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Avatar Grove Boardwalk: Preliminary Phase Complete – THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Nov 5 2014/in Announcements

Avatar Grove Boardwalk: Preliminary Phase Complete – THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Fundraising Continues for Future Upgrades in 2015

**To DONATE go to: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open/

The Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew is a majestic old-growth forest of enormous redcedar trees. It has become a major tourism draw, akin to a “second Cathedral Grove”. The now-popular hiking area was saved in 2012 through a campaign lead by the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), with the help of thousands of our supporters and local tourism businesses with the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce and the Sooke Region Tourism Association. Its protection has bolstered the economy of southern Vancouver Island. Avatar Grove is in the Gordon River Valley, on Crown land in traditional Pacheedaht territory. See photos here: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/photos-media/

The AFA has been working since 2013 on construction of a new boardwalk to help protect the area’s delicate understory and tree roots from excessive trampling, to improve visitor access and safety, and to support local eco-tourism.

THANKS to your support, we’ve raised over $12,000 in 2014 so far and have now completed the basic, preliminary phase of the boardwalk, including including vital bridges, steps, tree-viewing platforms, and walkways over several sensitive, steep, slippery and wet sections. This is an incredible improvement from before and one that has been enjoyed by thousands of people already from all across the world. If you’ve yet to visit the grove since the work began, now’s a great time to do so!

***Funding Still Needed for 2015 Upgrades

While the initial phase of the boardwalk is complete, funds are still needed to support important future upgrades, to be continued in the spring of 2015, including walkways across the flat “muddy areas” prone to flooding and steps down the steep slope to the creek in the Upper Avatar Grove.

See photos of July’s boardwalk work: https://on.fb.me/1y2soWg
See photos of August’s boardwalk work: https://on.fb.me/1HOf1ZZ
See photos of September’s boardwalk work: https://on.fb.me/1aiKGYC

$100 sponsors 1 metre of boardwalk and you will receive a thank you certificate with your name or a friend’s name if it’s a gift!

Donate securely online: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open/
By phone: 250-896-4007
By Mail: Victoria Main PO, Box 8459, Victoria, BC V8W 3S1, Canada

Thank you all again for your tremendous support of this important conservation project! The trails at Avatar Grove will be enjoyed by many many folks for years and years to come.

2014 Avatar Grove Boardwalk Progress and Photo Galleries

Nov 2 2014/in Photo Gallery

The Ancient Forest Alliance has nearly completed the preliminary phase of boardwalk construction at the Avatar Grove in essential areas such as the steep and slippery slopes, the roots around the biggest trees, and over creeks and other obstacles. More upgrades can still be done in the future but the toughest parts are almost compete. A big thanks goes out to our volunteers and donors! Fundraising for the boardwalk project will continue as we still have more work to complete in the new year.

To donate towards the boardwalk please visit: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open/ $100 helps to build 1 metre of boardwalk and you’ll receive a thank-you certificate with your name on it!

– See photos of the most boardwalk work from September: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.823970617697527.1073741830.823970554364200&type=3

– Also see boardwalk pictures from July: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.823970624364193.1073741832.823970554364200&type=3 and August: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.823970621030860.1073741831.823970554364200&type=3

Volunteers this summer worked tirelessly to complete many things including two sets of much-needed steps up the slope towards the Gnarly Tree; many gravel steps leading into the Lower Grove; a bidge over the creek in the Upper Grove; various platforms and steps over obstacles in the Lower Grove; adding metal traction to the boardwalk surface; blocking off old trails and edging the path with logs; and more!! All of this work will help to protect the forest's delicate understory from excessive trampling, improve visitor access and safety, and help support the local economy of Port Renfrew and the Pacheedaht First Nation Band through eco-tourism.

A big thanks goes out to all the volunteers who have helped out so far; to the generous donors who have supported the boardwalk project; to Slegg Lumber for providing a discounted rate on many tools and supplies; and to the Port Renfrew Marina for allowing us use of their facilities.

If you would like to help out with future boardwalk events, please send an email with your availability, any related experience or special skills, and physical limitations we should be aware of, to Avatar Boardwalk coordinator TJ Watt at: info@ancientforestalliance.org Volunteers must be able to follow instructions accurately, be in good physical condition to do the work, and act safely, responsibly and respectfully without exception.

Thank You to Moksha Yoga Victoria!

Oct 1 2014/in Announcements

Thank you to Victoria’s Moksha Yoga yogis, making change one Karma class at a time. Your contributions to the Ancient Forest Alliance’s campaigns to protect B.C’s endangered old growth forests are greatly appreciated. May every Tree Pose bring us that much closer to our goals!