Entries by TJ Watt

Big Trees Weekend in Stanley Park

/in

Vancouver, BC – Journey to the top of some of the biggest trees in Stanley Park during a weekend-long celebration of trees…really BIG trees! Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES), the BC Big Tree Committee and the Vancouver Aquarium host this June 20-21 event which offers unique insiders’ perspectives on these living giants. Catch a bird’s eye view from an arborist’s head cam as he climbs some of the Park’s biggest trees; hear tall tree tales from renowned ecologist and BC Big Tree Committee Chair, Andy MacKinnon; learn secrets of Stanley Park’s famous Hollow Tree, and witness the resiliency of the forest in a tour of the 2006 windstorm-affected areas.

**Details, schedule and registration at: https://stanleyparkecology.ca/education/public-programs/big-trees-weekend/

JUNE 14: Avatar Grove Ancient Forest Walk with Dr. Andy MacKinnon

/in

Date: Sunday, June 14
Time/Location: Meet at 1:00pm at the Coastal Kitchen Café in Port Renfrew, then go in convoy to Avatar Grove. Hike from 2:00-4:00pm
Difficulty: Moderate. *All participants will be required to sign a waiver to join the hike
All dogs must be on a leash
Cost: Sliding scale $20 to $100

Come join Dr. Andy MacKinnon, one of Canada's foremost forest ecologists and co-author of the best-selling 'Plants of Coastal BC,' for an interpretive walk through Avatar Grove. Learn about the plants, fungi, lichens, trees, and ecology of old-growth forests. The AFA's Ken Wu and TJ Watt will also talk about the ecology and status of BC's old-growth forests and the AFA's campaigns to protect these forests. Also see the progress on the Avatar Boardwalk so far and learn about what upgrades and sections need to be finished.  This is a boardwalk fundraiser for the AFA to finish the last sections of boardwalk in the Avatar Grove – thank you for your generosity!

JUNE 11: Goldstream Ancient Forest Walk with Dr. Andy MacKinnon

/in

Date: Thursday, June 11
Time: 7:00-8:30pm 
Location: Goldstream Provincial Park ~ Meet at the first (main) parking lot off of Highway 1
Difficulty: Easy walk
All dogs must be on a leash
**By donation**
All participants will be required to sign a waiver to join the hike

Join renowned forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon, co-author of the best-selling 'Plants of Coastal BC,' and the AFA's Ken Wu and TJ Watt, for a nature walk to learn about the plants, trees, lichens, mosses, fungi, ecology, and status of BC's old-growth forests.  Find out what you can do to help the Ancient Forest Alliance protect them!

JUNE 4: Old-Growth, Carbon & Climate – Rainforest Walk

/in

Date: Thursday, June 4
Time: 7:00-8:30pm 
Location: Stanley Park ~ Meet at 7:00pm where the Cathedral Trail meets North Lagoon Drive (see map: https://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/stanley-park/)
Difficulty: Easy walk
Dogs must stay on a leash
By donation. *All participants will be required to sign a waiver to join the hike

Join AFA's co-founder Ken Wu and Sierra Club of BC's forest and climate campaigner Jens Wieting for a rainforest walk in Vancouver's Stanley Park. See some of the largest old-growth trees in BC and learn about the plants and ecology there, as well as about the state of BC's globally endangered coastal temperate rainforest. Jens Wieting will explain the progress in protecting the Great Bear Rainforest and Clayoquot Sound, and the lack of forest stewardship in most of the province. Hear about what we must do to ensure that our forests provide long-term benefits instead of short-term profit and what climate change means for the future of our forests. In particular, learn how our forests have shifted from storing carbon to being a net emitter of carbon into the atmosphere, and find out what we must do to reverse that trend, making our forests a central mechanism in fighting climate change and building a climate-friendly, low carbon future.
 

3 JUIN: Randonnee interpretative sur les forets anciennes en francais (Francophone Ancient Forest Nature Walk)

/in

Mercredi, 3 juin, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Francis King Regional Park ~ Rendez-vous au Centre de la Nature sur Munn Road, Victoria
Randonnée facile
Les chiens doivent être tenus en laisse
Par donation

Joignez-vous à Lysiane Chagnon Fontaine et Ken Wu pour une randonnée interprétative en français afin de visiter la forêt ancienne de sapin de Douglas la plus impressionnante à Victoria! La forêt inclue plusieurs arbres de plus de 10 pieds (3 mètres) de diamètre, ainsi que le plus large cèdre rouge creux dans la région! Apprenez-en plus sur les plantes, la faune et sur l'écologie de cette forêt!

Environmentalists aim to block logging

/in

An environmental group based in Powell River intends to halt logging after releasing its bird nest assessment on Lot 450…. “What it proves conclusively is that there are very high wildlife values there that are threatened by this logging activity and more caution is needed,” said Judy Tyabji Wilson, Pebble in the Pond president. Tyabji Wilson added that on the basis of the report Pebble in the Pond’s board of directors has decided to file an injunction against Island Timberlands. “We will be taking court action against them so that we can at least stop the logging until proper studies are done,” she said. “Time is of the essence.” Island Timberlands began harvesting trees on the company’s private managed forest land in Lot 450 on April 22.

Logging news creates gathering

/in

Over 100 people converged on Base Camp Monday, April 27, for a quickly organized meeting to discuss logging plans within the City of Powell River. With interest generated through Facebook and other social media outlets following a press release by Island Timberlands that was uploaded to the Peak’s website, elected officials, environmentalists and community residents gathered to hear clarification about imminent road-building and harvesting involving Lot 450.