Forests

Exploration: Eden Grove - Big Tree Climb

in ,

This past October, the Ancient Forest Alliance teamed up with expert tree climbers Matthew Beatty of the Arboreal Collective and Damien Carré of Expedition Old-Growth to ascend a giant Douglas-fir tree in the endangered Eden Grove near Port Renfrew. The days before the climb saw intense rains and hurricane force winds the brought dozens of trees and power lines down across the roads. Despite the many challenges we faced, we were thankfully still able to access the area and complete the climb in one day. After setting the first lines with the Bigshot slingshot (this took an extra 2 hours after the first well placed line slipped away from us when going to tie it off...), Damien made the first ascent. After reaching the top, he dropped a tape measure down to acquire an accurate height measurement, which turned out to be 210ft (64m). The width measured 9ft (2.75m). That's a BIG tree!! Seeing it in the forest setting gives you some sense as to what its even larger neighbour Big Lonely Doug may have looked like before the forest around him was clearcut by Teal-Jones in 2012. The Eden Grove, or 'Lower Edinburgh Grove', is found on Edinburgh Mt. within the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation. The tree climb was also documented by the Nootka St film crew, who were there filming for their up-and-coming documentary titled 'Hunting Giants', which will feature my explorations for new record-sized trees and the AFA's efforts to save them! Watch for that in Spring of 2017. For now, here are some photos I captured of the climb. It's always a profound and humbling experience entering this suspended world high above the ground. Much like exploring the worlds oceans and caves - or even outer space - the tree-top canopies of temperate forests are a world full of things yet to be discovered and staggering natural beauty. Sadly, fewer and fewer of these ancient giants remain each year that passes. My hope is that these images will inspire action that results in our old-growth forests being protected once and for all.

Bonsai Tree at Fairy Lake - Port Renfrew

in , ,

This little hemlock tree at Fairy Lake near Port Renfrew is simply incredible. Growing out of a submerged log, it hasn’t had the resources to get much bigger than a few feet tall - even though it's known to be at least 30-40 years old. It must also be one of the most photographed trees on Vancouver Island! No two photos are quite the same though as the surrounding scenery is always changing - fall vs. spring, morning vs. evening, drought vs. flood. Below are a few images I’ve captured, including when heavy rains nearly submerged the tree. A few times a year the water level gets so high that the tree goes completely under water! How it survives that and the constant attention it receives, I'm not quite sure, but I'm always thankful for its zen-like presence amidst our busy and chaotic world. Prints available by emailing prints@tjwatt.com

Photos on Display at Axe & Barrel Pub Near Victoria

in , , , ,

I'm excited to share that I have 13 photos hanging in the Axe & Barrel Pub just outside Victoria! At the start of summer, the pub's owners approached me looking to create a 'westcoast forest' theme for the building's interior that highlighted local areas. Together we curated a series that includes images of beautiful places such as the Carmanah Valley, Avatar Grove, Big Lonely Doug, Strathcona Park, and the West Coast Trail. The prints - which range in size from 20"x30" to 24"x36" - were printed and mounted on aluminum die-bond, then protected with a laminate coating by Alan at Artbox in Victoria. They did a fantastic job! Hanging them on the uneven surface of the logs was its own challenge though ;)

If you happen to be in the area, pop in for a burger or beer, and check them out! Big thanks again to Ron and Diana for supporting my work as well.

If you're interested in prints like these for your home or business, drop me a line at prints@tjwatt.com

The Walrus Magazine - Big Lonely Doug

in , , ,

The Walrus Magazine has recently published a story about Big Lonely Doug, the forestry worker Dennis Cronin who decided to leave him standing, and the battle for old-growth forests on Vancouver Island. The article by Harley Rustad features two of my photos, along with one from Dennis which shows the tree standing in the forest (never thought I would see that view!). Let's hope Doug's message is heard loud and clear and we save his old-growth friends who remain endangered on Edinburgh Mt. and across BC. Read the article here: https://thewalrus.ca/big-lonely-doug/

Here are some behind the scenes shots from my time showing writer Harley Rustad around to Big Lonely Doug and the adjacent Eden Grove, one of Vancouver Island's most spectacular and endangered ancient forests that was once part of the forest around Doug.

Exposed: New Old-Growth Logging on Edinburgh Mt. Near Port Renfrew

in , , ,

Below are images featuring recent old-growth logging on Edinburgh Mt. near Port Renfrew. It took a 17km round-trip hike up the steepest roads I've encountered on the island to access the area, which is on the mountainside above Big Lonely Doug. What we found were two old-growth clearcuts, totaling 34 hectares (almost 40 football fields) in size. Dozens of old-growth western redcedars - some of them 8 feet in diameter -, yellow cedar, western and mountain hemlocks, and very rare, old Douglas-firs (between 500 to 1000 years in age) have been logged. How much further will the BC government allow this industry to go? Plans for four new old-growth clearcuts, one approved and three pending approval, and an expanded road network are also underway. It would seem that no place is currently deemed too rare or important in the destructive race to log the island's last endangered old-growth forests before we have a chance to see them saved. Ecosystems that have taken millennia to form, erased in a blink of an eye, never to be seen again.

A giant old-growth western redcedar log in a Teal-Jones clearcut on Edinburgh Mt. near Port Renfrew - TFL 46.

Standing among three ancient cedar trees on the edge of new logging operations by Teal-Jones. Edinburgh Mountain is one of the largest contiguous tracts of largely unprotected old-growth forest left on southern Vancouver Island, along with the nearby contentious Central Walbran Valley. It is within the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation band.

BC Magazine: An Old-Growth Battlefield - Can We Save Our Ancient Matriarchs?

in , , ,

The Fall issue of British Columbia Magazine has hit the newsstands and it includes a great feature article titled An Old-Growth Battlefield - Can We Save Our Ancient Matriarchs? by Hans Tammemagi. I spent 3 days with Hans, touring him around Port Renfrew to places like the Avatar Grove, Big Lonely Doug, Eden Grove, the San Juan Spruce, and the Central Walbran Valley. Happy to see three of my images featured in print as well! Grab a copy if you can :)

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

in , , , ,

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.

Press: Cover Photo - Climbing in the Carmanah

in , ,

An image of mine from the research climb that took place in the Carmanah Valley's Stoltmann Grove earlier this summer has made the cover of UBC's Forestry Magazine! You can read the full story about the project on pages 16-17 here: http://forestry.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2011/11/BL-27.3.pdf

You can also hear Master's student Vincent Hanlon speaking with Bob McDonald on CBC's Quirks and Quarks about his research into genetic mutations in some of the country's tallest trees: www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/quirks-quarks-for-september-10-2016-1.3754792/genetic-changes-in-the-lifetime-of-individual-trees-1.3754873