Andy MacKinnon
Jun 4 2013

The rock star of botanists

ANDY MACKINNON'S flair for blending scientific detail with humour has helped his six co-written books collectively sell more than 500,000 copies. Plants of Coastal British Columbia alone has sold more than 250,000 copies - an astounding number for a book about green shoots in a country where selling 5,000 copies qualifies a book as a bestseller...Ken Wu, executive director of the Ancient Forest Alliance, calls MacKinnon the rock star of B.C. botanists and the most knowledgeable person in the province on old-growth forest ecology.

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AFA's TJ Watt (far left) with volunteers at the first viewing platform they built by Canada’s Gnarliest Tree in the Upper Grove of Avatar Grover in Port Renfrew.
May 29 2013

Avatar Grove now more accessible

Five volunteers with the Ancient Forest Alliance at the first viewing platform they built by Canada’s Gnarliest Tree in the Upper Grove of Avatar Grover in Port Renfrew. There is still more work to be done there but they’re off to a good start.

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May 18 2013

Comment: A new path for B.C.’s last great ancient stands

New maps of the remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island and the southwest mainland highlight the large-scale ecological crisis underway in B.C.’s woods. The ecological footprint from logging millions of hectares of B.C.’s grandest ancient forests — an area bigger than many European nations — is at least on par with any pipeline or fossil-fuel megaproject.

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A map of the remaining productive old-growth forests left on Vancouver Island and the SW Mainland as of 2012.
May 14 2013

Maps show impact of overcutting old-growth forests, conservation groups say

New maps of B.C.’s forests put together by conservation groups using provincial government data show 74 per cent of productive old-growth forests has been logged and much of the remaining old growth is made up of small, stunted trees. On the valley bottoms, where the largest old-growth trees grow, 91 per cent has been logged, leaving only nine per cent of the classic old forest with iconic trees, the maps show.

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The unprotected Castle Giant in the Upper Walbran Valley
May 13 2013

Whoever wins election needs to take early action on environment

No. 4: Bring in legislation to make it illegal to cut any more giant, old-growth trees. The Ancient Forest Alliance alerted the public to plans to log the Avatar Grove, near Port Renfrew, saving it just in time. But the group is now warning the last of B.C.’s ancient trees will soon be lost unless something is done.

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The stump of a 14ft diameter old-growth redcedar freshly cut in 2010 found along the Gordon River near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island.
May 11 2013

Your election, your choice

“In many ecosystems of B.C., old-growth forest is incredibly scarce — 91 per cent of valley bottom ancient forest growth on the southern coast has been logged of the classic monumental trees. Are you willing to commit to fully ending old-growth logging in any regions or ecosystems of B.C.?”

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Forestry workers and the Ancient Forest Alliance
May 9 2013

Union joins environmentalists in call for stricter controls on raw log exports

The volume of raw logs exported from B.C. more than tripled between 2002 and 2012, prompting forestry workers to join with the Ancient Forest Alliance to push for more stringent log-export restrictions. During the last decade, 30,000 forest workers lost their jobs and more than 70 mills shut down, said Arnold Bercov, Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada forestry officer.

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Old-Growth Coastal Douglas Fir forest in Metchosin
May 7 2013

Lawsuit aims to save endangered Douglas fir ecosystems on Vancouver Island

Environmental groups are suing the provincial government in hopes of saving the last remaining pockets of coastal Douglas fir forests on Vancouver Island. The groups are claiming that the province is violating its own laws, which are supposed to protect ecosystems from destruction.

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Ancient Forest Alliance
Apr 30 2013

Editorial: NDP unclear on environment

When provincial NDP leader Adrian Dix announced his party’s green policy last Monday, Ken Wu of the Ancient Forest Alliance was less than impressed: “The NDP’s environment platform is like a blurry moving sasquatch video in regards to potential old-growth forest protections and park creations. You can’t discern if it’s real and significant, or if it’s just Dix in a fake gorilla costume.”

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Canada's Gnarliest Tree found in Avatar Grove
Apr 30 2013

West Jet’s Going Coastal in Avatar Grove

With a name inspired by James Cameron's blockbuster film, Avatar Grove is home to a remarkable stand of photogenic old-growth trees, including "Canada's gnarliest". Download a map at https://ancientforestalliance.org

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