Western Toad
Learn all about the western toad, a widespread and adaptable inhabitant of diverse ecosystems across BC, including the coastal rainforests!
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TJ Watt2026-03-17 16:35:432026-03-17 16:36:43Western Toad
CBC: Panel Appointed to Map B.C.’s Old-Growth Forests Say Province Is Failing to Save Them
Every member of a former panel the BC government appointed to identify old-growth for potential protection in 2021 now says they're concerned about continued logging in those same rare and "irreplaceable" forests.
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TJ Watt2026-03-16 09:43:292026-03-16 09:49:30CBC: Panel Appointed to Map B.C.’s Old-Growth Forests Say Province Is Failing to Save Them
NOW HIRING: Forest Campaigner
The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) is hiring a passionate Forest Campaigner to join our team and help protect old-growth forests in BC!
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TJ Watt2026-03-03 09:07:112026-03-04 14:36:34NOW HIRING: Forest Campaigner
It’s AFA’s 16th Birthday!
On Tuesday, February 24th, we’re celebrating 16 years of working together with you, our community, to ensure the permanent protection of old-growth forests in BC. To mark the date, will you chip in $16 or more to support our work?
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TJ Watt2026-02-26 11:49:362026-02-26 11:49:36It’s AFA’s 16th Birthday!
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Totem Pole Ceremony – Opitsaht, Meares Island
/in Photo GalleryLast summer, members of the House of Ewos from the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation, and many invited guests, raised a totem pole at the ancient village of Opitsaht on Meares Island for the first time since 1993. Prior to colonization, each house in the village, located just across from Tofino, would have had up to four totem poles in front of them. Today, with the addition of this new pole, three now stand in total in the village.
The pole was created by Tla-o-qui-aht master carver Joe Martin and a team of helpers. The top crest is a female thunderbird, representing female ancestry & connection to the supernatural. Eagle down was placed in the talons and could be seen blowing in the breeze.
The totem also bears four ominous skulls representing the multiple pandemics and losses the Nation has faced. These include COVID-19, tuberculosis & smallpox, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, and the Residential School System and the children who never came home from them.
The population of Tla-o-qui-aht Nation was about 10,000 strong when the first Europeans arrived. In the year 1900, there were only 122 survivors. Without their consent, colonial governments used this to take control of the wealth of natural resources on their unceded territory.
Today, the logging industry has destroyed well over 90% of the old-growth forests with the biggest trees in BC and continues to aggressively target old-growth cedar in particular. Without monumental cedars, it’s impossible to make canoes and totem poles, resulting in a loss of Indigenous culture.
Known as the ‘Tree of Life’, there are thousands of ways cedar plays a role in the lives and culture of First Nations people. Trees would never be felled during spring or summer months as great respect was paid to any nesting birds or denning animals in the area.
Ensuring that old-growth forests are protected, while still allowing for select trees to be used for cultural purposes, will help preserve the diversity of life — both human and non-human — that depend on them.
Double your impact when supporting AFA until July 15th!
/in AnnouncementsWe’re grateful to announce that a generous supporter has offered to match donations made to the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) dollar-for-dollar up to $20,000. This means for the next month when you donate to the AFA, your gift will have DOUBLE the impact!
Match My Gift
Together, we have the opportunity to raise $40,000+ toward the protection of endangered ancient forests in BC. This support will allow us to continue our most important work at this critical time, including activities such as:
We’re at a pivotal point in the decades-long push to protect old-growth forests in BC. What happens in the next few years — even months — will determine the fate of these irreplaceable forests for generations to come.
That is why now is the most critical time to support our organization since our inception 13 years ago.
As a direct result of our advocacy and your support, the BC government has made a number of recent commitments toward increased old-growth conservation.
These include commitments to double the total protected area in BC from 15% to 30% by 2030 (much of which will happen sooner); creating a conservation financing mechanism that will support the protection of old-growth forests through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs); and developing a BC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework that should prioritize biodiversity and ecosystems in forestry and land-use decisions.
So far, however, there are still major provincial conservation funding gaps for both the short- and long-term protection of old-growth forests, and a lack of ecosystem-based targets set by science and informed by Traditional Knowledge Holders that prioritize the most at-risk areas for protection — critical components that AFA continues to push for every day.
Your donations keep the engine of old-growth protection running. Consider monthly giving as an even greater way to make an impact. Consistent, reliable support provides us with stable funding — allowing us to plan ahead and take on new projects that help advance the old-growth campaign.
Any new or increased monthly gifts during this time will be matched. If monthly donations aren’t financially feasible at the moment, we encourage you to give a one-time gift — any amount helps ensure the forests are left standing!
Progress is happening because we continue to fight for it. Please help us keep the momentum going.
Ways to Donate:
Thank you for your support!
Massive Thanks to our Incredible Business Supporters!
/in Thank YouWe would like to extend a huge thank you to the business community for generously supporting the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) and the old-growth campaign.
Thank you to:
Wildcoast Perfumery, who donated a portion of its proceeds to our work.
Barbara Brown Art, who is donating 5% of proceeds from the sales of her art.
Zula Jewelry, who are donating $1 from every cedar piece of jewelry to the campaign.
And Elastic Email, Seaflora Skincare, and Corvidae Environmental Consulting, who have all been monthly donors since 2016, 2020, and 2022 respectively!
Your continued support makes our important work possible and we’re extremely grateful!