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

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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support a resolution calling on the provincial government to end old-growth logging on Vancouver Island and amend the outdated 1994 land-use plan.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

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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

Press: Shaw TV Features Big Lonely Doug and the Eden Grove

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I recently had the pleasure of touring a journalist from Victoria's Shaw TV to both Big Lonely Doug and the spectacular, yet endangered Eden Grove right next door. Check out the two resulting news pieces below, which also feature some of my drone clips and new video from my trail camera of a black bear climbing a giant cedar tree!

Exploration: Hiking 50-40 Peak near Port Alberni

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In August 2016, my partner and I joined a couple of good friends to climb 50-40 Peak (elevation: 5039 ft / 1536 m) about 45 minutes beyond Port Alberni on southern Vancouver Island. It turned out to be an incredibly beautiful and wild place to explore, with stunning views of the nearby mountains like Triple Peak, Cats Ear, and Pogo Mountain. On day 1, with temps in the mid-’30s, we hiked the steep trail from the logging road up through the young forest and into old-growth, before reaching the stunning Cobalt Lake after about 1.5 hours. There’s no better sight to see than those cool, crystal-blue waters after a hot climb like that! We swam, cooked dinner, swatted mosquitoes (SO MANY!), watched the sunset, and camped overnight alongside the lake. The following morning we woke up early to see a beautiful sunrise bathing the spires of Triple Peak in a pinkish-red hue while clouds flowed through the valley below. After asking a big black bear to please head in the other direction as it wandered down the valley toward our camp, we ate breakfast and hiked the last 1.5 hours to the summit. The views from here were some of the most breathtaking panoramas I’ve ever seen on the island! If you’re looking for a highly rewarding day hike or over overnight camp, I’d definitely recommend this trail. Though it doesn't take too long, it does get quite steep in sections so hiking experience and a good level of fitness are recommended. A 4x4 vehicle with good clearance is also necessary to access the trailhead to Cobalt Lake. For more detailed info on the trails see: http://www.summitpost.org/50-40-peak/558245 Below are some photos from our journey!

Interested in fine-art prints? Email: prints@tjwatt.com

Drone Video - Climbing Big Lonely Doug: Round 2

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Today I'm excited to have launched a new video which I filmed and edited featuring the Ancient Forest Alliance and Arboreal Collective's second climb up Big Lonely Doug, Canada's 2nd largest Douglas-fir tree! Doug has become the educational mascot of BC’s endangered old-growth forests - his massive size highlights their grandeur, while the dramatic contrast of the surrounding clearcut highlights the threat to them posed by industrial logging. The drone footage, captured using the DJI Phantom 3 Pro, of tree climbers (thanks to Matthew, Aaron, and Elliot!) in this sobering setting will help us raise the public awareness needed to pressure the BC government to protect what remains of the adjacent Eden Grove and endangered old-growth forests across British Columbia, and to ensure a sustainable second-growth forest industry instead.

My First Cougar Sighting in the Walbran Valley

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Well, the moment that I've been waiting half my life for finally happened. I saw a cougar. Not just one cougar though, TWO cougars!! After spending over a decade exploring Vancouver Island's old-growth forests (home to the highest concentration of cougars on earth) and driving thousands of kilometers of remote backroads, I was starting to wonder if it would ever happen. Did these giants cats truly even exist? They're so elusive you start to eventually wonder.

On the drive home though from the Walbran Valley Convergence, a celebration organized by the Friends of Carmanah-Walbran of the 1991 environmental protests in the valley, a large female cat bounded directly in front of my van from a small side road. The distance she coverage with casual effort was incredible. After quickly stopping in disbelief, I looked up the side road to see a second smaller cougar slowly sauntering off. After fumbling for my phone and shutting off the vehicle, I managed to capture a short clip of the animal walking away. We then reversed down the road to give them some space while I frantically asked friends in the back seat to pass me my camera bag which, of course, was buried within all of our camping gear. As I scrambled to unpack and assemble my camera and zoom lens as fast as humanly possible, the large female cougar walked back out across the road to follow the juvenile, presumably her cub. I had just enough time to snap a single photo of her through the front window as she looked directly at use before she too was gone.

Though I wish I'd managed to get a clearer shot, I'm so incredibly thankful to have had such an up close and intimate view of these almost mythical creatures. Instead of just catching a brief glimpse of a tail disappearing into the forest at night, we were treated to a nearly minutes-long experience - enough time to make eye contact with one of the most beautiful and powerful creatures to call the island home. It's a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life!!

Carmanah Valley Research Climb 2016

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Over the July 16-17 weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to join a team of professional tree climbers and a UBC research student in the Carmanah Valley and photograph their endeavors.

The aim of the tree climbing project was to assist UBC Forest and Conservation Sciences Student, Vincent Hanlon in his somatic mutation research of Sitka spruce tre DNA. The climbing team, consisting of Jamz Luce, Matthew Beatty, and Ryan Murphy, used low-impact rope techniques to access and sample the highest possible new growth points in each tree, record specific sample location data, and to measure both the sample height and ultimate tree height. Over the course of 7 days they ascended 23 trees that averaged heights of 75 meters or 250ft, with the tallest (and largest by volume) measuring in at 84 meters tall. Their skills among the tree tops and dedication to helping further conservation and research efforts is something to behold. Trees were also accurately measure for submission to the BC Big Tree Registry.

The feeling of beginning on the forest floor, slowly ascending up the towering trunk of a centuries-old tree, before reaching the upper canopy at over 250ft in the air with panoramic views of a fully intact valley is an experience that truly defies words. It's humbling and beautiful beyond imagination. I can only hope that the photos captured here do it some justice. 

Thank you again to Vincent Hanlon, Jon Degner and Sally Aitkin at UBC Forestry for this rare and extraordinary opportunity and to the climbers for once again making access to this rarely-seen world possible.

Snapshot: Sunset over Port Renfrew Marina

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May and June have been incredibly busy months for me. I've been away from home almost non-stop which has meant little time for updates! Most of my time has been spent in Port Renfrew working on the construction of the Avatar Boardwalk, guiding writers and travelers to the various ancient forests, filming with drones, and exploring some new areas myself! At the end of a grey day last weekend I was treated to an incredible surprise sunset. Nice to see such rich colour out there :)