Aerial

Carmanah Valley From Above

An aerial view over the stunning Carmanah Valley in Ditidaht territory. Flying over the south coast, one quickly realizes just how hard it is to find a view of unbroken wilderness like this.

Nearly everywhere you look is a patchwork of clearcuts, second or third growth plantations, tufts of old-growth sprinkled about, and roads - everywhere roads.

It can almost feel strange then to see a sea of unbroken green like this. Like an emerald blanket, the forests wrap around every nook and cranny, peak and valley, for as far as the eye can see.

Knowing that this area is protected fills me gratitude, wonder, and joy. As a big tree seeker, staring down at the tapestry of tall trees has my mind spinning about what future adventures in this valley might uncover.

The old-growth forests of Carmanah wouldn’t still be here today though if it wasn’t for hard-fought efforts in the 1980’s and 90’s to stop clearcut logging by Macmillan Bloedel. It stands as a testament to the fact that your efforts can and do make a difference.

Let’s keep working together to protect the remaining endangered old-growth forests in BC for ours and future generations to cherish and explore.

Aerial View of Old-Growth Logging in the Klanawa Valley

“World’s best forestry practices"?

These recent images from the Klanawa Valley highlight the brutal impacts of clearcut logging on Vancouver Island.

Until recently, this mountain was one of the last largely intact stands of unprotected old-growth in the valley. Now a sprawling 30-hectare cutblock, a web of roads from Western Forest Products scar the hillside here in Tree Farm Licence 44, north of Nitinat Lake in Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht territory. This is what ‘talk & log’ looks like.

Speak up! Send a message to John Horgan and the BC NDP, demanding they take action to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC: https://ancientforestalliance.org/take.../send-a-message/

Caycuse Logging From Above

Aerial images captured near the start of this month highlight the brutal impact of old-growth logging in the Caycuse watershed in Ditidaht territory. The original 33 hectare clearcut from Teal-Jones, where the now-famed ‘before & after’ images were taken, stands out in shocking scale. Fresh old-growth logging can be seen in a number of adjacent cutblocks as well, which were approved earlier this year by the BC NDP despite its own panel’s recommendations to defer logging in endangered areas.

The BC government must step up and support real solutions, such as providing funding for First Nations and forest-dependent communities to expand protected areas, diversify their economies, and rapidly transition to a more sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry.

Every day that John Horgan delays taking immediate action, centuries-old forests, and the complex web of life found amongst them, are disappearing forever.

SPEAK UP! Send your message to government today: https://www.endangeredecosystemsalliance.org/news/bc-protected-areas

'From Above' Aerial Photography Show

Here are some pics from the closing night of 'From Above', an aerial photography show featuring photos from across Vancouver Island shot by Jeremy Koreski Photography, Graeme Owsianski, Christian Coxen, pilot Nick Temos, and myself. A huge thanks goes out to Nick from Pacific Northwest Collective for flying us around to all these rad places (without crashing) and for organizing the printing and framing for the show! Big thanks as well to White Sails Brewing for the delicious beers and for hosting the event + all those who came out and supported the show!

Ahousaht First Nation Bans Industrial Logging & Mining In Their Traditional Territory

In what is the largest leap forward in old-growth forest protection on Vancouver Island in decades, the Ahousaht First Nation band recently announced their land use plan vision that prohibits industrial logging, mining, and oil and gas development in 82% of their 170,000 hectare territory while supporting sustainable economic development in selected areas. Their territory in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino is home to the largest tracts of old-growth forests of any Vancouver Island band. I'm deeply grateful for the incredible leadership shown by the members of this community and for the hard work of the conservation organizations involved as well. Knowing that wild places like the Sydney Valley (pictured above) have finally been declared safe is an amazing feeling. It's nice to have some good news every once and a while.

Press: Union of BC Municipalities Passes Resolution Calling for Old-Growth Protection

The chorus is growing!! The Union of BC Municipalities voted last week to support a resolution calling on the provincial government to end old-growth logging on Vancouver Island and amend the outdated 1994 land-use plan. This comes on the heels of the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities passing the same resolution and the BC Chamber of Commerce, representing 36,000 businesses across the province, passing a similar resolution. The BC Liberal government is now out on it's own in supporting the destruction of the island's last endangered old-growth ecosystems.