VIDEO: Canada’s most impressive tree?

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July 28, 2023
CTV News

Check out this VIDEO on CTV News covering what we believe to be the most impressive tree in Canada. Dubbed ‘The Wall’, or or ‘ʔiiḥaq ḥumiis’, meaning ‘big redcedar’ in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, this massive tree measures over 17 ft (5 m) wide near its base and 151 ft (46 m) tall and stands in a remote location on Flores Island near Tofino in Ahousaht Territory.

AFA campaigner and photographer notes that of all the trees he’s seen over his big tree hunting career, this one is by far the most mind-blowing. “It’s a literal wall of wood. Your brain can’t compute the scale when you stand below it,” he says. “The first time I arrived, from a distance I thought it had to be two trees because of how wide the trunk and limbs are. It defies words.”

The scale of the tree is a reminder of the importance of protecting old-growth forest ecosystems that support biodiversity.

Luckily, there are no current logging plans for this area, and the Ahousaht First Nation’s Land Use Vision (currently in the late stages of negotiations with the BC government) calls for the protection of 80% of their territory, including the ancient forest where this tree is found. This would happen through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) to be legislated as Provincial Conservancies by the province.

To ensure that forests like these remain standing across the province, Premier Eby must remove any barriers to protection from within his government and link conservation funding for First Nations to sustainable economic development and protecting the biggest and best old-growth stands vs. saving the least endangered ecosystems.

Read the full media release here.

Watch CTV News’ full video coverage here.

 

Existence of massive, ‘mind-blowing’ old-growth tree revealed in Clayoquot Sound

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July 27, 2023
The National Observer
By Clayton Keim

An enormous old-growth cedar tree has been identified in Vancouver Island’s Clayoquot Sound, possibly dating back over a millennium.

The western redcedar reaches a towering height of 46 metres and stands five metres wide at its base.

It is currently the sixth largest redcedar in Canada, according to the BC Big Tree Registry. TJ Watt, a photographer with the Ancient Forest Alliance, was awed when he initially encountered the tree. “It was absolutely mind-blowing.

“It didn’t even look like a tree at first from a distance; it looks more like a rock wall,” he said. “It really defies words, and it stands in a class of its own.”

The Ahousaht Nation, whose territory encompasses many old-growth forests including those on Clayoquot Sound, has been aware of the tree for some time. The decision to highlight its existence was made, in part, to promote the protection of old-growth trees across B.C. “We need to do more to protect these types of forests because there are fewer and fewer left,” said Tyson Atleo, hereditary representative for the Ahousaht Nation.

“We know that we are causing significant destruction of old-growth rainforests that we are really collectively dependent on as a species for the biodiversity that they uphold, as well as for carbon sequestration.”

Many comparable old-growth cedars in B.C. are widest at the base, gradually tapering off as they grow larger. Watt was shocked when this tree inverted the structure of comparable trees. “The trunk expands ever wider as it goes up into this sprawling, fortress-like canopy,” he said, going on to describe it as “the most impressive tree in Canada given its size.”

Cedar trees hold a unique significance to the Ahousaht Nation due to their versatility and abundance; they are used for housing, cooking and transportation. Bark that is stripped and soaked in water becomes soft and pliable, and is used for clothing.

“Cedar is really the tree of life to our people, as it provides us with the materials to live a healthy and happy life in this region,” said Atleo.

Research into old-growth forests has applications for both medicine and ecological conservation. “The canopy of this tree is filled with various types of epiphytes [moss, ferns and lichens], other trees, moss maps and canopy soils,” explained Watt. “Undoubtedly, there are new species to be found suspended up above the forest floor.” For those discoveries to take place, however, old-growth forests must be protected.

Conservation groups are calling for the B.C. government to recognize the importance of arboreal protection. “If they skirt around the forests that are most at risk and only protect those that were not truly at risk of logging to begin with, then it won’t be doing justice to these forests,” Watt said.

Read the original article here.

See VIDEO of Canada’s Most Impressive Tree!

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This is huge — literally! We’re thrilled to share a video of what may very well be Canada’s most impressive tree. This gargantuan redcedar measures over 17 ft (5 m) wide near its base and 151 ft (46 m) tall. However, unlike most other trees, its trunk gets wider going upwards, culminating in a sprawling fortress-like crown of wooden spires akin to a massive wooden wall of an ancient castle.

This giant could possibly have the largest or near largest timber volume of any tree in Canada for about the first 50 feet of its trunk — the part you see and experience from the ground. This would make it, experientially, perhaps the most impressive tree in Canada, despite other cedars being taller or ranking higher overall.

It grows in a remote region of Flores Island in Ahousaht territory in Clayoquot Sound, BC, and has so far garnered the nickname ‘The Wall’, or ‘ʔiiḥaq ḥumiis’, meaning ‘big redcedar’ in the Nuu-chah-nulth language. The exact location has been asked to be kept private at this time.

AFA Photographer & Campaigner TJ Watt first located and photographed the tree in 2022 with his friend Nathaniel Glickman before returning in the spring of 2023 with Tyson Atleo, Hereditary Representative of the Ahousaht Nation and the Natural Climate Solutions Program Director of Nature United, and members of the Maaqutusiis Hahoutlhee Stewardship Society (MHSS).

Thankfully, the incredible Land Use Vision from the Ahousaht Nation, currently in the late stages of negotiations with the BC government, calls for the protection of 80% of Ahousaht territory, including the ancient forest where this tree is found. This would happen through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) to be legislated as Provincial Conservancies by the province.

The BC government must fully fund and support Indigenous-led protection of old-growth across BC, including in the remaining monumental old-growth stands and those identified as most at risk by the province’s science panel, the Technical Advisory Panel.

AFA commends the Ahousaht Nation for continuing to be such incredible stewards of their lands, which thankfully still harbour some of the most magnificent ancient forests, trees, and wildlife on Earth.

When visiting Ahousaht territory, visitors are encouraged to participate in their voluntary Stewardship Fee. Revenues from the Stewardship Fee directly fund the MHSS Stewardship Guardian Program which works on restoration, monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, and visitor engagement for the Ahousaht. Stewardship Fees can be paid online or at their office at 9-368 Main Street in Tofino. Also be sure to check out Ahous Adventures.

Thank you to the Trebek Initiative for helping make this expedition work possible.

▶️ Read our full media release here!

? Take a look at our photo gallery here!

? And don’t forget to SPEAK UP! Send-a-Message calling on the province to commit funding and set ecosystem-based targets for protecting the last monumental old-growth forests across BC.

Canada’s Most Impressive Tree Located by Conservationists in Clayoquot Sound, BC

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For Immediate Release
July 26, 2023

Conservationists on Vancouver Island with the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) have identified what may very well be Canada’s most impressive tree in a remote location in Ahousaht First Nation territory near Tofino in Clayoquot Sound. While the gargantuan ancient western redcedar tree, located by AFA Photographer and Campaigner TJ Watt on Flores Island, measures over 17 feet (5 metres) wide near its base, its trunk gets even wider going upwards over dozens of meters — as opposed to tapering like virtually all other trees. The widening trunk eventually becomes a sprawling, fortress-like crown of wooden spires, creating a most impressive spectacle akin to a massive wooden wall of an ancient castle. The tree stands 151 feet (46 metres) tall and is almost certainly well over a thousand years old given its size.

See incredible video footage here.
See the full photo gallery here.

This giant could very well have the largest or near largest wood volume of any tree in Canada for about the first 50 feet of its trunk – the part you see and experience from the ground (since humans don’t fly or swing through the canopies at the tops of trees). This means that, experientially, it’s perhaps the most impressive tree in Canada, despite other cedars being taller or ranking higher based on the American Forestry Association points system (based on a tree’s height, diameter at breast height at 1.37 meters, and crown spread).

Ancient Forest Alliance photographer TJ Watt beside the gargantuan redcedar on the day he first came across it.

“After nearly two decades of photographing, exploring, and searching for big trees in old-growth forests across BC, no tree has blown me away more than this one,” stated Ancient Forest Alliance Photographer & Campaigner TJ Watt, who first located and photographed the tree while exploring with his friend Nathaniel Glickman. “It’s a literal wall of wood. Your brain can’t compute the scale when you stand below it. The first time I arrived, from a distance I thought it had to be two trees because of how wide the trunk and limbs are. It defies words. As an avid big tree hunter, it’s a highlight of my life to find something as spectacular as this.”

The record-sized tree has so far garnered the nickname ‘The Wall’, or ‘ʔiiḥaq ḥumiis’, meaning ‘big redcedar’ in the Nuu-chah-nulth language. It grows on unprotected Crown/public lands in the unceded territory of the Ahousaht First Nation, who have asked to keep the exact location of the tree private at this time. No logging plans exist for the area and thankfully, the Ahousaht First Nation’s Land Use Vision, currently in the late stages of negotiations with the BC government, includes the protection of the forest where this tree is found. Their Land Use Vision calls for the protection of 80% of Ahousaht territory through the creation of new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), encompassing most of the old-growth forests in their territory, to be legislated as Provincial Conservancies by the province. Watt re-visited the giant tree in spring with members of the Ahousaht Nation and Stewardship Guardian Program, the Maaqutusiis Hahoutlhee Stewardship Society (MHSS).

“Old-growth forests with their monumental redcedar trees have been of great cultural importance for the Ahousaht Nation since time immemorial,” stated Tyson Atleo, a Hereditary Representative of the Ahousaht Nation and the Natural Climate Solutions Program Director of Nature United. “A tree as large and ancient as this supports an incredible web of life both above and below ground while also storing huge amounts of carbon. Large, intact old-growth ecosystems are critical in combating the global biodiversity and climate crisis, and the Ahousaht Nation’s Land Use Vision will ensure they remain standing for generations to come.”

According to the BC Big Tree Registry, the tree would currently rank as the 6th largest known redcedar in the country. That it doesn’t rank at the top is in large part due to the limitations in how a tree’s overall score is calculated using a formula that factors in the diameter at breast height (1.37 meters from the ground), height, and average crown spread. This method is fairly effective for depicting the size of trees that have a typical cone shape. However, since this tree gets wider as it goes up, it harbours an incredible volume of wood that’s difficult to calculate. If one was able to factor in the tree’s full scale, it would likely rank right near the top of the list.

“Having visited most of the top 10 old-growth redcedar trees on record in Canada, including the Cheewhat Giant near Nitinat Lake that currently ranks as the largest cedar on Earth, to me, this one still feels the most impressive in person,” adds Watt. “That this unique tree is not the grandest tree in Canada is largely an artifact of the methodology used to measure trees under the points system of the American Forestry Association. Its towering presence is all-encompassing. Of the few people who’ve come to see it with me since, more than one thought that they were approaching not a tree but a rock wall. It goes to show that some of the most spectacular living organisms on all of Planet Earth grow right here in BC, and the provincial government should be fully funding and supporting the Indigenous-led protection of old-growth forests, including the remaining monumental old-growth stands.”

Ancient Forest Alliance photographer TJ Watt and Ahousaht Hereditary Representative Tyson Atleo stand beside an ancient western redcedar tree thought to be the most impressive tree in Canada.

The BC government is currently developing a number of different policies and initiatives that have the potential to vastly expand the protection of old-growth forests across BC if done right, including creating a new conservation financing fund by early fall to help protect old-growth forests through the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). This funding, if directed wisely, will help to supplant the lost revenues and jobs for First Nations communities from forgoing old-growth logging opportunities through the creation of economic alternatives such as eco-tourism, sustainable aquaculture, non-timber forest products, renewable energy, and sustainable, value-added second-growth forestry. It should also provide the funding needed by First Nations for guardian and stewardship programs.

Conservation financing has already played a pivotal role in helping the Ahousaht Nation propose protection for the majority of the old-growth in their territory while supporting the creation of new sustainable business opportunities such as Ahous Adventures, an Ahousaht-owned and operated eco-cultural tour company in Tofino.

Tyson Atleo, Ahousaht Nation.

“We encourage those who are interested in learning more about Ahousaht culture and viewing the incredible natural beauty found in our territory to take a trip with Ahous Adventures next time they’re in Tofino,” notes Atleo. “Supporting conservation-based economies is integral to protecting old-growth ecosystems while still providing good jobs for members of our community that connect them with the land. We hope our story can be an example for other Indigenous communities who might be considering how to leave old-growth forests standing while building a more prosperous, sustainable economy.”

When visiting Ahousaht territory, visitors are encouraged to participate in their voluntary Stewardship Fee. Revenues from the Stewardship Fee directly fund the MHSS Stewardship Guardian Program which works on restoration, monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, and visitor engagement for the Ahousaht. Stewardship Fees can be paid online or at their office at 9-368 Main Street in Tofino.

“I extend my gratitude to the Ahousaht Nation for continuing to be amazing stewards of their lands in Clayoquot Sound, which harbour some of the most magnificent ancient forests, trees, and wildlife on Earth,” notes Watt. “Across BC, over a century of industrial logging has vastly decimated the productive old-growth forests with the giants like this one. Only a tiny, tiny fraction of the grandest temperate rainforest stands remain today. The BC government has a chance and an obligation to support First Nations communities to both protect these ecosystems while funding sustainable economic development alternatives. Creating conservation economies that allow new, sustainable jobs and businesses to flourish while preserving imperiled ecosystems is a win-win for humans and nature.”

The photos and exploration for this project were made possible in part by support from the Trebek Initiative, a grantmaking partnership between the National Geographic Society and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society that supports emerging Canadian explorers, scientists, photographers, geographers, and educators with a goal of using storytelling to ignite “a passion to preserve” in all Canadians. Watt was among the first round of grant recipients in 2021 and was named a National Geographic Explorer and Royal Canadian Geographical Society Explorer.

Aerial view over the ancient forests of Flores Island in Ahousaht territory in Clayoqout Sound, BC.

Background Info on Endangered Old-Growth Forests in BC

Old-growth forests have unique characteristics not found in the ensuing second-growth tree plantations that they are being replaced with and which are re-logged every 50 to 60 years on BC’s coast – never to become old-growth again. Old-growth forests are vital to support endangered species, the multi-billion dollar tourism industry, carbon storage, clean water, wild salmon, and First Nations cultures. Well over 90% of the high-productivity old-growth forests with the biggest trees and over 80% of the medium-productivity old-growth forests have been logged in BC.

Banana Slugs

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BC’s coastal rainforests are famously home to giant organisms. But beyond the big trees, these forests also produce giant slugs! The banana slug is the second largest slug on earth, being able to reach 9 inches (23 cm) in length. These charismatic, often bright yellow creatures are signature members of the rainforest community.

Banana slugs are enthusiastic omnivores that feed on plants, detritus, and carrion, but they seem to have a special fondness for mushrooms. Feeding is done through their specialized rasp-like tongue called a radula. This tongue is equipped with over 20,000 ‘teeth’ that the slugs use to shred their food. If mushrooms have nightmares, they’re probably of tooth-studded tongues!

Another secret to the banana slug’s success is its slime, which is hydrophilic and able to absorb 100 times its weight in water, keeping the slug moist. The slime also provides the animal with locomotion, adhesion, and protection.

The slime is neither solid nor liquid, but a strange substance known as a liquid crystal, in which the molecules are fluid but structured. The slime is, paradoxically, both an adhesive (allowing the slug to stick to things) and a lubricant, allowing the slug to slide without resistance. Thanks to slime, a slug can even travel across a razor blade without injury.

Finally, the slime provides protection, as it contains a paralytic toxin. Any human foolish to give a slug a big lick will find their tongue and lips go numb. Clever raccoons will roll the slugs in dirt in order to bind up and remove the slime before these little bandits dine on banana-escargot.

Scouler’s Corydalis

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Beautiful and extremely rare in Canada, the Scouler’s corydalis is found only on southwest Vancouver Island around the Nitinat, Carmanah, and Klanawa valleys in Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht territories. With delicate pink-purple flowers and bright feathery leaves that look like stylized green flames when first emerging, this relative of the bleeding-heart flourishes in the rich soils along the banks of the rivers as well as disturbed areas.

Scouler’s corydalis has some interesting strategies for distributing its seeds. When jarred, the elastic seedpods will hurl the seeds up to 2 metres away from the parent. Fascinatingly, the seeds of the corydalis are sheathed in a lipid-rich layer (called an eliaosome) that contain proteins, sugar, and vitamins, which is not believed to be for feeding the baby plant, but for ants!

Ants are thought to harvest these seeds and take them back to their nests, where they strip off the fatty, nutritious coating to feed to their offspring and toss the seed onto their rubbish heap. This nutrient-rich substrate provides the infant seed with ideal growing conditions and the new colony of corydalis gets a headstart in the ant colony’s waste management site. That same seed coating that is so delectable for ants is believed to taste repulsive to deer mice, a handy way to deter these rodents which might otherwise eat the seeds.

Scouler’s corydalis is provincially blue-listed with only 24 known occurrences in Canada. Not only are they rare, they’re also ephemeral, with the plant dying back in the summer after seeding. The beauty of this unusual plant is present for only a few short months in spring, one of the countless wonders of our incredible coastal rainforest. If you see it, savour the experience!

False Hellebore

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One of the most violently poisonous plants of the coastal rainforest is false hellebore (also known as Indian hellebore). This tall but unassuming plant grows in wet areas and is lethal if consumed. Even drinking water from where it grows has been known to cause stomach cramps.

In Chinook jargon, the historical trade language of the west coast, this plant was referred to as ‘skookum’ root, with ‘skookum’ meaning powerful or brave. Despite its toxic nature, this plant has enormous medicinal value for First Nations cultures, though practitioners would have to be extremely careful about consumption — something we do NOT recommend.

Totem Pole Ceremony – Opitsaht, Meares Island

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Last 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.

? TJ Watt with support from the Trebek Initiative

Double your impact when supporting AFA until July 15th!

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We’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:

  • Working with key First Nations partners to support Indigenous-led protected areas initiatives and sustainable economic alternatives to old-growth logging. Cost: $30,000
  • Exploring and documenting endangered ancient forests with professional photography and video. An important tactic for educating and mobilizing the public to speak up for old-growth forests and attracting international news coverage. Cost: $3,000
  • Completing 2023 mapping on the status of endangered old-growth forests on BC’s south coast. Cost: $2,000
  • Building and strengthening relationships with municipalities and non-traditional allies such as unions, chambers of commerce, faith groups, and tourism associations to build a broad-based movement of support for old-growth protection. Cost: $5,000

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:

  • Securely via our online form here
  • By phoning 250-896-4007 (Mon-Fri)
  • Mailing a donation to: Ancient Forest Alliance, 205-620 View St Victoria, BC, V8W 1J6

Thank you for your support!

Massive Thanks to our Incredible Business Supporters!

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We 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!