Recent News

TJ stands in the forefront wearing a black hoodie. Behind him stands a number of old-growth cedars and other ancient trees.

A Channel News – Giant Fir Threatened

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PORT RENFREW – Conservationists say the BC government is putting the future of the World’s tallest Douglas fir tree in jeopardy.

The Red Creek Fir Tree towers above a stand of old growth forest about a half hour from Port Renfrew. But the Ancient Forest Alliance says nearby logging could threaten the mighty fir. If the forest around the tree was cut down, the group says the mighty fir tree would be exposed to fierce winds roaring up the valley.

They want the province to consider protecting the red creek fir tree and the surrounding forest by creating an ancient forest reserve.

Rare stand of old-growth trees near Port Renfrew only partly protected says eco-group

Logging is already prohibited in part of a stand of massive old-growth trees near Port Renfrew that the community and environmentalists want protected, but it’s not nearly enough, say members of the Ancient Forest Alliance.

A section of the stand, nicknamed Avatar Grove, is in an old-growth management area, meaning no cutting is allowed, Forests Ministry spokeswoman Vivian Thomas said yesterday.

However, TJ Watt, co-founder of the environmental group, said ministry maps show only a small ribbon along the Gordon River is protected, while most of the biggest trees are marked for cutting.

“The most valuable stands of cedars and firs are outside the old-growth management area,” he said. “The only way that area is going to function as a proper ecosystem is if the whole area is protected. Putting a ribbon down the creek fractures everything.”

The ministry map shows three small sections of old-growth management areas in the immediate vicinity of the stand of huge and twisted trees.

Ken Wu of the alliance said the government should consider expanding the management area, intended to protect biodiversity, to cover the entire stand.

Surrey-based Teal-Jones Group has cutting rights and has marked the area for logging, but did not respond to numerous calls yesterday. Thomas said the company is in the preliminary planning stages, and has not yet submitted a cutting-permit request.

John Cash, president of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, said protecting extraordinary stands of old-growth, such as Avatar Grove, is the best way forward for the struggling community.

A survey five years ago found the biggest tourist draw in Port Renfrew is Botanical Beach and the biggest money draw is fishing — although that industry is having difficulties — but most people also want to see the big trees, Cash said.

“Everyone wants to see the Red Creek Fir and it’s almost inaccessible,” said Cash, who recently put together a big-tree tour map so tourists wouldn’t get lost on the logging roads.

“Every attraction we can bring in is one more day we can keep people here.”

Cathedral Grove draws 1.5 million people a year, but shows only a small sliver of old-growth, while areas near Port Renfrew show the entire natural habitat, Cash said.

The Pacific Marine Circle Route is beginning to bring people into the community of 270 people, he said. “But we have to have something to show people, otherwise we are dying.”

Jessica Hicks, owner of the Coastal Kitchen Cafe, is hoping the grove and other spectacular stands of old-growth will be protected. “The trees are such a draw. People want any excuse to just get out there for the day and seeing the big trees is pretty amazing,” she said.

Nearby Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park is difficult to reach, so a nearby attraction would provide the wow factor, she said. “This could be the future of Port Renfrew.”

British Columbia: Clearcutting the "Avatar Forest"

An exceptionally spectacular and accessible stand of newly discovered old growth redcedars and Douglas firs near Port Renfrew has recently been marked for logging. The unprotected forest on Crown lands about 10 kilometers north of Port Renfrew, nicknamed the “Avatar Grove” after the hit movie for its awe-inspiring beauty and alien-shaped, enormous trees covered in burls, was discovered in early December last year by Vancouver Island photographer and “big tree hunter” TJ Watt and a friend.

In a return visit made last week by Watt and environmentalist Ken Wu, both co-founders of the new Ancient Forest Alliance (www.ancientforestalliance.org), Avatar Grove was found to be marked for logging, with many of its trees spray painted and bearing falling-boundary flagging tape.

“This area is just about the most accessible and finest stand of ancient trees left in a wilderness setting on the South Island,” stated Ken Wu. “All other unprotected old growth stands near Victoria are either on steep, rugged terrain far along bumpy logging roads, or are small isolated stands surrounded by clearcuts and second-growth and near human settlements. This area is a wild region on vast Crown lands, in a complex of perhaps 1500 hectares of old-growth in the Gordon River Valley – only 5 minutes off the paved road, right beside the main logging road, and on relatively flat terrain. This could become a first rate eco-tourism gem if the BC government had the foresight to spare it. We’ll be putting in a formal request that they enact a Land Use Order to protect it quickly before it falls.”

Avatar Grove is in Tree Farm License (TFL) 46. TFL 46 is being logged by Surrey-based Teal Jones and through the BC government’s BC Timber Sales program involving smaller companies. The Grove is home to dozens of some of the South Island’s largest redcedars and Douglas firs, including several trees with trunks that are over 12 feet in diameter. Moreover, several of the cedars have incredible, alien shapes. With giant bulbous burls ballooning out from their trunks, winding, snake-like roots of hemlock trees growing up their sides, and giant limbs draped in mosses and hanging ferns, many of the trees seem to be from the rainforests of the fictional planet of “Pandora” in James Cameron’s hit movie, “Avatar”. Yet despite its magnificence and easy access, the Grove is slated for logging any day now.

Old-growth forests are important for sustaining species at risk, tourism, clean water, and First Nations traditional cultures. Avatar Grove is in close proximity to the Gordon River, home to steelhead and salmon runs, and evidence of cougars and elk were apparent in the Grove.

Based upon an analysis of satellite photographs, about 88% of the original, productive old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island (south of Barkley Sound and Port Alberni) have already been logged, including 95% of the productive old-growth on low, flat terrain. Across the Island as a whole, about 75% of the original productive old-growth forests have been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. Avatar Grove is one of the very few flat, valley-bottom old-growth forests left on the entire South Island.

James Cameron: Fox didn’t want Avatar’s ‘treehugging crap’

Filmmaker James Cameron has spoken before about how his Avatar is a cautionary environmental tale. In a MTV interview this week, he says Fox wanted to remove its “treehugging crap,” but environmentalists now want to create a curriculum based on it.

Cameron says he didn’t initally pitch Avatar, which depicts a world of stunning beauty that’s threatened with destruction, as an ecological warning. So Fox Studio executives were taken aback:

When they read it, they sort of said, ‘Can we take some of this tree-hugging, FernGully crap out of this movie?’ And I said, ‘No, because that’s why I’m making the film.’

Cameron says Avatar doesn’t provide facts about the planet’s future, but its “eye candy” aims to jostle viewers out of their environmental “denial” and motivate them to work for change.

Denial is a metal response based on fear… You have to fight an emotional response with an emotional response….

If you’re tuned in to what’s happening in Avatar, you start to feel a sense of moral outrage when you see the tree fall [destroying the Na’vi’s home], and it’s a compassionate response for these people

Then you feel a sense of uplift at the end as good vanquishes evil. If you put those two things together, it actually creates a ripe emotional matrix for people to want to do something about it.

Cameron says the film’s had quite an impact so far:

We’re getting a tremendous amount of feedback from environmental groups, from people with specific causes,” Cameron said, “whether it’s indigenous people being displaced by companies to do mining or to do oil drilling, or if it’s environmental groups saying, ‘Let’s do some curriculum around Avatar.'”

Environmental group: Protect rare forest giants marked for logging near Port Renfrew

Some of the giants stretch straight to the sky for 80 metres, while others are bulbous and misshapen, the knots and gnarls betraying their age.

The old-growth Douglas firs and red cedars have stood in the valley beside the Gordon River for centuries, but now, in the almost undisturbed grove, the end is spelled out in spray paint and logging tape.

The approximately 10-hectare stand of trees on Crown land, 15 minutes outside Port Renfrew, is marked for logging, although a Forests Ministry spokeswoman says no cutting permit has yet been issued.

If the newly formed environmental group Ancient Forest Alliance has its way, logging plans for the area would be scrapped.

“This area is just about the most accessible and finest stand of ancient trees left in a wilderness setting on the south Island,” said co-founder Ken Wu. “This is potentially a first-rate ecotourism gem and it’s so close to Port Renfrew.”

The stand, nicknamed Avatar Grove after the movie because of the twisted shapes, giant sword ferns and hanging mosses, was located by self-styled big-tree hunter TJ Watt in November. But when he and Wu returned this month, the biggest trees were surrounded by falling-boundary logging tape and marked with blue spray paint.

What make the grove different from other fragments of south Island old growth is the relatively flat terrain, nearby areas of protected old-growth such as the Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park, and its proximity to Port Renfrew, a community attempting to attract eco-tourists.

“All other unprotected old-growth stands near Victoria are either on steep, rugged terrain, far along bumpy logging roads or are small isolated stands surrounded by clearcuts and second-growth and near human settlements,” Wu said. “This is one of the last of the old-growth valley bottoms.”

On Monday, the Ancient Forest Alliance will deliver a letter to Forests Minister Pat Bell asking that the stand be protected immediately by a Land Use Order, similar to the process being used to protect areas of Haida Gwaii and 1,600 hectares of coastal Douglas fir zones on the east side of Vancouver Island.

Watt is desperately hoping the province will step in.

“This is my passion. This is what gets me excited,” he said, staring at the crazily twisted trees. “You can’t help but develop a natural attachment to this area when you see it.”

Getting up close and personal with the Avatar Grove is not a walk in the park. There is no defined trail, massive rotting trees litter the ground and unexpected holes are covered by moss.

But it’s worth it, said Watt, hoisting himself up onto a giant burl.

“It would be a huge tragedy to lose something like this,” he said.

“Tourists come from all over the world to visit the ancient forests of B.C. and Avatar Grove stands out as a first-rate potential destination if the B.C. Liberals don’t let it fall.”

Bell could not be contacted yesterday afternoon and there is uncertainty about which company is planning to log the area.

Surrey-based Teal-Jones Group is cutting in the area and Forests Ministry spokeswoman Vivian Thomas said the Pacheedaht First Nation has a licence to remove wind-throw nearby.

“But we haven’t received a cutting-permit application in that area and you need an approved cutting permit before you can start logging,” she said.

T.J. Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance stands by a stand of old growth forest just outside of Port Renfrew that is designated for logging
Photograph by: Debra Brash, Times Colonist

An exceptionally spectacular and accessible stand of newly located old growth redcedars and Douglas firs near Port Renfrew has recently been marked for logging.

An exceptionally spectacular and accessible stand of newly located old growth redcedars and Douglas-firs near Port Renfrew has recently been marked for logging. The unprotected forest on Crown lands about 10 kilometers north of Port Renfrew, nicknamed the “Avatar Grove” after the hit movie for its awe-inspiring beauty and alien-shaped, enormous trees covered in burls, was located in early December last year by Vancouver Island photographer and “big tree hunter” TJ Watt and a friend. In a return visit made last week by Watt and environmentalist Ken Wu, both co-founders of the new Ancient Forest Alliance (www.ancientforestalliance.org), Avatar Grove was found to be slated for logging, with many of its trees spray painted and bearing falling-boundary flagging tape.

“This area is just about the most accessible and finest stand of ancient trees left in a wilderness setting on the South Island,” stated Ken Wu. “All other unprotected old growth stands near Victoria are either on steep, rugged terrain far along bumpy logging roads, or are small isolated stands surrounded by clearcuts and second-growth and near human settlements. This area is a wild region on vast Crown lands, in a complex of perhaps 1500 hectares of old-growth in the Gordon River Valley – only 5 minutes off the paved road, right beside the main logging road, and on relatively flat terrain. This could become a first rate eco-tourism gem if the BC government had the foresight to spare it. We’ll be putting in a formal request that they enact a Land Use Order to protect it quickly before it falls.”

Avatar Grove is in Tree Farm License (TFL) 46. TLF 46 is being logged by Surrey-based Teal Jones and through the BC government’s BC Timber Sales program involving smaller companies. The Grove is home to dozens of some of the South Island’s largest redcedars and Douglas firs, including several trees with trunks that are over 12 feet in diameter. Moreover, several of the cedars have incredible, alien shapes. With giant bulbous burls ballooning out from their trunks, winding, snake-like roots of hemlock trees growing up their sides, and giant limbs draped in mosses and hanging ferns, many of the trees seem to be from the rainforests of the fictional planet of “Pandora” in James Cameron’s hit movie, “Avatar”. Yet despite its magnificence and easy access, the Grove is slated for logging any day now.

Old-growth forests are important for sustaining species at risk, tourism, clean water, and First Nations traditional cultures. Avatar Grove is in close proximity to the Gordon River, home to steelhead and salmon runs, and evidence of cougars and elk were apparent in the Grove.

Based upon an analysis of satellite photographs, about 88% of the original, productive old-growth forests on southern Vancouver Island (south of Barkley Sound and Port Alberni) have already been logged, including 95% of the productive old-growth on low, flat terrain. Across the Island as a whole, about 75% of the original productive old-growth forests have been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. Avatar Grove is one of the very few flat, valley-bottom old-growth forests left on the entire South Island.

With so little of our ancient forests remaining, the Ancient Forest Alliance is calling on the BC Liberal government to:

Immediately protect the most at-risk old-growth forests – such as those on the South Island where only 12% remains and on eastern Vancouver Island where only 1% remains.
Undertake a Provincial Old-Growth Strategy that will inventory the old-growth forests across the province and protect them where they are scarce through legislated timelines to quickly phase-out old-growth logging in those regions (ie. Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, southern Interior, etc.).
Ensure that second-growth forests are logged at a sustainable rate of cut
End the export of raw logs in order to create guaranteed log supplies for local milling and value-added industries.
Assist in the retooling and development of mills and value-added facilities to handle second-growth logs.
Undertake new land-use planning initiatives based on First Nations land-use plans, ecosystem-based scientific assessments, and climate mitigation strategies involving forest protection.

“Tourists come from all over the world to visit the ancient forests of BC and Avatar Grove stands out as a first rate potential destination if the BC Liberals don’t let it fall. But if the government chooses to allow this rare and impressive area to be logged, they will need to re-write the tourism business plan for the area to say ‘ideal location for world class Provincial Park … in 500 years time’,” stated TJ Watt.

Environmental organization launches VIRY REAL (Vancouver Island Rainforest therapy â€“ Real Earth Appreciation Lessons) for distraught Avatar film-goers

Victoria, Canada – A Canadian environmental organization has established a 3 Step Program designed to cure thousands of movie-goers who complain about sinking into a depression in their drab, Earthly lives after watching scenes of spectacular alien rainforests and wildlife in James Cameron’s hugely popular film, “Avatar” (see article www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avatar.movie.blues/index.html ), which is now history’s highest grossing film at the box office.

“To treat the thousands of deprived souls who don’t get out into nature enough, and who therefore believe that the Earth’s ecosystems are boring and unspectacular unlike those of the alien world ‘Pandora’, we will be offering a simple, yet effective 3 step program to heal their souls of their Post-Avatar Depression,” states environmentalist Ken Wu, co-founder of the newly formed Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA). The AFA is a new non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of British Columbia’s old-growth temperate rainforests (see www.ancientforestalliance.org and the Facebook group and photos at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=267708511607)

The program, known as VIRY REAL (Vancouver Island Rainforest therapy – Real Earth Appreciation Lessons) consists of 3 simple, yet effective steps to cure Post-Avatar Depression:

Get out and experience nature.
This includes the old-growth forests of Vancouver Island, the tropical rainforests of Indonesia, the savannahs of Africa, the cypress swamps of Louisiana, the prairie grasslands of Alberta, the deciduous forests of eastern North America and Europe, or going to your own neighbourhood forest, field or wetland – that is, experiencing nature anywhere on this incredible planet, Earth.
Take action to defend nature.
This entails putting pressure on governments through letters, petitions, and protests to implement environmental laws and policies, pressuring corporations to change their practices, and simplifying one’s consumptive wants.
Get others to do the same.
Join environmental groups, donate, and recruit friends, family, classmates, and co-workers to hike, write, petition, and protest just like you!

“We guarantee that once you’ve successfully completed our simple, yet effective 3 step program, you will be cured of your Post-Avatar Depression,” states Wu. “We will guide you through each step of the way: from joining hikes in the endangered ancient forests of Vancouver Island, to writing and protesting to protect these forests, to undertaking outreach to get thousands of people to do the same.”

The Ancient Forest Alliance was launched in January of 2010 to organize grassroots support to protect the remaining old-growth forests in British Columbia, where trees can grow trunks over 20 feet (6 meters) wide, reach heights over 300 feet (95 meters) tall, and live to be almost 2000 years old (see spectacular photos on the Facebook page of the Ancient Forest Alliance).

75% of the productive old-growth forests on Vancouver Island have already been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow. Unfortunately, only 6% of Vancouver Island’s productive forests are protected in parks. Meanwhile logging companies are clearcutting the unprotected old-growth forests at breakneck speeds for pulp, toilet paper, phone books, newsprint, and lumber, while the British Columbian government contends that there is no need to protect the remaining old-growth forests on Vancouver Island. The Ancient Forest Alliance advocates the protection of our endangered old-growth forests, sustainable logging of second-growth forests, and a ban on the export of raw, unprocessed logs to foreign mills in order to protect Canadian jobs.

“James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ is a landmark film that is helping to propel forward the values of environmental and cultural appreciation across much of the world, including the need to protect nature and old-growth forests – that is, as long as the viewers make the connection to things that are actually here on Earth!” states Wu.

“Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests are the Real Pandora, here on Earth. We have giant, moss and fern-draped ancient trees almost as large as Home Tree in Avatar, spectacular creatures like bears, wolves, mountain lions, wolverine, and elk in our forests, and giant blue whales, killer whales, elephant seals, and huge Stellar sea lions along our Wild Coast,” notes Wu. “And when you look across this planet –with its enormous baobab, banyen, and sequoia trees, its elephants, rhinos, hyenas, oranguatans, Siberian tigers, wood bison, Kodiak bears, tapirs, whale sharks, manatees, leopard seals, walruses, California condors, and giant, shaggy Bactrian camels, and our incredible cultural diversity, you realize that we inhabit a place as spectacular – and a lot more real – than Pandora. But just like on Pandora, we have a real fight to defend it as the forces of greed, disconnect, and short-sightedness move at breakneck speeds to destroy the beauty and diversity on Earth.”

TJ Watt Exclusive Interview Canadian Landscape Environmental Photographer

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything. It doesn’t always have to be people or objects. I once heard a quote by Robert Adams that reads “No place is boring, if you’ve had a good night’s sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film”. Quickly after meeting Canadian based landscape photographer TJ Watt I realized that this quote was written about him.

TJ Watt is a professional photographer living in the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC. Born and raised in the rural town of Metchosin, he carries with him a strong passion for the outdoors, the environment, and life itself. TJ combines his personable nature, physical endurance, and strong knowledge of the natural world to cover a wide variety of important social and environmental issues. Whether it involves forging rough rivers, hiking through mountainside clear cuts, or hanging 100ft off the ground from the canopy of an old-growth tree, TJ brings back solid images that tell a compelling story. TJ’s past work is quite diverse. He has worked on a number of interesting and imporatnt projects for various ENGO’s such as the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Sierra Club BC, and Spectral Q. His images have been published in the Times Colonist, Vancouver Sun, Victoria Daily News, Granville Magazine, Monday Magazine, JPG Magazine, Color Magazine, SBC Magazine, Concrete Wave, WCWC calendars and newsletters, and a variety of online media.

Daniel: Tell me about yourself, where are you from, what have you been up, where did you grow up?

TJ: My name is TJ Watt, I am 2wenty 5ive years old, and I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up in the enchanted rural town of Metchosin, BC on Vancouver Island (Canada). I’ve lived here my whole life and would love to continue to do so either in a house or in the bush if I have to! As of late my involvement in the environmental issues facing BC’s forests has expanded through co-founding the newly formed Ancient Forest Alliance! (www.ancientforestalliance.org). We’re working to protect the remaining endangered old-growth forest ecosystems in southern British Columbia and ensuring sustainable logging practices take place in second-growth forests. I am also an avid hunter of big trees and like peanut butter and cucumber sandwiches.

Daniel: When did photography become more then a hobby of yours?

TJ: It’s been a slowly evolving process I guess that started with saving up points on a gas station card to buy disposable cameras to shoot with. I was drawn right away to photographing nature, initially in a more abstract way, which overtime I have combined with my passion and concern for our natural environment. I’m not sure there was a specific transition point, just little changes here and there.

Daniel: Canada seems to have some amazing natural places, where is your favorite spot to take photographs?

TJ: Yes! The outdoors here is world class, especially in British Columbia with huge snowy mountains, long sandy beaches, and 1000+ year old trees growing over 50ft around! On the island we have the largest living examples of Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, and Douglas Fir trees in Canada! The Red Creek Fir being the largest of its kind in the world! So as far as a favorite place goes, that is tough. It’s a close call between a pristine and virtually un-explored old-growth forest with giant monster trees and the top of a mountain with a wide expansive view at sunset.

Daniel: You do a lot of nature photography, do you go out by yourself?

TJ: Yes, I find myself alone much of the time. There are probably a few reasons for that. For practical reasons, I find it much simpler being able to move at the pace I like and take whichever route I want to, while also being able to stop for long periods of time for a shot without feeling like you’re holding anyone up. Another big reason though is I truly enjoy quiet solitude, especially when surrounded by lush forests and peaceful wildlife. There is nothing quite as healing as time spent wandering the woods alone.

Daniel: I know Vancouver Island has quite a lot of bears.. Have you ever had an encounter with a Grizzly bear? Have you ever thought this might happen, are you afraid – and what do you do to avoid this (e.g. gear equipment)?

TJ: While it is true there are a lot of black bears on the Island, Grizzly Bears actually haven’t made it here other than the odd one so they’re of no concern. Black Bears are actually much more a passive creature than you might expect. You really don’t stand much of a chance of having bear bother you unless you tie a steak’n’apple pie to yourself and then go smack one with a stick until it chases you. We have wolves and cougars as well but again, they’re much more likely to run away from you then come after you if you’re even lucky enough to see one. You should still be smart about things though like never camp in remote areas with food in your tent, never try and pet a bears babies, don’t try and ride a cougar like a wild horse, etc. As far as protection goes, I do carry a knife on my side for general safety and sometimes keep bear spray with me but I have yet to have to use either so far.

Daniel: What is it like being in the wild by yourself with just a camera? And how often do you travel?

TJ: Being alone in the wild, as I mentioned before, is the most peaceful and rejuvenating thing. It’s very humbling and helps to put life’s dramas in into a more leveled perspective. It also forces you to be much more aware of your surroundings and what is happening at each moment in time. There is no listening to your I-Pod while texting on your Blackberry. Your eyes are much more open, ears tuned into each sound, and steps more thoughtfully placed. It brings out much more primal movements and feelings in you including natural fears. It’s a bit of rush in a way to have the sense that the playing field is flipped and you are no longer in your usual territory anymore.

Daniel: Tell me about the SOS for World’s Whales, how did you get involved in this? What is it all about?

TJ: The image of the Orca whale was created by artist John Quigley of Spectral Q productions. He was in the middle of creating various whale images along the west coast from Baja, Mexico all the way to Alaska. The focus was on the fact that there is still a large threat to the world’s whales though most people think they are fully protected. To create the image he arranged over 500 school children into the shape on the ground and then we shot it from a helicopter for perspective. I really lucked out in getting the chance to shoot this actually. At the time, I was working on my portfolio for photo school and got word through a friend that he was going to be creating this piece so I phoned him up in Los Angeles and asked if he had a photographer already. He didn’t and decided to give me the chance to take the shots! It was quite the experience shooting out the open door from 1000ft in the air. We could have no loose articles on us whatsoever as the pilot said they could get sucked out the opening, go into the rear rotor, and we would all crash to the ground and go bang.

Daniel: If you could choose – what is your dream place to go to solo with a camera?

TJ: Hmmm… into space! If I could float around in a little clear glass bubble and photograph the giant nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies of this totally unbelievable universe that would be the most mind boggling thing in the world. Or, I guess out of the world.

Daniel: Share with us a good photography quote

TJ: “Say Trees!” oh….not funny.

See TJ’s photos at the Bloginity.com page with this interview or his own site www.utopiaphoto.ca.

Ancient Forest Alliance – Launch Event!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
7:00-8:30 pm
Rm. 105, Harry Hickman Building, University of Victoria

Talks and Presentations by:

Ken Wu (AFA co-founder, former Wilderness Committee campaign director) – The role of the Ancient Forest Alliance and how you can help the campaign!
TJ Watt (Metchosin photographer, AFA co-founder) – Spectacular slideshow of Vancouver Island and the CRD’s largest trees, including recent photos of the 3 very largest trees in Canada!
Jens Wieting (Sierra Club BC forest campaigner) – Slideshow – Mapping the state of BC’s coastal rainforest, species habitat and carbon storage.
Tara Sawatsky (AFA co-founder and former Wilderness Committee forest and marine campaigner) – Upcoming AFA events!
Katrina Andres (UVic Ancient Forest Committee coordinator) – Helping out on campus!

By donation

To find out more and RSVP go to the Facebook Event page.

Backing against a giant Douglas fir in Francis King Regional Park

Old-growth forest activists launch new group

Prolific environmental activists have formed a fledgling old-growth forest watchdog group after parting ways with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.

Amid the towering Douglas firs of Francis King Regional Park on Tuesday, Ken Wu announced the formation of the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) with former WCWC colleague Tara Sawatsky and photographer TJ Watt.

Wu, the long-standing public face of WCWC environmental campaigns in Greater Victoria, said the emerging group will seek to document intact and clear-cut old-growth forests on Vancouver Island and the southern Mainland.

Wu said the AFA also plans to advocate for B.C.-based value-added milling of second growth timber to preserve jobs while discouraging raw log exports.

“We’ll find in 10 to 15 years our ancient forests will be liquidated,” Wu said. “All that makes us special will be lost.”

Watt said he’s explored more than 100 different forest areas on Vancouver Island and has witnessed logging practices the group is trying to target.

“Our ancient forests hold some of the largest trees on Earth,” Watt said. “The most amazing places are lost before the public knows anything about them.”

Unlike the WCWC, the AFA will not seek charitable status, allowing the group to take partisan political stands. Registered Canadian charities are banned from political activity.

As of Tuesday, the AFA admittedly has little more than its name and a “G-mail account,” Wu said, but he expects online social networking to help build local awareness and support.

“Victoria stands out in the world as a stronghold of environmentally conscious people,” he said. “We don’t expect to get huge donations, but we can be honest and direct. I like the idea of not having charitable status.”

Wu announced his departure from WCWC last November, but launched the splinter group this month in response to wilderness committee plans to ramp down operations in Victoria. Wu said the WCWC is ending it’s old-growth campaign, “leaving a void that needed to be filled.”

“It’s a huge waste of time bickering back and forth,” Wu said. “You can fight for the organization or you can fight for the environment.”

Joe Foy, WCWC national campaign director in Vancouver, said when it comes to environmental activism, the more the merrier. By avoiding charitable status, Foy agreed the AFA has opened the door to blending political and environmental activism.

“Charitable status helps with fundraising, but restricts the kind of activities you can engage in,” Foy said. “(The AFA) helps create diversity of environmental groups in B.C. with a diversity of tactics. Both are good things.”

Foy described the state of old-growth on the Island as “absolutely grim.” Ancient trees outside of parks and other managed forest areas are subject to few protections, he said.

“We view ourselves as having large, intact ecosystems, but Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland are long past that point,” Foy said. “We need to protect every fragment that’s left.”

Foy suggested Wu is overstating upheaval within the WCWC. Two people are being hired to manage campaigns and public outreach in Victoria. The old-growth campaign isn’t over, he said, but is being tied with the effort on the Mainland.

The WCWC Rainforest store in downtown Victoria is losing money will likely be closed by March, Foy said, but a Victoria WCWC office will be staffed and maintained.

“There’s a saying that with many people, you have to go slow. But if you want to go fast, go by yourself,” Foy said. “Ken wants to go fast. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

For more on the AFA, see www.ancientforestalliance.org.