Announcements

International winner Liz Welliver, whose article “Making a Stand for Avatar” captures the attempts to preserve a newfound swath of ancient old growth forests in BC, was among three youth to take home a prize in the Canadian leg of the competition.

The undiscovered species was found in B.C. by botanical researcher and taxonomist Trevor Goward, and has been supported by two teams of molecular researchers working in Finland and Spain. According to scientific protocol, the right to give a new species its scientific name goes to the person who describes it, but Goward has donated those rights to whoever scores highest bidder. For the TLC, that money will wind up serving a land conservation project in the Clear Water Valley, and the AFA will put it toward old-growth environmental education.

First Nations people of Eastern Vancouver Island will rally tomorrow against the sale of TimberWest due to lack of consultation within their traditional territories.

The tree and a small surrounding stand of trees currently receive "soft" protection through an Old-Growth Management Area, but legislated "hard" protection is needed in the form of a conservancy, park, or ecological reserve that also encompasses a much larger buffer area.

The Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group representing First Nation bands from north of Shawnigan lake to Nanaimo on eastern Vancouver Island is opposing the sale of TimberWest to two pension funds because of a lack of consultation and accommodation of First Nations rights and title interests in the transaction.

Wildlife biologist Nigel Jackett, and environmentalist-musician Jaime Hall have begun a cross Canada bicycle expedition to raise awareness for one of Canada’s most unique but threatened environments: the Pacific temperate rainforest of coastal British Columbia. The two will be raising funds for the Ancient Forest Alliance based on the total number of bird species found during their ride. Make a PLEDGE TODAY!

Join in on a grassroots community gathering to celebrate the legacy of BC's endangered ancient forests and to voice support for their protection. Featuring forest trivia, letter-writing, and a slideshow of images of BC's ancient temperate rainforests!

A recent Forest Practices Board report notes that just one per cent of the Gordon Valley landscape unit consists of protected monumental trees over 400 years old. In addition, only about one-fourth or 4,000 hectares of the Gordon River’s 17,000 hectares is still old-growth, of which only half or 2,000 hectares are protected in Old-Growth Management Areas (OGMA’s).

Learn about the ecology of the region’s globally significant ancient rainforests, and how industrial activity threatens this UNESCO Biosphere reserve.