Here's a feature length interview I did for Patagonia on a life of searching for giant trees, documenting their beauty & destruction, and trying to see them saved. Big thanks to Jayme Moye for the words and Jeremy Koreski Gallery for the photos in the field: https://www.patagonia.com/stories/the-ancient-tree-hunter/story-99992.html
Rugged Point Marine Provincial Park
in Landscape, Exploration
Feeling refreshed after spending five days in the wild and beautiful Rugged Point Marine Provincial Park in Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k:tles7et'h' First Nations territory on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. This boat-access only park is home to much wildlife, such as bears, wolves, cougars, eagles, whales, and more. There’s even some surf to be had on with the right swell! Here are some photos from the trip. June, 2021.
Shortlisted for the 2021 Earth Photo Exhibition
Excited to share that my before and after images have been shortlisted for the 2021 Earth Photo exhibition! Here’s an interview I did with the Royal Geographical Society in London in the lead up to the show’s launch next week.
Your photos were taken in British Columbia, would you like to share any thoughts regarding the current heatwave and fires there?
The current heatwave and fires in British Columbia (BC) are devastating examples of what runaway climate change looks like on our planet. Temperatures in one town hit 49C. It burned to the ground later that day. Despite this, our provincial government has its proverbial head in the sand, saying on one hand how they take climate change seriously, while at the same time approving clearcut logging in some of the best-remaining stands of endangered old-growth forest. Old-growth temperate rainforests are the greatest carbon storehouses of any ecosystem on Earth and are BC's best natural defense against global warming. The answer then is simple: leave them standing.
Are you aware of the picture below (only viewable in the original article), which is part of the Society’s Collections? Did you draw inspiration from it for your shortlisted photos? If not, any thoughts on this historic image?
Wow! What an amazing image and an incredible tree! No, I had not seen that photo before, though I am a big fan of another photographer from that era named Darius Kinsey who captured amazing large-format images of big trees and old-growth logging in the Pacific Northwest in the early 1900s. If it wasn’t for those historical photos, we would have virtually no visual record of what were truly Earth’s grandest forests, now replaced with cities, farmland, or tiny tree plantations. If I had a time machine, I would certainly go back just to marvel at the magnificence of those towering trees.
How does it feel to be shortlisted?
I’m very grateful to have been shortlisted for the Earth Photo exhibition! The loss of old-growth forests in BC due to logging is an issue of global significance but since it takes place in such remote regions, it’s very hard for the public to see what’s going on. Shining an international spotlight on this issue will only help to add to the political pressure necessary to achieve science-based legislation that finally protects these endangered ecosystems.
Is there anything else you want us to know about your image and the story it tells?
BC's ancient forests are home to some of the largest living organisms on Earth. Trees here can grow to be over 300ft (90m) tall, reach more than 20ft (6m) in diameter, and live to be upwards of 2,000 years old. Despite this, they're still being cut down at an alarming rate - roughly 10,000 football fields on Vancouver Island alone each year. Now, after 150 years of logging, more than 97% of BC's 'big tree' old-growth forests have been logged with companies still targeting the best of what little remains. Time is running out and we need everyone to speak up! You can Send-a-Message to the BC government using our take-action tool.
New study reveals old-growth forests are worth more to BC economy standing than logged
BREAKING: A new economic study, released today by the Ancient Forest Alliance, reveals old-growth forests are worth more standing than logged when considering the many economic benefits their ecosystem services provide.
By refuting the narrative that protecting old-growth hinders the economy, the study provides even more reason for the BC NDP to take immediate steps to protect ancient forests for the benefit of all British Columbians.
Read the report and AFA’s press release for details: https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/old-growth-economic-report/
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
soft spring tones
Exploring the oak meadows of Summit Park
BC government’s forestry announcement fails to address old-growth crisis
An 800-year-old redcedar logged by Teal-Jones in the Caycuse Valley.
The Ancient Forest Alliance is highly critical of yesterday’s announcement by John Horgan and the BC NDP government of its intentions to modernize BC’s forest policies while at the same time failing to address the ongoing old-growth crisis. See the press release and articles below for further details.
Fairy Creek Headwaters in the Snow
in Exploration, Forests
The magical ancient forests of Fairy Creek in the snow. These giant yellow cedars - which can live to be upwards of 2000 years old - are what logging company Teal-Jones is after.
Road construction into the headwaters of this unlogged valley near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory in August 2020 sparked what has now become the longest running blockade movement in BC’s history.
Today the RCMP announced they will be moving in to forcibly remove people who are not only standing up for the protection of Fairy Creek but all of BC’s endangered old-growth forests.
Premier John Horgan and the BC NDP must stop this escalation of the War in the Woods by deferring logging where their own report says they should (the high productivity and at-risk old-growth); committing significant funding for the sustainable economic development of First Nations communities as an alternative to old-growth logging; allocating funding to support workers and communities to transition to a value added, second-growth forest industry; and creating a dedicated Natural Lands Acquisition Fund to purchase and protect endangered ecosystems on private lands.
The polarization of this issue as a jobs vs. environment must end for the sake of both the people and our planet.
MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD! Use our Contact Decision Makers page here: https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/contact-decision-makers/
