundreds of thousands of photos I have taken, as sad as it is, this is the one I am most proud of,” notes Watt.

Photography is a powerful and essential tool for raising environmental awareness and Watt feels its key benefit lies in its ability to bring remote or unseen places to the public’s eye.

“My images focus mainly on the threats to BC’s endangered old-growth forests and often times I am taking photos where less than and a handful of people have stood, if any at all. The rugged rainforests of Vancouver Island go largely unexplored and the clearcuts are very treacherous so it’s really important to be able to share the images from these places that few people see,” says Watt. “If you can’t bring the 4 million people in BC to the woods then you need to bring the woods to them. And now with the power of GPS mapping and Google Earth you can extend that concept to include the entire world.”

Watt and a hiking partner snapped the winning shot after they finished leading a public hike through the nearby endangered Avatar Grove (see Watt’s photo gallery here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/) – a stand of easily accessible, monumental old-growth forest flagged and surveyed for logging that has caught the attention of thousands of British Columbians, elected officials, and media over the past year.

See other photos by TJ Watt of Canada’s largest trees and stumps at: https://ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/

The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC Liberal government to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests, ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills.

You can visit Outdoor Photography Canada magazine’s website here: https://www.outdoorphotographycanada.com/

The stump of a 14ft diameter old-growth redcedar freshly cut in 2010 found along the Gordon River near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.

B.C.’s Best Old-Growth Forest Slideshow Visits Salt Spring

Feb 3 2011/in News Coverage

Ancient Forest Alliance co-founders are bringing spectacular photographs of Canada’s largest trees and their presentation on B.C. ecology and forest politics to the island next week.

Ken Wu and TJ Watt will host an informative and inspiring slideshow at The Fritz cinema on Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Adriane Carr, deputy leader of Canada’s Green Party and former Wilderness Committee Clayoqout Sound campaigner, will also give a talk and host a fundraiser pledge auction to raise campaign funds for the AFA, which has just passed its one-year anniversary.

“Time is running out for our endangered old-growth forests and B.C.’s coastal forestry jobs. Salt Spring Island is famous as a hub of environmental consciousness — it may very well have the highest density of tree-huggers in North America. It’s a key place for us to build support and expand our strong campaign to protect our ancient forests, ensure sustainable second-growth forestry and to ban raw log exports to foreign mills,” states campaign director Wu.

According to the AFA, to date about 75 per cent of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forest has been logged, including 90 per cent of the valley bottoms, while only six per cent of its original, productive old-growth forests are protected in parks.

Meanwhile, thousands of forestry jobs are being lost as millions of cubic metres of raw logs are exported each year to foreign mills.

The AFA plans to take their campaign to a new level in 2011 by:

• Vastly increasing the support base for its campaigns through the “100,000 Strong for Ancient Forests and B.C. Jobs” petition drive and public awareness campaign.

• Increasing cooperation among key allies by meeting and working with First Nations, politicians, businesses, unions, faith groups and many other organizations.

• Guiding monthly public hikes to the spectacular Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew and other endangered ancient forests.

• Continuing to explore and document endangered old-growth forests in B.C. through professional photography and videos.

“How many jurisdictions on Earth have trees with trunks as wide as living rooms and that grow as tall as downtown skyscrapers?” asks Watt.

“We’re so lucky to have such exceptionally magnificent forests here in coastal B.C. I am always excited to share some of the best photographs from Vancouver Island’s most incredible rainforests and hidden wild places.

original article in bclocalnews.com saltspringislanddriftwood

Liberal MP Keith Martin stands on top of a massive

Ancient forest group continues push for old-growth

Feb 1 2011/in News Coverage

In just over a year, the Ancient Forest Alliance has collected almost 7,000 petition signatures, 18,000 supporters and fundraised more than $50,000.

Not bad for an environmental group in it’s infancy, says cofounder Ken Wu.

The non-profit organization founded in January 2010 is working to protect old-growth tree stands through B.C., including some on the West Shore.

“The western communities have some real gems of old growth,” Wu said. “On the Department of National Defence lands in Colwood and Metchosin, you’ve got some of the finest old-growth Douglas fir stands on the planet. It’s a spectacular place.”

AFA members spent the last year hunting the south Island for old-growth stands to document and photograph. It’s trying to put pressure on the B.C. government to protect old-growth stands for future generations.

“I think a lot of people realize this is a spectacular part of the world and the unfortunate thing is that the B.C. Liberal government still contends that old growth forests are not endangered on Vancouver Island, which is nuts … our old growth forests are now in tatters and are now a teeny fraction of what they once were.”

AFA’s discovery of an old-growth stand near Port Renfrew, dubbed Avatar Grove, has some of the largest trees on the Island and in Canada, Wu said. It’s in an area zoned for logging, with rights belonging to Surrey-based Teal Jones Group. The AFA is now offering guided public hikes to the area every month.

“It’ll knock your socks off,” Wu said. “It’s got Canada’s gnarliest tree. This tree’s got a burl that is 12 feet wide — something that can only happen in an old-growth forest.”

Looking forward into 2011, Wu says he’s optimistic about the upcoming leadership races for the B.C. Liberals and B.C. NDP.

“There’s great potential for new progressive environmental policies, but we’ve got to snowball the size of the movement to ensure that happens,” he said.

The AFA is trying to collect 100,000 signatures for a petition calling on the government to protect old-growth forests and forestry jobs.

One of the ways it intends to do that is through a provincewide slideshow tour. The team will be traveling across the province delivering photo presentations about the most endangered old-growth stands, including Avatar Grove, Flores Island and the upper Walbran Valley.

Wu says the AFA already enjoys tremendous support from government representatives regionally, provincially and federally. Mike Hicks, CRD Juan de Fuca regional director; John Horgan, Juan de Fuca NDP MLA; Keith Martin, Liberal MP; the Sooke Tourism Association and the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce are all calling for the protection of Avatar Grove, according to Wu.

“Ultimately, it’s up to the BC government to make a land use order to protect the Avatar Grove and eventually to establish new protective areas too. We need to protect the old-growth across Vancouver Island and throughout much of the province because it’s so endangered now.”

Link to original article no longer available: https://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/goldstreamgazette/news/115027064.html

NOW HIRING: Forest Campaigner

Mar 3 2026

The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) is hiring a passionate Forest Campaigner to join our team and help protect old-growth forests in BC!

Employment

It’s AFA’s 16th Birthday!

Feb 26 2026

On Tuesday, February 24th, we’re celebrating 16 years of working together with you, our community, to ensure the permanent protection of old-growth forests in BC. To mark the date, will you chip in $16 or more to support our work?

Announcements

Budget 2026 Shortchanges Nature Protection and Sustainable Forestry Transition At a Critical Time for British Columbia

Feb 20 2026

BC’s Budget 2026 fails to provide the funding needed to secure lasting protection for endangered ecosystems and at-risk old-growth forests in the province.

Media Release