Victoria, BC – This Earth Day, the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) and Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) are calling on the BC government to refocus on their incomplete measures to protect old-growth forests, implement their draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework, and ensure a transition to a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry. At the same time, the groups are issuing a strong warning: commercial logging must not be permitted in protected areas under the guise of wildfire risk reduction.
“The BC government can go in two basic directions in response to the current tariff threats from the U.S.: take the easy but foolish route by falling back on the destructive status quo of old-growth logging and raw log exports, or instead take the opportunity to invest in a modernized, sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry that is the future of forestry in BC, while protecting the last old-growth forests,” said Ken Wu, Executive Director of EEA. “The verbal musings by the Ministry of Forests to discuss potential logging with BC Parks in parks and protected areas is a red flag for us – and a serious red line if it takes the form of commercial logging, as opposed to non-commercial restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems where decades of fire suppression has occurred. Crossing the red line into commercial logging of protected areas and/or Old-Growth Management Areas would become the biggest regret of the BC NDP government, environmentally speaking, if they choose to go there – we would ensure that this is so.”
This Earth Day, AFA and EEA are calling on the provincial government to:
- Establish a BC Protected Areas Strategy to proactively pursue the protection of priority ecosystems through shared decision-making with First Nations.
- Develop Ecosystem-Based Protection Targets to ensure endangered ecosystems and big-tree old-growth forests are fully protected in both legislated protected areas and in conservation reserves (forest reserves). The forthcoming Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework offers the greatest opportunity to implement these targets.
- Provide “solutions space” funding to First Nations to help secure the remaining 1.3 million hectares of priority old-growth deferrals by offsetting lost forestry revenues.
- Ensure a transition to sustainable logging of second-growth forests, which now constitute the vast majority of forest lands in southern BC.
- Close logging loopholes by ending logging in forest reserves such as Old-Growth Management Areas and Wildlife Habitat Areas, and ensuring commercial logging within parks or conservation reserves remains prohibited.
- Expand a smart forest industry by incentivizing value-added second-growth manufacturing, ending raw log exports, and promoting eco-forestry.
- Create a BC Conservation Economy Strategy to support eco-tourism, clean tech, and sustainable industries in protected areas.
Ancient Forest Alliance Campaign Director TJ Watt stands in the unprotected Jurassic Grove near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory.
“The BC NDP government should be thanked for its commitment to protect 30% by 2030 by securing over $1 billion in provincial-federal conservation financing to make it happen, deferring logging on 1.2 million hectares of the Technical Advisory Panel’s most at-risk old-growth, and starting the value-added, second-growth transition – but it still comes up short on both conservation policies and sustainable job creation,” said TJ Watt, Campaign Director of AFA.
In response to mounting pressures, including the threat of escalating U.S. tariffs, AFA and EEA call on the BC government to build a diversified and resilient economy by transitioning to a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry, protecting old-growth forests in partnership with First Nations, and creating incentives to support a conservation-based economy.
“This Earth Day, we urge the province to move forward, not backward, to build a diversified, resilient economy in BC while undertaking the vital and overdue protection of endangered ecosystems,” said Watt. “The BC government can achieve this by establishing a BC Protected Areas Strategy to proactively seek the protection of candidate protected areas in priority ecosystems through shared decision-making with First Nations. This strategy should be guided by Ecosystem-Based Protection Targets to ensure endangered ecosystems and big-tree old-growth forests are fully protected, and in the interim, we urgently need ‘solutions space’ funding to offset First Nations’ lost forestry revenues to help secure the remaining 1.3 million hectares of priority old-growth deferrals.”
AFA’s TJ Watt beside a giant old-growth redcedar tree cut down by logging company Teal-Jones in the Caycuse Valley.
To secure permanent protection for endangered old-growth forests, the groups also issue a warning to the Ministry of Forests that commercial logging within protected areas under the pretext of wildfire risk reduction will be greatly opposed.
In fire-driven Interior ecosystems of BC dominated by lodgepole pine, Interior Douglas-fir, western larch, and Ponderosa pine, decades of fire suppression by the province, carried out to maximize timber values for logging companies, have disrupted natural fire cycles. In some areas, this has led to unnaturally dense stands with greater fuel loads, including allowing in-grown trees (that would normally burn down when they are smaller from regular, natural ground fires) to grow larger and then act as “fire ladders” that enable flames to climb from the forest floor into the canopies, where they can catch onto the branches of the largest trees. These forest giants are normally fire-resistant at their bases due to their extremely thick, fire-resistant bark on their lower trunks, often allowing them to survive successive natural fire cycles. The increased fuel loads and the dense fire ladder trees, combined with climate change, are thus creating more intensive forest fires.
In these instances, ecosystem restoration in protected areas in the form of non-commercial (i.e., not for sale) thinning, prescribed burns, and where appropriate, an ecological wildfire policy of allowing natural wildfires to burn where it is deemed safe for human communities, can be merited to help restore the ecology of these fire-driven ecosystems (much biodiversity is dependent on the aftermath of these fires, where life proliferates) and to minimize the ultimate fire risk for any nearby communities. BC Parks has already used these methods in the past.
However, commercial logging for profit in parks and protected areas under the guise of fire management would be a completely different activity. It would include targeting of the larger, more commercially valuable trees and would set a precedent and open the door for a much greater scale of logging that is far more impactful than ecosystem-restoration initiatives. As such, conservation groups completely oppose it.
In addition, it should be noted that none of this has any relevance to coastal or Interior rainforests, should any PR efforts be undertaken by government or industry to justify potential logging in old-growth rainforests in protected areas under a fake fire-risk management banner.
“If the Ministry of Forests is in discussions with BC Parks to permit commercial logging in protected areas under the pretext of reducing wildfire risk, this is a red line that must not be crossed under any circumstances,” said Wu. “Non-commercial ecosystem restoration and fire-proofing areas adjacent to human communities are very different than commercial logging. Allowing commercial logging for profit in parks, conservancies, or Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) under the guise of fire risk management would ignite the biggest conservation battle in years against the province.”
“Logging old-growth forests for commercial purposes in the name of fire prevention is a Trojan horse for ecological destruction,” said Watt. “The province must focus on tackling climate change, the key driver behind the increasing scale and severity of forest fires, and non-commercial ecological restoration, while securing the protection of endangered ecosystems, especially carbon-rich old-growth forests, which play a vital role in climate stability.”
Endangered Ecosystems Alliance Executive Director Ken Wu stands beside a giant old-growth redcedar tree in the unprotected Eden Grove near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory.
Bigleaf Maple Flowers
/in EducationalAn early sign of spring in the coastal rainforest is a spectacular explosion of flowers, not on the forest floor but in the branches of bigleaf maples! These flowers hang in clusters, and their yellow-green colour may give the casual viewer the impression of emerging leaves. A close examination will reveal that the tree is indeed draped in hundreds of tiny blossoms, a floral show as fecund as a blooming cherry tree, but more subtly blending with the forest palette.
Not just a treat for the eyes, maple flowers are edible with a “subtle, but pleasant taste” enhanced by their abundant nectar. Avid foragers recommend them in salads, as soup garnishes, or baked into pancakes.
Although they don’t have the same reputation as the sugar maple of eastern Canada (yet!), bigleaf maples can also be tapped for their syrup, which is said to have a less sweet and more “earthy” flavour. Culinary values aside, it is a wonderful spring treat to walk in a grove of ancient maples draped in flowers. Seeing these huge, gnarled limbs garland themselves in blooms is a lovely reminder that you’re never too old to blossom.
Thank You for Celebrating 15 Years with Us ?
/in Events, Photo Gallery, Thank YouDear Ancient Forest Friends,
Thank you to everyone who attended and/or supported the Ancient Forest Alliance’s (AFA) 15th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser on May 1st at the beautiful Gorge Pavilion!
It was truly special to connect in person with our amazing community while reflecting on everything we’ve accomplished together over the past 15 years and looking ahead to what’s next.
From AFA’s humble beginnings, with co-founders TJ and Ken running things on a shoestring budget, to early wins like the protection of Avatar Grove, to the powerful movement we’ve built today—with over a billion dollars in provincial-federal funding now on the table for nature conservation in BC—it’s been an incredible journey so far!
Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $13,000 to support our efforts to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC. We’re so grateful.
Meeting many of you in person was a beautiful reminder of the dedicated, passionate, and kind community standing with us. As TJ shared during his presentation, AFA’s first year began with just 55 monthly donors, and 44 of you are still with us to this day. Your continued support, along with that of the thousands who’ve joined since, has been essential to AFA’s success over the past decade and a half. Thank you.
We also want to give a heartfelt shout-out to the local businesses and individuals who generously donated to our silent auction. Thank you to: Edith Looker, Helen Utsal, Cathy Hussey, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, Nathan Hutchinson, Mike Pedde, Living Forest Campground, Tantalus Design, BFit Personal Training, Organic & Sustainable Trading Company, The Basic Books Group & Thor Hanson, Viva Cacao!, Patagonia Victoria, Russell Books, Wildwood Saunas, Havn Saunas, Nicola North Art, WildPlay Element Parks, Seaflora Skincare, Robinson’s Outdoor Store, Silfr Metal Art, Understory Supply Co., and Amanda Key Design.
And a big thank you to Food For Thought Catering and Bon Macaron for the delicious eats, Twist of Fate for the refreshing drinks, Zero Waste Emporium for providing cutlery and mugs through their free dish library, and the Gorge Pavilion staff.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come and thankful to have you with us for what’s next.
For the forests,
The AFA Team
Earth Day — Environmental Groups to BC Government: Go Forward, Not Backward on Old-Growth Protection and Modernization of BC Forestry
/in Media ReleaseVictoria, BC – This Earth Day, the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) and Endangered Ecosystems Alliance (EEA) are calling on the BC government to refocus on their incomplete measures to protect old-growth forests, implement their draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework, and ensure a transition to a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry. At the same time, the groups are issuing a strong warning: commercial logging must not be permitted in protected areas under the guise of wildfire risk reduction.
“The BC government can go in two basic directions in response to the current tariff threats from the U.S.: take the easy but foolish route by falling back on the destructive status quo of old-growth logging and raw log exports, or instead take the opportunity to invest in a modernized, sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry that is the future of forestry in BC, while protecting the last old-growth forests,” said Ken Wu, Executive Director of EEA. “The verbal musings by the Ministry of Forests to discuss potential logging with BC Parks in parks and protected areas is a red flag for us – and a serious red line if it takes the form of commercial logging, as opposed to non-commercial restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems where decades of fire suppression has occurred. Crossing the red line into commercial logging of protected areas and/or Old-Growth Management Areas would become the biggest regret of the BC NDP government, environmentally speaking, if they choose to go there – we would ensure that this is so.”
This Earth Day, AFA and EEA are calling on the provincial government to:
Ancient Forest Alliance Campaign Director TJ Watt stands in the unprotected Jurassic Grove near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory.
“The BC NDP government should be thanked for its commitment to protect 30% by 2030 by securing over $1 billion in provincial-federal conservation financing to make it happen, deferring logging on 1.2 million hectares of the Technical Advisory Panel’s most at-risk old-growth, and starting the value-added, second-growth transition – but it still comes up short on both conservation policies and sustainable job creation,” said TJ Watt, Campaign Director of AFA.
In response to mounting pressures, including the threat of escalating U.S. tariffs, AFA and EEA call on the BC government to build a diversified and resilient economy by transitioning to a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry, protecting old-growth forests in partnership with First Nations, and creating incentives to support a conservation-based economy.
“This Earth Day, we urge the province to move forward, not backward, to build a diversified, resilient economy in BC while undertaking the vital and overdue protection of endangered ecosystems,” said Watt. “The BC government can achieve this by establishing a BC Protected Areas Strategy to proactively seek the protection of candidate protected areas in priority ecosystems through shared decision-making with First Nations. This strategy should be guided by Ecosystem-Based Protection Targets to ensure endangered ecosystems and big-tree old-growth forests are fully protected, and in the interim, we urgently need ‘solutions space’ funding to offset First Nations’ lost forestry revenues to help secure the remaining 1.3 million hectares of priority old-growth deferrals.”
AFA’s TJ Watt beside a giant old-growth redcedar tree cut down by logging company Teal-Jones in the Caycuse Valley.
To secure permanent protection for endangered old-growth forests, the groups also issue a warning to the Ministry of Forests that commercial logging within protected areas under the pretext of wildfire risk reduction will be greatly opposed.
In fire-driven Interior ecosystems of BC dominated by lodgepole pine, Interior Douglas-fir, western larch, and Ponderosa pine, decades of fire suppression by the province, carried out to maximize timber values for logging companies, have disrupted natural fire cycles. In some areas, this has led to unnaturally dense stands with greater fuel loads, including allowing in-grown trees (that would normally burn down when they are smaller from regular, natural ground fires) to grow larger and then act as “fire ladders” that enable flames to climb from the forest floor into the canopies, where they can catch onto the branches of the largest trees. These forest giants are normally fire-resistant at their bases due to their extremely thick, fire-resistant bark on their lower trunks, often allowing them to survive successive natural fire cycles. The increased fuel loads and the dense fire ladder trees, combined with climate change, are thus creating more intensive forest fires.
In these instances, ecosystem restoration in protected areas in the form of non-commercial (i.e., not for sale) thinning, prescribed burns, and where appropriate, an ecological wildfire policy of allowing natural wildfires to burn where it is deemed safe for human communities, can be merited to help restore the ecology of these fire-driven ecosystems (much biodiversity is dependent on the aftermath of these fires, where life proliferates) and to minimize the ultimate fire risk for any nearby communities. BC Parks has already used these methods in the past.
However, commercial logging for profit in parks and protected areas under the guise of fire management would be a completely different activity. It would include targeting of the larger, more commercially valuable trees and would set a precedent and open the door for a much greater scale of logging that is far more impactful than ecosystem-restoration initiatives. As such, conservation groups completely oppose it.
In addition, it should be noted that none of this has any relevance to coastal or Interior rainforests, should any PR efforts be undertaken by government or industry to justify potential logging in old-growth rainforests in protected areas under a fake fire-risk management banner.
“If the Ministry of Forests is in discussions with BC Parks to permit commercial logging in protected areas under the pretext of reducing wildfire risk, this is a red line that must not be crossed under any circumstances,” said Wu. “Non-commercial ecosystem restoration and fire-proofing areas adjacent to human communities are very different than commercial logging. Allowing commercial logging for profit in parks, conservancies, or Old Growth Management Areas (OGMAs) under the guise of fire risk management would ignite the biggest conservation battle in years against the province.”
“Logging old-growth forests for commercial purposes in the name of fire prevention is a Trojan horse for ecological destruction,” said Watt. “The province must focus on tackling climate change, the key driver behind the increasing scale and severity of forest fires, and non-commercial ecological restoration, while securing the protection of endangered ecosystems, especially carbon-rich old-growth forests, which play a vital role in climate stability.”
Endangered Ecosystems Alliance Executive Director Ken Wu stands beside a giant old-growth redcedar tree in the unprotected Eden Grove near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory.
BC Timber Sales (BCTS) Review Submission – AFA & EEA
/in AnnouncementsAncient Forest Alliance & Endangered Ecosystem Alliance’s recommendations to the BC Timber Sales Review.
Overarching Priority Recommendations:
Immediate Recommended Changes to the Current BC Timber Sales Policy Guidance on TAP Deferrals:
Become a Leader in a Sustainable, Value-Added, Second-Growth Forestry Industry
Conclusion
As a Crown agency, BC Timber Sales stands at a crossroads that affects all British Columbians. With direct government oversight, BCTS has both the opportunity and the obligation to implement bold policy changes that reflect the government’s commitments to biodiversity, climate action, and Indigenous rights. BCTS is the best vehicle for the province to lead the way on its land base toward the promised “paradigm shift” embraced by the BC NDP government in its BC Old-Growth Strategic Review panel’s recommendations. Strengthening old-growth protections within BCTS operating areas—especially the most at-risk forests identified by the province’s own science panel—would send a powerful signal that the government is serious about ending the logging of irreplaceable ecosystems and transitioning to a value-added, second-growth industry, which is the future for BC’s forest industry.
Conversely, if BCTS continues to auction off the last of the most endangered old-growth forests in the province, it will severely undermine public trust and the province’s credibility on environmental leadership.
The choice is clear: BCTS can help lead us toward a sustainable future focused on value-added products from second-growth forests. Or it can continue selling off irreplaceable ancient forests that, once gone, are lost forever.
The path BCTS chooses now will help define the legacy this government leaves for the land, communities, and generations to come.
The photos below highlight old-growth logging and forests within BC Timber Sales’ tenure on Vancouver Island, BC.
Western Trillium
/in EducationalVividly white when they first bloom, then frequently changing colour to deep pinks and purples as they mature, few rainforest flowers are as charismatic as the western trillium. Also called the “wake-robin” in reference to its early spring emergence, the trillium is immediately recognizable by its single flower atop three open leaves. Trilliums may take ten years to go from seed to their first flowering, and yet the above-ground plant only lasts a few short months, vanishing quietly as spring turns to summer. After flowering, trilliums may lie dormant for up to five years. So if you find one in the forest, savour it! It may be years before it flowers again.
SOLD OUT: AFA’s 15th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser on May 1st!
/in Announcements, EventsUPDATE: Tickets now SOLD OUT. Thank you for your support!
We’re thrilled to invite you to attend Ancient Forest Alliance’s (AFA) 15th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser on May 1st in Victoria! Enjoy food, drinks, socializing, a silent auction, and an engaging presentation from AFA campaign director & photographer TJ Watt and co-founder Ken Wu. Plus, there’s a chance to win some awesome AFA gear!
? Where: Esquimalt Gorge Park & Pavilion – 1070 Tillicum Rd, Esquimalt, BC, Lək̓ʷəŋən territory
?️ When: Thursday, May 1st, 6:00 – 9:00 PM (Doors open at 5:45 PM)
?️ Tickets: $35. Limited availability, so act quickly! Comes with free drink and appetizers.
Fifteen years ago, Ancient Forest Alliance started as a small but determined organization with a vision to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC. Since then, thanks to the dedication and passion of supporters like you signing petitions, attending rallies, reaching out to decision-makers, and giving when you can, we’ve grown into a strong, enduring force for change.
From securing the protection of Avatar Grove to exposing the worst logging practices in BC, garnering thousands of news media stories or landing hundreds of millions in conservation financing dollars, together, we’ve helped shape the landscape of forest protection in BC in major ways.
Now, as we mark our 15th anniversary, we’re hosting this special event as an opportunity to come together and celebrate our achievements, reflect on the journey, and rally support for the crucial work ahead.
Enjoy a new slideshow presentation featuring photos, videos, stories, and other highlights from the past 15 years and where we’re going next, along with appetizers, drinks, and mingling with AFA staff, volunteers, donors, and supporters. Plus, you’ll have the chance to win some awesome AFA gear and bid on fabulous silent auction items from several local businesses!
Please save the date, grab your tickets, and join us as we give thanks to our incredible community and raise funds to protect the globally rare old-growth forests in BC!
Can’t make the event but still want to support our efforts? Donate here!
What are Ecosystem-Based Protection Targets, and why does BC need them?
/in Announcements, EducationalView the slides to learn more & TAKE ACTION NOW by 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.
?️ Speak up! Take action today.
Thank you to these foundation donors for their generosity!
/in Thank YouDonations through foundations are a great way to contribute to Ancient Forest Alliance, as this funding allows us to continue our important work protecting the at-risk old-growth forests in BC and ensuring a transition to a sustainable, second-growth forestry industry!
Thank you to:
Your generosity and belief in the work we’re doing here at AFA are greatly appreciated, and we’re very grateful!
My Cowichan Valley Now: Conservationists call for BC forestry industry to be modernized
/in News CoverageMarch 22, 2025
By Hussam Elghussein
My Cowichan Valley Now
Conservationists want BC’s forestry industry to be modernized amid ongoing US tariff threats.
See original article here.
On Friday, the Ancient Forest Alliance and Endangered Ecosystems Alliance called on the BC Government to not only modernize the industry, but to also protect old-growth forests.
The aim is to bring a more sustainable second-growth forest industry to respond to tariff threats, with hopes it can lead to endangered ecosystems being protected and a more diverse economy.
Executive Director of the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance Ken Wu says the government can go in two routes in response to US tariffs.
“They can either fall back on the status quo of old-growth logging and raw log exports or instead take the opportunity to invest in a modernized, sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry that is the future of forestry in BC, while protecting the last old-growth forests,” said Ken Wu.
Campaign Director of the Ancient Forest Alliance TJ Watt says while they acknowledge the progress that has been made in protecting old-growth forests, they urge the province to fill the remaining policy gaps for these issues.
Both organizations recommend the province bring policies that support these changes.
“This should include financial incentives for new industry investments in value-added and engineered wood products made from second-growth wood,” said the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance.
“These incentives can include rebates derived from the log export “fees in lieu” and PST and property tax relief, as well as government support for R&D and domestic and international market development for sustainable wood products.”
Other changes they recommend include bringing a Conservation Economy Strategy to support economic opportunities, developing a Protected Areas Strategy to protect old-growth forests, and to implement a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework.
To see all of their recommendations, click here.
Toronto Star: The best place to go forest bathing? The ancient groves of Vancouver Island offer a meditative journey back in time
/in News CoverageMarch 20, 2025
By Wing Sze Tang
Toronto Star
This is no ordinary walk in the park. British Columbia is home to some of the most enormous trees on the planet.
See original article here.
Tucked in an inlet on southern Vancouver Island, in the unceded territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation, there’s a little community with a lofty reputation: Port Renfrew (population: shy of 300), the so-called tall trees capital of Canada.
But “tall” undersells the scale.
Some of the most enormous trees on the planet — Sitka spruces, Douglas firs, Western red cedars — flourish in the lush temperate rainforests of B.C., nurtured by the downpours and year-round growing season.
Some of them rival skyscraper heights. The most ancient are 1,000 years old or so. The trees in and around this town thrive in thickets like Avatar Grove (temporarily closed) and Eden Grove, their evocative descriptions nodding to cinematic beauty, an unspoiled paradise.
Some of the trees are famous enough to warrant their own names, like Big Lonely Doug, Canada’s second-largest Douglas fir, measuring 216 feet tall. Spared by a logger, he stands as a solitary survivor in a stump-filled clear-cut near Port Renfrew. Now a poignant symbol of what we lose when old-growth forests are destroyed, Big Lonely Doug has become an ecotourist attraction, too.
Historically, Port Renfrew was a logging town. Its reinvention as a travel destination — with a sort of undiscovered-Tofino-ish vibe — is relatively new. It remains a small stop on the Pacific Marine Circle Route, with still-spotty Wi-Fi and just a smattering of restaurants and hotels, including the plush seaside cottages at Wild Renfrew. There’s not much to do, besides breathe the salty air and take in the scenery, but that’s enough.
Visitors come to try their hand at sport fishing, roam nearby Botanical Beach, hike the challenging backcountry (there’s access to the West Coast Trail and Juan de Fuca Marine Trail) and, of course, commune with the colossal trees.
Credit for the rise of tall-tree tourism here goes to the Ancient Forest Alliance, a charitable organization that advocates for protecting B.C.’s endangered old-growth forests. According to the organization, the province’s southern coast was home to 3.3 million hectares of productive old-growth forests, in the time before settlers arrived. Today, only 860,000 hectares are left, and the majority of this remains unprotected from potential logging.
If big trees become a major tourist draw, the thinking goes, there would be more motivation (and political pressure) to save B.C.’s few remaining old-growth forests.
In 2009, while scouting around Port Renfrew, Ancient Forest Alliance co-founder and conservation photographer TJ Watt discovered a magnificent 50-hectare stand of enormous Douglas firs and red cedars. The relatively easy-to-reach wilderness area — it’s right off a road — would become Avatar Grove, home to “Canada’s gnarliest tree,” a strangely shaped red cedar distinguished by a 12-foot-wide burl.
The beloved Avatar Grove has been closed by provincial authorities since 2022, as it awaits necessary trail safety and environmental upgrades. There’s no reopening date yet. In the meantime, travellers can find a guide to other big trees in and around Port Renfrew on staging.ancientforestalliance.org.
There’s the Red Creek Fir, the largest-known Douglas fir on Earth, in the San Juan Valley. Near it is the San Juan Spruce, one of the country’s biggest Sitka spruce trees. About a three-hour road trip from Port Renfrew, there’s also Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park, one of the most accessible stands of old-growth Douglas firs on Vancouver Island.
What the facts and figures and record-book brags can’t quite convey is the profound awe of being here, walking among giants that have survived a millennium and will outlast us, if we care to protect them. There’s a sense of the sublime you won’t know — until you come and feel for yourself.