Outside Magazine: Forest Selfies Are Helping Save B.C.'s Old-Growth Trees

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The public response to the before and after images of ancient trees cut down in the Caycuse watershed has been overwhelming. In this Outside Magazine piece, I chat with Malcolm Johnson about the process involved with capturing the beauty and loss of old-growth forests and what's needed to protect them.

“I’d love it if the need for my job didn’t exist. There are plenty of things I’d rather be doing than trudging around photographing giant stumps. It’s emotionally exhausting work, and it’s devastating to go back and see these places that you’ve grown to love get destroyed. Someday it would be nice to not associate feelings of anxiety with the forests I care about and just be able to rest knowing that they’ll be around for generations to come. It’s as simple as that, really."

See the photos and read the article here: https://www.outsideonline.com/2420507/bc-forests-photos-before-after

Before & after old-growth logging of a giant cedar in the Caycuse Valley on Vancouver Island.

Big Waves - West Coast Van Isle 2021

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Big waves measuring 20ft or 6m tall barrelled into the west coast of Vancouver Island earlier this month. The sun was out as well, giving them a beautiful blue-green colour. It almost looked like Hawaii! Seagulls surfed the sky above, providing a sense of scale. All in all, it was one of the most breathtaking days I’ve ever spent at the ocean! Fine art prints are available here: www.tjwatt.com/prints. If you don’t see the image you’re looking for, just shoot me an email at: prints@tjwatt.com and we’ll get it sorted out!

McKelvie Valley near Tahsis to be Protected from Logging

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Nice to start the year off with some good news! It looks like the amazing McKelvie Valley near Tahsis will be protected from logging! Congrats to Mayor Martin Davis, the village of Tahsis, and everyone who advocated for its protection over the years. See the news article with details here.

Located in Mowachaht/Muchalaht territory, the McKelvie is the last intact watershed in the Tahsis region and is home to incredible old-growth forests, important wildlife habitat, and is the source of drinking water for the community. Western Forest Products had previously planned to blast roads and clearcut vast swaths of the valley, as highlighted in our 2019 Community Spotlight video below.

It's a great feeling to know that this beautiful area will now remain pristine for years to come and that public efforts and advocacy can and do make a difference!

Caycuse Before & After Old-Growth Logging

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This is not a series I ever hoped to complete but the following are before and after images of giant ancient cedars cut in the Caycuse watershed in Ditidaht territory on southern Vancouver Island. Earlier this month I revisited a magnificent grove that I had explored and photographed earlier this year, only this time it was the stumps of those same trees that would be my focus. Gone were the vibrant flourishes of red, green, and gold. Instead, a bleak, grey landscape lay before, utterly unrecognizable from what I remembered. Heart wrenching as they are, I hope these images stand as stark example of what is still happening everyday across BC everyday and what needs to end now.

We need everyone to SPEAK UP!! Contact Premier John Horgan and demand that the BC NDP show they're serious about saving old-growth by immediately halting logging in the most endangered forests and allocating funding in Budget 2021 for Indigenous protected areas and economic alternatives to old-growth logging.

• Email John Horgan here: premier@gov.bc.ca or here: www.ancientforestalliance.org/send-a-message
• Phone him at: 250-387-1715

• CBC News: Conservationists demand fast action from B.C.'s new forestry minister on protection for old-growth trees
• The Guardian: Photography campaign shows the grim aftermath of logging in Canada's fragile forests
• The Narwhal: In photos: see old-growth go from stand to stump on B.C.’s Vancouver Island
• Outside Magazine: Forest Selfies Are Helping Save BC’s Old-Growth Trees
• Treehugger: Photos Raise Alarm Over Old-Growth Logging in British Columbia

MEGA Wave Day - Round II

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The forces of nature once again aligned and unleashed a mind-blowing display of raw power and beauty along the west coast of Vancouver Island this past Sunday. A 6.5m/20ft+ swell combined with a king tide to produce waves of enormous size that thundered and roared against the rocks. This day was on par with the huge waves I photographed earlier this year in January. Never thought I would see something so impressive again! Humbling to say the least. Fine art prints available at: www.tjwatt.com/prints or email prints@tjwatt.com if you don’t see the one you’re looking for.

* The photos are now reaching the news! See a CTV article here and KOMO News article here.

BC government Releases Old Growth Strategic Review Panel’s Report - Takes First Small Step Towards Potential Big Changes for Old-Growth

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BREAKING: The BC government has released the Old Growth Strategic Review Panel’s report and announced it will immediately defer logging in nine areas, including the famous Clayoquot Sound and the intact McKelvie Valley near Tahsis, and protect up to 1,500 of BC’s biggest trees while it works to develop a new provincial approach to old-growth management. More deferrals are also expected after further discussions with First Nations.

These first steps are an encouraging start and the result of concerned people like you speaking up! Thank you!!

But more work still needs to be done. The vast majority of productive big tree ancient forests, of which only 3% remain in BC, are still at-risk. There are also no funding commitments yet for the transition to sustainable, second-growth forestry, for new Indigenous Protected Areas, or for the economic diversification of First Nations communities.

The panel’s report is a blueprint for a complete paradigm shift in how BC manages old-growth forests. Now, the province must commit to fully implementing all 14 recommendations.

• Read our Ancient Forest Alliance press release below for details and our full response: https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/bc-old-growth-panel-report-announcement/

• See the BC government's announcement here: https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2017-2021/2020FLNR0058-001711.htm

• Read the Old Growth Strategic Review panel's report here: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/563/2020/09/STRATEGIC-REVIEW-20200430.pdf

An aerial view of old-growth forests in Clayoquot Sound, part of a 260,578 ha temporary deferral that will prohibit logging in this area.

Winner in HippyTree's 52 Weeks of Nature Photo Contest!

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Thanks to everyone who voted for my eagle photo from the Great Bear Rainforest! It's the winner of week 32 in HippyTree's #52weeksofnature photo contest🥇See the article here for a brief Q&A: https://www.hippytree.com/blog/52weeksofnature-photo-contest-week-32-2020-winner/ Limited edition t-shirts also available here: https://www.hippytree.com/…/52weeksofnatu…/heather-charcoal/