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Seymour Valley Old-Growth Forest Hike

Jul 28 2010/in Announcements

Seymour Valley Old-Growth Forest Hike–Sunday, August 1st!

Join the Ancient Forest Alliance and Ancient Forest Committees to see an amazing stand of old-growth forests (including massive Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, and redcedar), next to the Seymour River in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve!

The trip will be on Sunday August 1st. We will be meeting at JJ Bean (Commercial Drive at E 6th Ave) at 10am and heading up to the Seymour Valley from there (across the Second Narrows bridge, then following the signs for Lillouet Rd., continuing to the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve parking lot and gate). We will be driving 11km up a gravel road that follows the Seymour River up to Squamish Creek, then hiking 5-10 minutes downslope towards the river. The trail into the grove is only somewhat established and is fairly steep in places. As this is old-growth forest, be prepared for unstable ground! Bring good walking shoes, rain gear, food and water (and a camera!). We will plan to eat lunch at the Seymour River and aim to be back before 3pm.

Please RSVP to Michelle Connolly at ancientforestcommittee@gmail.com if you would like to come. We are depending on drivers to make this trip possible, so all those who can offer rides please let us know how many extra passengers you can take! We have a limit of 5 cars to get in to the site, so please reply promptly, as we will determine rides on a first come first serve basis! The latest date to respond will be Wednesday July 28th.

Hope to see you there!

Hannah Carpendale, Michelle Connelly and Tara Sawatsky — Lower Mainland Ancient Forest Alliance

Avatar Grove Hike – Sunday July 25

Jul 22 2010/in Announcements

On Sunday, July 25, join the Ancient Forest Alliance’s forest campaigner + photographer TJ Watt and communications director Brendan Harry to visit the magnificent but endangered “Avatar Grove”. The grove is home to dozens of ancient redcedar trees, many of which are at least 13 feet across, centuries old, and covered in massive alien-shaped burls! Rare old-growth Douglas fir trees, of which 99% of have been logged, are also found in the grove. Avatar Grove is currently flagged for logging despite its potential to become a major tourism destination, the “Cathedral Grove of Port Renfrew”, and important ecological value.

For information about this magnificent but endangered grove, visit: www.ancientforestalliance.org

To see images of the area, visit: https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=480609145246&v=photos#!/group.php?gid=480609145246&v=photos&so=0

!!! To participate, please RSVP by TODAY Thursday, July 22nd to: katrina@15.222.255.145 !!!

We will meet in Port Renfrew at the Coastal Kitchen Cafe at 12:00 noon. The drive from Victoria to Port Renfrew takes approximately 2 hours. We will leave from Port Renfrew for Avatar Grove at 12:30 pm. Avatar Grove is another 15 minutes’ drive from Port Renfrew. Upon arrival, everyone will be able to stay for as long as they choose. Participants must bring their own lunch & snacks, water, rain gear, hiking boots, and wonderful attitude!

Directions and a Google map to the area can be found at: https://ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=68

***NOTE: Gas is not always available in Port Renfrew, so be sure to fill up in Sooke.

***NOTE: Only those with a solid sense of balance and good hiking experience may come on this particular trip. The hike requires bushwhacking through rugged and irregular terrain, climbing over giant logs, and scaling some steep embankments. All participants will be required to sign a waiver form. Vehicles should be in good mechanical order and carrying a spare tire. Four-wheel drive is not necessary as most of the roads are paved.

Google Earth Screen Shot - Vancouver Island

New Images of Massive Trees and Giant Stumps on Google Earth

Jul 18 2010/in Announcements

New Images of Massive Trees and Giant Stumps on Google Earth

Ancient forest campaigner and photographer TJ Watt has been steadily uploading new shots of BC’s biggest trees and most massive stumps to Google Earth, a popular global satellite-imaging program. This allows users around the world to view ancient forest photographs on both Google Earth and Google Maps.

Many of the areas the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) documents on Vancouver Island are quite remote; by tagging photos and providing GPS coordinates on Google Earth, the AFA is able make these magnificent, remote ecosystems accessible to viewers all over the world.

To view TJ’s images, visit the link to the Panoramio galley at: https://www.panoramio.com/user/3576104

To see them mapped visit: https://www.panoramio.com/map/?user=3576104

Keep visiting the image gallery! Great new photos will be added regularly.

Also, for those interested in doing some research of their own, Google Earth is a great way to familiarise yourself with BC’s landscape and to see what is truly happening down BC’s backroads. For a free download of the Google Earth program visit: https://earth.google.com/

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