View the slides to learn more & TAKE ACTION NOWby sending a message calling for these measures and more.
Historically, protected areas in BC have focused on ecosystems less coveted by industry. Meanwhile, ecosystems with greater biodiversity and productive forest land, which are highly sought after by industry, are left vulnerable to industrial extraction. It’s been a “save the small trees, log the big trees” approach.
To truly safeguard biodiversity, BC needs “Ecosystem-Based Protection Targets” for every ecosystem type—rainforests, grasslands, dry forests, wetlands, etc.—on a scale large enough to ensure their long-term health and stability.
To be effective, these targets must be fine-filtered enough (i.e., distinguish between small vs. big tree forests), legally binding, and large-scale.
Fortunately, the BC government’s draft Biodiversity & Ecosystem Health Framework provides an opportunity to see these targets implemented, but it will take much public pressure. Help us call on the BC government to use Ecosystem-Based Targets to:
1️⃣ Proactively identify and pursue the protection of most at-risk ecosystems in BC, such as the big-tree old-growth forests.
2️⃣ Work with First Nations to develop long-term conservation solutions in their territories, using BC Nature Agreement funding to support this work.
https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/coastal-old-growth-forest-productive-1.jpg10001500TJ WattTJ Watt2025-04-02 15:09:242025-04-02 15:18:23What are Ecosystem-Based Protection Targets, and why does BC need them?
We’d like to take this opportunity to offer a special thank you to our Benevity donors!
The ability to receive vital funding through corporate matching programs, such as with Benevity, is another positive aspect of becoming a registered charity.
Corporate matching is when companies financially match employees’ donations to a specific charity, such as AFA. Many employers offer this as a way to prioritize and encourage corporate social responsibility. So, when an employee makes a donation, their employer will match it.
Increase your impact through your workplace and check with your HR team to see if your employer offers corporate matching today!
https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Camas-Flowers-Spring-2024-8.jpg13652048TJ WattTJ Watt2025-03-05 14:00:222025-03-05 14:00:22Thank you to our corporate matching donors!
As 2024 comes to a close, we are beyond thankful for all you’ve helped us achieve this year. With you, our community, alongside us, we’re excited to build on all the momentum we’ve generated in recent years to keep ancient forests standing for generations to come. Read on to see our highlights from 2024, and if you’re able, please make a tax-deductible donation to help us start strong in 2025! We appreciate any amount you can give! Thank you.
2024 Conservation Highlights
Aerial view of Flores Island, Ahousaht territory.
1. Clayoquot Sound Old-Growth – Protected At Last!
In spring 2024, the Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, and BC NDP government declared 760 square kilometres of land (an area larger than Greater Victoria) protected in a series of new conservancies in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino, BC. The protected areas harbour some of the grandest and most intact coastal old-growth temperate rainforests on Earth (e.g. Flores Island & Meares Island) and represent the largest old-growth forest protected areas victory in BC since the Great Bear Rainforest conservancies were announced in 2006. Congratulations to the amazing Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht leadership for their work and for seeing their visions reach this amazing milestone – some 40 years in the making!
2. Expanded Klinse-Za/Twin Sisters Park – Largest Park Created in BC in a Decade
A significant stretch of caribou habitat in northeastern BC was permanently protected in the newly expanded Klinse-Za/Twin Sisters Park. The announcement follows years of collaboration between the West Moberly First Nations, Saulteau First Nations and the provincial and federal governments, who agreed to work together to recover caribou herds on the brink of extinction. This park expansion will protect nearly 200,000 hectares of habitat for endangered caribou in B.C.’s northeast and marks noteworthy progress in the BC NDP’s promise to protect 30% of BC lands by 2030.
3. BC NDP-Green Agreement Creates New Opportunity to Strengthen Old-Growth Forest Protection Policies
The year wrapped up with news of a rare political opportunity after the BC NDP and Green parties signed the 2024 Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord. The cooperation agreement calls for the BC government to work toward achieving protection of the Fairy Creek Watershed in partnership with the Pacheedaht First Nation, whose unceded territory it is, and the Ditidaht First Nation, who has various legal arrangements that overlap in the area. More importantly, the cooperation agreement outlines the parties’ intention to undertake a review of BC forests with First Nations and diverse sectors of society to address jobs, environmental protection, and sustainability. More on this to come.
Top News Stories of 2024
Ancient Forest Alliance photos, videos, and media releases continue to garner major news coverage, helping to raise widespread public awareness of the need to protect endangered old-growth forests. Here are a few of the year’s top new stories on AFA and old growth!
Conservation photography plays a vital role in bringing endangered ecosystems to life. Whether a photo of a beautiful Garry oak meadow in springtime, a foggy rainforest on the west coast, or the devastating scene of an old-growth clearcut, compelling imagery can invoke within us a sense of wonder and awe or heartbreak and urgency to act. Each year, AFA photographer TJ Watt captures thousands of photos to help tell the story of endangered forests in BC – below are just a few of his stand-out shots from 2024!
Camas Meadow, Uplands Park – Coast Salish territory
Fortress Giant, Jurassic Grove – Pacheedaht territory
Big Lonely Doug, Port Renfrew – Pacheedaht territory
Before & After Logging Nahmint, Nahmint Valley – Hupačasath, Tseshaht, & Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ territory
Fallen Cedar Nahmint Valley – Hupačasath, Tseshaht, & Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ territory
Top 3 Videos of 2024
1. TJ Watt’s TEDxVictoria Talk: One Last Shot to Protect Old-Growth Forests in British Columbia
2. Climbing Carmanah’s Largest Spruce Tree
3. Nahmint Valley Old-Growth Destruction
International Exposure
AFA photographer TJ Watt was awarded in Earth Photo 2024, an international photography competition hosted by the Royal Geographical Society in London, UK. His award-winning image, Flores Island Cedar, and story were featured in the Times Colonist, The Guardian, and CNN!
In February, TJ travelled to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, where he gave a presentation on “The Search for the World’s Biggest Trees.” This was part of REACH to FOREST, a two-week event blending art, science, and culture in the nation’s capital. Famed forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon also spoke as part of the Big Tree Hunters Party. It was a fabulous event, helping raise international awareness of the importance of protecting old-growth forests!
We Launched Old-Growth Hiking Guides!
This year, we wanted to share with you some of our favourite old-growth hikes in the Victoria and Port Renfrew areas on southern Vancouver Island. From idyllic parks mere minutes from the capital city of BC to rugged wilderness areas further up the coast, these old-growth forests and giant trees invite visitors to embark on a journey back in time. Where will you go next?
Without leaving paved roads, there are worlds of ancient forests to explore right in Victoria’s backyard. There are multiple parks and accessible trails where visitors can marvel at the ancient giants in this rare Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem.
Known as the “Tall Trees Capital of Canada,” the forests around Port Renfrew hold some of the largest and grandest trees left in the country. Find out how to visit the Red Creek Fir, Eden Grove, San Juan Spruce, Big Lonely Doug, and more!
Jurassic Grove, Pacheedaht territory
We hope you enjoyed some of our highlights of the past year! As always, we’re extremely grateful for your support and that of our community. Without you contacting decision-makers, signing our resolutions, sharing our photos & news stories, donating, and always going the extra mile when called for, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Together, we are well on our way to achieving lasting protection for the old-growth forests of British Columbia. While there’s much more work to be done, we’re ready to hit the ground running with you in 2025!
Thank you for standing with us year after year.
For the forests,
—The Ancient Forest Alliance team
The AFA team from left to right: Joan Varley (Administrative Director), Coral Forbes (Donor Relations and Administrative Associate), Nadia Sheptycki (Victoria Canvass Director), Kristen Bounds (Communications Coordinator), Issy Turnill (Forest Campaigner), TJ Watt (Senior Campaigner & Photographer)
https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Redcedar-Ferns-Jan-2024.jpg13652048TJ WattTJ Watt2024-12-23 08:30:412024-12-20 17:03:13Ancient Forest Alliance – Best of 2024!
Earlier this year, TEDxVictoria returned to the stage with the theme “It’s up to us.” Ancient Forest Alliance photographer, campaigner, and co-founder TJ Watt was selected as one of 12 speakers. Like the famed TED Talks, TEDx (which has over 40 million followers on YouTube!) events host a series of speakers who highlight new ideas, challenges, or perspectives, but on a local level.
In his presentation, One Last Shot to Protect Old-Growth Forests In British Columbia, TJ takes us on a visual journey of his work as a conservation photographer, big tree hunter, and National Geographic Explorer. With stunning imagery and passionate storytelling, he shares his life’s mission: helping to secure permanent protection for endangered ancient forests in British Columbia. His talk also touches on how he tracks down giant trees, recent campaign successes, and what solutions are still needed. Be sure to watch and share it below!
A Note from TJ
“I’ve done many talks over the years, but none made me as nervous as this. How do you convey a topic as complex as old-growth forests and your life’s mission to protect them in just 15 minutes? It’s a lot of pressure – especially on a stage in front of 700 people! The opportunity to share my message, photos, and story with such a large audience, including the global reach that TEDx offers, was too important to pass up on, though.
I’ve dedicated the past 15 years to exploring and documenting endangered old-growth forests in BC to help see them saved. From uncovering groves of ancient giants to trudging up steep mountainsides or slogging through soaked clear-cuts, it’s been a beautiful and, many times, heartbreaking journey. It was an honour to share this story on the TEDxVictoria stage. I hope you enjoy it. If you do, please share it with friends and family to help raise further awareness. Thanks to the TEDxVictoria organizers for including me and everyone’s encouragement along the way.”
TJ at TEDxVictoria 2024 [o] Lillie Louise Photography
Feeling inspired?
Please SHARE TJ’s TEDxVictoria talk on social media and with friends and family to help expand its reach! Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=enF8Zf4EPNg
The old-growth forests of British Columbia are among the most magnificent, ancient, and ecologically diverse ecosystems in the world. They also need our urgent help to protect them. With Giving Tuesday (a global day where people give and celebrate generosity) just a week away, will you help us reach our goal of raising $15,000 to support old-growth protection? We’re most grateful for anything you can give. Our Giving Tuesday campaign runs from today, Tuesday, November 26, until Tuesday, December 3, 2024, and donations are tax-deductible.
Ways you can support
1. Give a monthly or one-time donation to Ancient Forest Alliance 🌲
As a small charitable organization, our work is driven by donations from individuals like you. By making a monthly or one-time donation, you’ll help us carry out critical work, including supporting First Nations partners in developing Indigenous Protected Area proposals that protect old-growth, exploring and documenting endangered forests, and building and strengthening relationships with non-traditional allies to create a broad-based movement of support for ancient forest protection.
2. Pick up some AFA merchandise for yourself or a loved one 🛍️
From our 2025 calendars to our new toque and long-sleeve tee, there are many ways to show your love for the old-growth forests of BC! As we head into the giving season, beat the rush and treat yourself or a loved one to some great gifts while helping to support our work.
*Please note: Due to the current strike, we cannot ship orders through Canada Post. A pick-up option is available if you’re in the Victoria area. Shipping via FedEx is also available. See our store at the link below for more information.
Because of YOUR support, over the past few years, we have made historic progress toward supporting the protection of old-growth forests in British Columbia. AFA’s specific campaigns helped secure the $1-billion BC Nature Agreement, which brings forth major funding for nature conservation in BC, including a $100-million BC Old-Growth Fund to protect the grandest old-growth forests. The province’s commitment to protect 30% of the land area by 2030 also sets the stage to essentially double the amount of protected area in BC over the next five years.
This past summer, the Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, and BC NDP government also announced 760 square kilometres of new protected areas in Clayoquot Sound. The vast expansion of protection for Clayoquot, 40 years in the making, represents the largest old-growth forest protected areas victory in BC since the Great Bear Rainforest conservancies were announced in 2006. The BC government is now in discussions with dozens of First Nations across BC to establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), including in old-growth forests, totalling thousands of square kilometres.
However, our work is far from over. Going forward, your charitable giving will allow us to expand our work with key allies and First Nations, capture powerful new imagery, grow our hard-working team, and ensure we get the job done as effectively as possible. We’re most grateful for anything you can give.
Issy joined AFA in the fall of 2024 as a Forest Campaigner, leaving the hustle of London for the mountains of Vancouver to be closer to the nature she’s passionate about protecting.
Her love for the outdoors started early, exploring the woodlands of Suffolk, England, and the cedar forests of southern France growing up. This early connection led her to study Anthropology to better understand the complex relationship between people and the natural world. Her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology included a semester abroad in Sydney, Australia, gaining an appreciation for Indigenous environmental knowledge, and her master’s degree in Environmental Anthropology focused on community-led conservation approaches.
For the past three years, Issy worked in London as an environmental communications consultant, raising awareness about climate and nature-based solutions. While she loved this work, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being far from the critical ecosystems she was advocating for, which sparked the move to Vancouver.
Now, Issy is thrilled to be helping protect irreplaceable old-growth forests in BC and spending her free time exploring the beauty of these ancient ecosystems firsthand.
📩 An important update regarding the Canada Post strike as of Friday, November 15th!
Due to the strike, we cannot ship any merchandise orders through Canada Post. If you are in Victoria, in-person pick-up is available at our office at #205 – 620 View Street between 10am and 4pm, Monday through Thursday. No appointment is necessary. Alternatively, FedEx is offered as our next cost-effective shipping option if you wish to receive your orders on time.
If neither of the above shipping options works for you and you would still like to support our work this holiday season with gift giving, please consider donating toward one of our Adopt-a-Tree or Adopt-a-Grove e-certificates that can be emailed directly to your family or friends.
Otherwise, you can donate here to help protect the at-risk old-growth forests of British Columbia!
Ancient Forest Alliance is a registered charity supported by donations from our community and through our merchandise sales, with all proceeds supporting our ever-important work protecting endangered old-growth forests in BC.
We appreciate your support, and thank you for standing with us!
—The Ancient Forest Alliance team
https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/royal-roads-big-leaf-maple-licorice-fern.jpg8001200TJ WattTJ Watt2024-11-18 12:49:592024-12-12 11:15:15Update: Canada Post Strike
I am profoundly grateful for my years as a Research and Engagement Officer at Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) both for the opportunity to help protect magnificent old-growth forests in BC and for the incredible group of people I’ve had the privilege of working with along the way. The AFA team comprises the most dedicated and passionate people, and I’m extremely proud to have been part of this amazing group.
Through my time at AFA, I’ve been privileged to explore some of the most beautiful ancient forests left on Earth and spent countless hours with some of the world’s oldest and largest living things. I came to this organization as a biologist with a deep love and concern for the wildlife and ecosystems of BC; AFA has provided me with the chance to give something back to the wild places that mean so much to me.
The human element has been no less amazing! The team at AFA is at once so heartfelt and passionate while also the most clear-eyed and pragmatic I’ve ever worked with. I’ve learned so much about change and advocacy from their strategy of carefully parsing policy and ecology to identify the exact barriers and gaps to conservation and finding the pathways through which change is possible. AFA’s dedication to community outreach and bringing people from all walks of life together to preserve these forests is unmatched. I will miss the warmth and camaraderie of the office and every staff member.
Though this work has forced me to witness the shocking devastation of these ancient, irreplaceable ecosystems, I’ve been deeply inspired and uplifted by the AFA team and the thousands of supporters helping us make historic progress for old-growth forests. This is the kind of work that humbles you and brings you close to what really matters: working with people and communities from all backgrounds and walks of life to foster a healthy living world for all the creatures that depend on it.
When I look at the scale of transformation in just the last few years – the hundreds of millions of dollars mobilized for conservation in BC and major protected areas being established or getting underway – it still stuns me how just a handful of dedicated folks in a small office in Victoria could play such a pivotal role in making our world a better place.
It is impossible to leave such an organization unchanged. I am moving on from AFA with a deep sense of hope, both for these old-growth forests that we have been at the forefront of protecting but also because I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary power we can mobilize to safeguard native ecosystems while supporting sustainable, thriving communities.
I’m keeping a tight grip on my AFA alumnus card. Though my official role with AFA has (for the present) come to a close, I’m looking forward to supporting their work and mission in whatever ways I can and celebrating the many victories to come.
For the forests,
Ian Thomas
Ian at the base of the San Joseph Spruce, Canada’s largest spruce tree.
https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ian-4x5-Portrait.jpg12001500TJ WattTJ Watt2024-11-17 17:58:122024-11-19 17:58:26A Farewell Note from AFA’s Ian Thomas
As we approach the BC election on Saturday, October 19th, 2024, here’s where BC’s major political parties stand on protecting nature. Safeguarding nature is vital for our health and well-being (even breathing in the air in nature is shown by science to boost our immune systems through plant compounds known as “phytoncides”), for the economy (protected areas attract and support a large diversity of industries and skilled labour to surrounding communities), for the climate, and for the diversity of life on Earth.
Endangered Ecosystems Alliance Executive Director and AFA co-founder Ken Wu explains where each of BC’s major political parties stands on old-growth and nature protection.
🔵 The BC Conservative Party
The BC Conservatives take an extremist, anti-nature protection position.
1. They say they would “absolutely axe” BC’s goal to protect 30% of the province’s land area by 2030.
2. They would guarantee that all unprotected, productive forest lands in BC (22 million hectares) available for logging will be “managed to achieve supply chain stability in BC’s forestry sector”. That is, they will ensure that the forests at the centre of the conservation controversies, with the largest unprotected trees and richest biodiversity, will be turned into “guaranteed logging zones” that will obstruct new, fully protected areas.
4. They spread false and grossly misleading information and PR spin about the conservation and geographic extent of forests in BC — such as 30% protection would result in “30% less food production” (false: farming takes place on private lands, not on public lands where the protected areas expansion overwhelmingly occurs) and “two-thirds of BC’s forested landscape will remain in its original forested state” (deceptively failing to mention those ecosystems are mainly subalpine, rocky and muskeg landscapes with small and stunted trees of low to no timber value).
🟠 The BC NDP Party
The BC NDP is taking a strong, pro-protected areas stance and has moved protected areas policies forward on a historically unprecedented scale. However, several key policies are still missing.
1. They have committed to essentially double the protected areas system in BC over the next six years, from about 16% of the province now to 30% by 2030.
2. They have allocated and secured over $1 billion in federal-provincial funding to help make this happen, including for private land acquisition, conservation financing for First Nations, and resource licensee compensation.
4. They are in discussion with dozens of First Nations about potential Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) spanning millions of hectares, including in productive old-growth forests and endangered grasslands.
5. They have thus far failed to implement ecosystem-based targets, that is, protection targets based on science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge for each ecosystem — the ‘GPS for new protected areas’ that would ensure that all ecosystems are adequately protected. This is the most important game-changer left to ensure the protection of endangered ecosystems. The BC NDP Party have stated that they will develop “science-based protection” policies and that this may occur via the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework.
6. They have thus far failed to close conservation loopholes in designations like Wildlife Habitat Areas where logging can still occur and Old-Growth Management Areas where boundaries can be readily moved around under timber industry pressure.
🟢 The BC Green Party
The BC Greens take a strong, pro-protected areas stance, lacking some specificity.
3. They believe in prioritizing ecosystem health, which includes appointing a Chief Ecologist as a counterbalance to the Chief Forester, although do not mention ecosystem-based targets for protection and conservation, which is the actual key to ecosystem health.
— 30 —
Authorized by Ancient Forest Alliance, registered sponsor under the Election Act, 250-896-4007.
https://staging.ancientforestalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/1341657734_TJinCaycusebeforeandafter.7.sized_.jpg.d55481bd88c3e32e46f48e9de21af6ef.jpg11081500TJ WattTJ Watt2024-10-07 21:59:132024-10-18 13:20:49Nature Protection: Where Do BC’s Major Political Parties Stand?
Since AFA’s inception in 2010, there hasn’t been a year that has seen more progress toward protecting old-growth forests in BC than in 2023. Click and read through our Activity Report & Financials to see how YOU helped contribute to this success and find out what we have in store for 2024!
