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

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!

1. Donate securely online: https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/avatar-grove-boardwalk-now-completed-and-open/
2. By phone: 250-896-4007
3. 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.