Posts

Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce President Dan Hager checking out the ancient trees in the Lower Avatar Grove.
Aug 10 2017

Avatar Grove Boardwalk Completed – High Quality Boardwalk Showcases One of Canada’s Most Magnificent Old-Growth Forests!

After 4 years of hard work, with the support of hundreds of volunteers and supporters, the Avatar Grove boardwalk near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island has finally been completed by the Ancient Forest Alliance. The boardwalk protects the tree roots and vegetation from excessive trampling, enhances visitor safety, and supports the booming eco-tourism economy in the region by providing public access to one of the grandest old-growth forests in North America.

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7. Avatar Boardwalk Coordinator TJ Watt and volunteers Matthew Varley
Aug 2 2017

Avatar Boardwalk Nears Completion

For Immediate Release After 4 years of hard work, the Avatar Grove boardwalk near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island is expected to be completed by the end of this coming long weekend.  This weekend a team of volunteers with the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) will undertake a final stint of boardwalk construction in the Avatar Grove. Volunteers will build a new platform, stairs, steps, and walkways, and install signage, finishing the major project. Located only 20 minutes from Port Renfrew, the Avatar Grove is home to one of the most spectacular and easily accessible stands of monumental old-growth trees in BC and has become among BC’s most popular old-growth forest tourism destinations, featured in numerous national and international media outlets. The completion of the boardwalk will enhance the public’s ability to explore the incredible ancient forest that helped the town rebrand itself as the “Tall Trees Capital of Canada.” See a photo gallery showcasing the boardwalk construction from this past weekend: https://bit.ly/2vkskEN See our media release at: https://ancientforestalliance.org/news-item.php?ID=1128

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One of several monumental western redcedars located in Jurassic Grove
May 25 2017

Ancient Forest Alliance Featured in Vancouver Island’s Chinese-Language Newspaper

Vancouver Island's Chinese-language newspaper has run a story about the Ancient Forest Alliance, the Jurassic Grove, and our campaigns to protect old-growth forests, including using our big tree and stump photos. Take note that our Mandarin old-growth ecology walks are just getting underway in the Lower Mainland for the half a million Chinese-language speakers there, but sometime in the future, we hope to get it going on Vancouver Island too. See the article: https://issuu.com/viweekly/docs/vi_weekly_170524_-_015_-_online_ver

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One of several monumental western redcedars located in Jurassic Grove
May 12 2017

Stunning grove of unprotected old-growth trees located near Port Renfrew

Here is a new article about the spectacular Jurassic Grove, a stunning old-growth redcedar forest between Jordan River and Port Renfrew not far off Highway 14 in Pacheedaht territory on Crown land. While much of the grove's 130 hectares is protected within a Marbled Murrelet Wildlife Habitat Area, there is an unprotected 40 hectare tract of giant redcedars (no logging plans for now), and the grove would be a natural protected area addition to buffer the existing Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Park and as a vitally important, extremely rare lowland old-growth stand in its own right.  See the article from Sooke News Mirror: https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/news/stunning-grove-of-unprotected-old-growth-trees-located-near-port-renfrew/

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One of several monumental western redcedars located in Jurassic Grove.
May 6 2017

Stunning Grove of Unprotected Old-Growth Trees Located near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island – Conservationists Hope “Jurassic Grove” will become “Jurassic Park” one day!

For Immediate Release The Ancient Forest Alliance has located an impressive grove of unprotected, monumental old-growth trees which we've nicknamed the "Jurassic Grove" for now (and which one day might become the "Jurassic Park" if protected). It is only a 90 minute drive west of Victoria between Jordan River and Port Renfrew. Spanning a 3 kilometer stretch alongside a portion of the 48 kilometre Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Provincial Park, it lies mainly on Crown lands adjacent to the provincial park and its popular coastal hiking trail not far from Highway 14 in the traditional unceded territory of the Pacheedaht. While most of Jurassic Grove’s 130 hectares of old-growth is protected within a Marbled Murelet Wildlife Habitat Area that is off-limits to logging, about 40 hectares is on unprotected Crown lands. As it abuts against a popular provincial park for hiking, it would be a natural addition to the park. See our media release at: https://ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/jurassic-grove/

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One of several monumental western redcedars located in Jurassic Grove.
May 5 2017

Avatar Grove, the sequel: Introducing Jurassic Grove

Check out the latest Times Colonist article about an unprotected ancient forest we've nicknamed "Jurassic Grove" (which one day might become "Jurassic Park" if it is protected)! The area includes some of the finest old-growth redcedar stands anywhere. While most of its 130 hectares is protected by a Marbled Murrelet Wildlife Habitat Area, there is a 40 hectare unprotected section as well, and it all lies adjacent to the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Provincial Park in Pacheedaht territory on Crown lands between Jordan River and Port Renfrew. The article includes interviews with the AFA's Ken Wu and TJ Watt, the Soule Creek Lodge Owner Jon Cash, and veteran BC forest activist Vicky Husband.  See the article from the Times Colonist: https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/avatar-grove-the-sequel-introducing-jurassic-grove-1.18540489

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One of several monumental western redcedars located in Jurassic Grove.
May 4 2017

CHEK TV News on the Jurassic Grove

Watch this CHEK News report on Jurassic Grove, an impressive grove of unprotected, monumental old-growth trees only a 90 minute drive west of Victoria between Jordan River and Port Renfrew. The Ancient Forest Alliance is calling attention to the area's high conservation and recreation value and hopes it will be protected.  Click here for the CHEK News report: https://www.cheknews.ca/newly-discovered-old-growth-forest-vancouver-island-312417/

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Feb 17 2017

SFU Slideshow on BC’s Endangered Old-Growth Forests!

Thursday, February 23, 2017 3:30 - 5:00 pm AQ 2104 SFU Burnaby Campus See a spectacular slideshow by the Ancient Forest Alliance's TJ Watt about the ecology, geography, and policies surrounding BC's endangered old-growth forests. Watt will show amazing photos of the Avatar Grove, Flores Island in Clayoquot Sound, Big Lonely Doug, Cheewhat Giant, Red Creek Fir, Walbran Valley, Eden Grove, Horne Mountain above Cathedral Grove, and the Echo Lake Ancient Forest.  Find out what YOU can do to help protect these ancient forests in the lead-up to the May provincial election! Hosted by the SFU Ancient Forest Committee.

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Feb 17 2017

NEW Documentary “No Degree of Scarcity” (by Joe Callander) about Big Lonely Doug & Vancouver Island Old-Growth Logging

Check out this new 8 minute documentary, "No Degree of Scarcity" about Big Lonely Doug and old-growth logging on Vancouver Island by renowned US filmmaker Joe Callander. Callander came to Vancouver Island for a brief stint to follow Ancient Forest Alliance activists Ken Wu and TJ Watt through the clearcut around Big Lonely Doug (Canada's 2nd largest Douglas-fir) by Edinburgh Mountain and to the Walbran Valley, talked with Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce president Dan Hager, and filmed Ken writing a media release. 

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Dec 28 2016

The Ancient Forest Alliance – Towards 2017

What have we accomplished?  Where are we headed?  ** Please DONATE here! You can also still order 2017 calendars and cards online here! ** 2016 has been the most significant and successful year so far for the Ancient Forest Alliance since our founding in 2010!  Not only did we grow significantly in 2016 because of your support – allowing us to build greater organizational capacity to achieve the enormous policy shift needed to save BC’s old-growth forests and ensure a sustainable, second-growth forest industry – but we’ve also made enormous leaps in the campaign towards actually achieving these goals. Please consider the Ancient Forest Alliance as a priority for your final donations in 2016! Our thousand year old ancient forest ecosystems will be most grateful.

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