The northern lights paint the night sky in a dreamy technicolour display. On October 10th, Victoria was treated to another intense aurora showing in what has been an epic year so far. Walking through the misty oak meadow after dark was surreal, with the tree tops looking more like acacia trees in the African savanna than something from around here. Standing under the silhouetted branches, the aurora came alive, with bands of teal blooming overhead washed with warm hues of pinky reds. Impossible to capture were the rapid white pulses that looked like clouds flying by at light speed. Eventually, I found myself on a beach watching the show on my own at two or three AM. What a beautiful universe we live in!
Image of Giant Old-Growth Cedar Receives Award in Earth Photo 2024 Contest
The awarded image, Flores Island Cedar, features an enormous redcedar tree I found – perhaps the most impressive tree in Canada – with Tyson Atleo, an Indigenous Hereditary Representative of the local Ahousaht people, standing at the base of the tree, providing a sense of scale.
I’m thrilled and honoured to have received an award in Earth Photo 2024, an international photography contest currently on display at the Royal Geographical Society in London, UK. My image, titled Flores Island Cedar, features a gargantuan redcedar tree – perhaps the most impressive tree in Canada – with friend Tyson Atleo, a Hereditary Representative of the local Ahousaht people, standing next to the tree’s base, providing a sense of scale.
The contest, which saw over 1900 entries from around the world and 11 award winners, celebrates photography and moving images that tell compelling stories about our planet, its inhabitants, its beauty, resilience and fragility. The winning images have attracted international attention, with high-profile features in The Guardian & CNN and locally in the Times Colonist.
Amazingly, the award announcement happened within 24 hours of the biggest old-growth protected areas victory in decades when, earlier last week, the leadership of the Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, and BC NDP government declared the protection of 76,000 hectares of land in new conservancies in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino, BC. Most of the lands committed for protection are comprised of some of the grandest and most intact coastal old-growth temperate rainforests on Earth, including this ancient tree.
It’s not always the case that the forests featured in my photographs have a happy ending. But in this case, I’m so grateful that they do. The tree pictured is the largest one I’ve ever found in nearly 20 years of searching for big trees in BC. It’s more than 17 ft (5 m) wide near its base, 151 ft (46 m) tall, & likely well over a thousand years old, given its size.
I extend my deepest gratitude to the Ahousaht & Tla-o-qui-aht people for their conservation vision and leadership. A special thanks to Tyson and the Maaqutusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Guardians for their time spent with me in the woods.
See the other winning and shortlisted photos here: www.earthphoto.world/2024-shortlist-exhibition
If you’re considering exploring the lands and waters of Ahousaht territory in Clayoquot Sound, be sure to check out the Maaqutusiis Hahoutlhee Stewardship Society website for information on planning your trip: https://mhssahousaht.ca/
Northern Lights from Victoria, BC - May 2024
Mesmerizing rainbows of colour dancing like opals in the sky ~ it’s hard to think of something much more magical and beautiful than the aurora!
I captured these photos during the historic solar storm of May 10th from the beach at PKOLS/Mt. Doug Park, as well as from the top of Pkaals/Mt. Tolmie.
It was surreal to watch the colours bloom and light beams pulse while what looked like portals to another dimension opened overhead in the tie-dye skies. What a special experience to have shared with so many others in the early hours of the morning. A reminder of the vast and beautiful universe we’re all a part of.
Climbing the Largest Spruce Tree in the Carmanah Valley
I'm excited to share that we have located, climbed, and measured the largest spruce tree in the Carmanah Valley!
The record-sized tree — whose mammoth trunk forks into multiple stems reminiscent of the multi-headed hydra of Greek mythology — grows protected within the Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park in Ditidaht territory on Vancouver Island.
The tree was identified by myself and Ian Thomas of Ancient Forest Alliance while exploring the Carmanah Valley in the spring of 2022 and climbed later in the fall with the help of professional arborists with Bartlett Tree Experts. The images are being released for the first time today to celebrate Earth Week.
The monumental spruce measures 12.9 ft (3.89 m) wide near its base, 233 ft (71 m) tall, and has an average crown spread of 72 ft (22 m). This makes it the largest tree in the Carmanah Valley overall (despite the famed Carmanah Giant being taller) and the fourth-largest spruce tree on record in BC, according to the BC Big Tree Registry.
This giant is the most spectacular Sitka spruce tree we’ve come across in our decades-long search for big trees in BC. As huge as they seem from the ground, we often only see a third of a giant tree, which can extend hundreds of more feet into the air. Climbing into the canopy of this ancient tree was like entering a lost world. Its limbs were adorned with moss & ferns, and its massive trunk kept dividing into what appeared to be a grove of trees amongst itself. Eventually, we were rewarded with a stunning view over the Carmanah Valley, more than 20 stories in the air!
This climbing project was part of my work as a National Geographic Explorer with support from the Trebek Initiative. We extend our greatest thanks to the team at Bartlett Tree Experts as well for donating their skills and expertise to make this climb possible.
All climbing and filming done with permission from local governments. Low-impact techniques ensured the tree was protected.
See the Ancient Forest Alliance press release for the full story, and be sure to send an instant message calling for the protection of old-growth forests in BC.
See the incredible video of the climb below!
Finished Artwork for Sale
For those interested in purchasing a print that’s ready to hang, I’ve just added a few finished works to my store. These prints are mounted on aluminum die-bond, which makes the print appear to “float” off the wall. There is no glass, so there is no glare, which makes them great for bright areas. Local pickup in Victoria is free. For shipping costs elsewhere, please contact me at prints@tjwatt.com. Thanks!
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Tidal Trees
Are you looking at a painting? A sketch? Or something even more incredible?
These “trees” were, in fact, all created naturally as water slowly trickled through grains of sand on the beach at Pachena Bay near Bamfield. While walking along the shore this past weekend, I was blown away by what appeared to be perfect drawings of trees beneath my feet. Big swirling trunks and branches arose, dotted with knots and other details. The combination of light and dark sands even made for accurate shading. Beyond individual trees, there were even whole “groves” of giants! I’ve seen simpler versions before, but nothing as detailed and realistic as this. Mother Nature never fails to impress.
Have you noticed these "sand" or "tidal" trees before? Whereabouts?
Presenting at the Kennedy Center in DC on "The Search for the World’s Biggest Trees"
I was thrilled to be invited to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, to share photos and speak on The Search for the World’s Biggest Trees! This was part of REACH to FOREST, a two-week event blending art, science, and culture in the nation’s capital. Long-time friend and forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon also presented as part of the Big Tree Hunters Party.
After that, we had a few days to tour the city! DC is an impressive and friendly place with 17 of the 20 National Smithsonian Museums. The Natural History Museum was unbelievable! Highly recommend visiting if you're in the area.
A big thanks to the festival organizers for bringing us out there and helping raise international awareness of the importance of old-growth forests in BC.
Hair Ice - This Rare Phenomenon Only Appears When Conditions Are Just Right!
Hidden among the rainforests of BC you can find wonders of ephemeral beauty and minute delicacy, and few of these are stranger or lovelier than the phenomenon of hair ice.
Also known as “frost beard” or “ice wool”, hair ice appears only on dead deciduous wood when the temperatures are hovering just below zero degrees and when the air is humid. At first, it looks like a silvery moss or fungus, but a closer inspection shows instead a mass of fine icy filaments. These are incredibly slender, about .02 mm in diameter. Densely packed, they form a pearly cloud of ice. The slightest touch of a warm finger or even a breath will dissolve this fragile sculpture like cotton candy on the tongue.
But where does it come from? This magical winter phenomenon, like so much that is strange and mystical in forest ecology, is associated with a particular species of fungus: a jelly fungus called Exidiopsis effusa.
Under ideal weather conditions, a process called “ice segregation” occurs. This is when water freezes on the outside of dead wood, sandwiching a thin film of water between this ice and the wood pores. At this “ice front”, water is then drawn up through the wood pores towards the ice surface, where it freezes and adds to the existing ice. Lignin and tannin from the fungus are found in the ice and are thought to work as a sort of anti-freeze, inhibiting the delicate ice from recrystallizing into coarser structures and helping stabilize their unique shape for hours.
Because hair ice is associated with a specific fungus inside the wood, the same pieces may produce hair ice year after year. Around Vancouver Island, these are commonly the dead branches of alder trees. If you are lucky enough to find it, take careful note of the exact spot as you may be able to repeat the encounter, even several years later, when the conditions are once again just right!
Have you seen this rare phenomenon before?