Entries by TJ Watt

Vancouver Island’s old-growth forest an ‘ecological emergency’: Sierra Club

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Here's a good article by Justine Hunter of the Globe and Mail, with a photo of the Walbran Valley by the AFA's TJ Watt. The article features Jens Wieting of the Sierra Club of BC and Dr. Richard Hebda:
Just one-tenth of Vancouver Island’s most productive old-growth rainforest with the tallest trees remains unlogged, he said, and some of that is currently approved for logging.
The B.C. government states that on Vancouver Island, 46 percent of the forest on Crown land is still covered by old-growth forest, but Mr. Wieting said that figure is inflated because the province includes less productive ecosystems such as bogs or sparsely treed high elevations. What remains, he said, is a patchwork of forests that are too small to ensure biodiversity.
“For Vancouver Island and British Columbia’s south coast, we believe it is urgent to develop a new conservation plan to safeguard the remaining intact areas and to restore older second growth so that we can have some connectivity,” he said in an interview.

ROOT Victoria (April 9-10)

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Saturday & Sunday, April 9-10, 10am-5pm
Goward House, 2495 Arbutus Rd (see MAP)

Join in this weekend gathering of workshops and presentations, organized by Root Victoria, aimed at cultivating a deeper connection to self, nature, and community. Come for numerous presentations and workshops, including a presentation by the AFA’s TJ Watt on Saturday at 10am-10:30am and visit the AFA’s table throughout the weekend. For more details, see www.rootvictoria.com and on Facebook HERE

Admission $10, with 50% of proceeds to support the Ancient Forest Alliance.

VICTORIA: Creatively United for the Planet (April 16 – Sustainability Showcase)

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Saturday, April 16th, 10am-5pm
Royal Bay Secondary School (see MAP)
Admission $10 (16 and under free)
*this is for the festival’s Sustainability Showcase – other festival events on April 15, 22 & 23 – see HERE for details

As we approach Earth Day, come for various booths, displays, and presentations, including a slideshow by the AFA’s Ken Wu and TJ Watt on the status and ecology of BC's old-growth forests, from 2-3 pm on Saturday April 16th, as part of the Creatively United for the Planet festival’s Sustainability Showcase. And visit our table at the showcase (same day & place) from 10am-5pm. Details at: creativelyunited.org

VICTORIA: All Beings Confluence (April 20–28)

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April 20-28 (ongoing)
Cadboro Bay United Church (2625 Arbutus Rd, Victoria – see MAP)
Free/by donation

All Beings Confluence, hosted by the Cadboro Bay United Church in Victoria, is an expanding fabric art installation created by many individuals from multiple communities and local organizations. This project uses community art, collaborative practices and a belief in the creative process to explore the idea that all life is interconnected and each “living being” plays a vital role in sustaining the web of life. The event will also help to raise awareness and support for the Ancient Forest Alliance, the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Society (VIRCS), and The Learning Curve. See details and invite others on Facebook HERE

Council endorses Pop for Parks

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More good news! THANKS to all of you who wrote letters, the Saanich council has voted overwhelmingly (8 to 1) in favour of our resolution asking the province to implement a natural land acquisition fund (using the "pop for parks" mechanism") to purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on private lands in BC, similar to the CRD's land acquisition fund that has been key to protect the Sooke Hills and Potholes, Jordan River, Mount Maxwell, and other key green spaces. Saanich now joins the councils of Victoria and Highlands in passing the resolution.

Also see the AFA and ELC's original media release at: https://ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=950

Ancient Forest with some of the largest cedar trees in B.C. will be class A park

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Great news! The province has established a new 11,900 hectare protected area east of Prince George that includes important tracts of the famous ancient redcedar groves (including around the famous Ancient Forest Trail) in the inland temperate rainforest. Thanks to the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, the Northern Wetbelt Working Group (who have been working for a substantially more extensive, science-based protected areas network in the region to protect more of the inland temperate rainforest) and the province for this important step forward in old-growth forest protection!

Also take note you can still sign-on to the Northern Wetbelt Working Group's letter for expanded protection in the region (if you haven't already) at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16hq-R8ZOylR-wLSz9OjbxRdf4NYHYnG9Uo1Lu12qr0U/viewform

Pops for Parks movement comes to Saanich

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Great news! On Thursday night the vote was unanimous at the Victoria city council's Committee of the Whole on the resolution asking the BC government to implement a Natural Lands Acquisition Fund to purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on private lands! It goes for final approval at next Thursday's council meeting. Thanks to councillors Ben Isitt and Jeremy Loveday for introducing the motion. The Saanich council votes on Monday (today!) on the resolution. To THANK the Victoria city council and to ask the Saanich council at their vote today (Monday) to follow Victoria and Highlands councils positive votes, please go to: https://ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=978

PLEASE WRITE to Victoria City Council and Saanich Council to support resolutions for a BC Natural Lands Acquisition Fund!

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The Victoria City Council will be voting on Thursday and the Saanich Council on Monday on a motion asking the BC government to implement a BC Natural Lands Acquisition Fund (aka Fund for Nature's Future), a proposed, annual provincial fund to purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on private lands. The District of Highlands recently passed the resolution, and now it's time to snowball the support from various municipalities to pressure the provincial government!
Please WRITE an EMAIL to Victoria Council at councillors@victoria.ca or Saanich Council at council@saanich.ca to express your support for this motion! See details HERE!

Old-Growth Momentum Grows as Businesses, City Councils, and Naturalists Speak Up & Renowned Filmmaker Comes to Port Renfrew

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Interest and concern for the fate of Vancouver Island’s endangered old-growth forests is on the rise, as a renowned filmmaker and his crew arrived earlier this week from the US to do a piece about the old-growth forests around Port Renfrew. In addition, a growing and diverse base of businesses, municipal councils, and natural history associations have joined the chorus of concerned citizens calling on the province to protect the endangered old-growth forest in the Central Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island near Port Renfrew.