“The time to act is now” was the message delivered by outgoing Shawnigan Lake director Bruce Fraser on protecting the Alberni Valley’s watershed. Bruce delivered that message to a packed Search and Rescue Hall that included local residents, Island Timberlands representatives and city officials during a watershed forum organized by the Watershed-Forest Alliance and Alberni-Pacific Rim MLA Scott Fraser.
"The 104-year-old Carder is considered the oldest forest conservationist in the province. His relationship with giant trees began in 1917, when he was seven and he helped his father measure a tall tree near their home in the lower Fraser Valley... Along with his books, Carder is perhaps best known for his work to highlight the Red Creek Fir, the world’s largest known Douglas-fir tree, located in the San Juan Valley near Port Renfrew. Since then, the town has become known as the Tall Trees Capital of Canada, with tourists from around the world coming to visit the Red Creek Fir, nearby Avatar Grove and the Walbran and Carmanah valleys."
Earlier this week, B.C.'s oldest forest conservationist, 104-year-old Dr. Al Carder -- who is older than most of B.C.'s second-growth trees -- received the 2015 Forest Sustainability Award from the Ancient Forest Alliance. The award honours his decades of service to document, research, and promote the conservation of B.C.'s old-growth trees.
"B.C.’s oldest tree hugger has been publicly recognized for decades of work protecting the province’s old-growth trees. Dr. Al Carder, 104, received the Forest Sustainablity Award from the Ancient Forest Alliance on Tuesday for his work documenting, researching and promoting some of Canada’s most magnificent trees."
"It might surprise you to learn that there is a place just a few hours from Victoria, B.C. that is home to Canada's version of the American redwoods. It's a place where you can walk amongst groves of centuries-old trees, some with trunks as wide as your living room; where you can swim in pools of emerald-green water by the base of cascading waterfalls; where bears, cougars, and wolves still roam the wild, rugged, temperate rainforest as they have for millennia. And it may come as more of surprise to learn that its days could now be numbered unless something is done to finally protect it."
Conservationists are concerned a pristine area of old-growth forest near Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park is under threat after spotting logging and surveying tape in the area. “This is a nationally significant area with some of Canada’s grandest forests,” said Ken Wu from the Ancient Forest Alliance.
Conservationists are concerned a pristine area of old-growth forest near Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park is under threat after spotting logging and surveying tape in the area. “This is a nationally significant area with some of Canada’s grandest forests,” said Ken Wu from the Ancient Forest Alliance.
Global TV News interviewing the AFA's Ken Wu about the threat of potential old-growth logging in the heart of Vancouver Island's Walbran Valley, where survey tape was recently discovered.
“Because of the ideal growing conditions in the region, Canada’s temperate rainforests reach their most magnificent proportions in the Walbran and Carmanah Valleys,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance campaigner and photographer TJ Watt. "It's our version of America's redwoods. Unfortunately, the upper half of the Walbran Valley remains open for logging. The area currently threatened, as well as the Castle Grove, constitute the most ecologically significant and intact sections left in the Upper Walbran Valley. They must be protected."
"Today, after years of technical work, negotiations and planning, all parties involved have a clear understanding of what the solutions package will include: improve decision-making between Province and First Nations; new human well-being commitments for First Nations; increase the amount of rainforest off-limits to logging to 70 per cent of the natural old-growth and an ecologically-sound forest management framework. All that is missing at this point is for the B.C. government to heed the call from First Nations, forestry companies, environmental organizations and a majority of British Columbians (68 per cent, according to a 2013 poll) and focus leadership and resources to finish the task in the coming weeks."
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