Join TJ Watt, Hannah Carpendale and Michelle Connolly from the Ancient Forest Alliance to learn about the ecology and politics of BC’s ancient forests and find out how YOU can get involved in the growing movement to save them!
Thursday July 29th
7pm-8:30pm
Burnaby Public Library, McGill Branch
4595 Albert St. (near Hastings & Willingdon)
For more info, contact hannah@15.222.255.145
A federal Liberal member of Parliament is continuing his drive to expand the boundaries of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
Dr. Keith Martin, MP for Esquimalt – Juan de Fuca, toured a section of old-growth forest and some clear cuts near Port Renfrew last week with members of the Ancient Forest Alliance.
“These trees are some of the oldest living creatures on our planet,” said Martin, in a press release. “Cutting them down provides a short term benefit and a much larger long term loss.”
Martin also called for an end to old-growth logging in the Gordon River Valley, Upper Walbran and surrounding areas.
In the fall of 2009, Martin proposed expanding the park’s boundaries.
The park currently covers three sections: the Long Beach Unit, the Broken Group Islands Unit and the West Coast Trail Unit.
The Ancient Forest Alliance is a Victoria-based environmental organization dedicated to protecting old-growth forests.
The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone at Radio Contact Productions, Bigfish Lodge, Wild Coast Cottages, and Sitka Surfboards for organising such a successful event and so generously supporting the AFA. Thanks, as well, to all the volunteers, the event sponsors, the amazing musicians, and everyone who attended in support of the AFA!
Held Fri-Sat June 25-26, the Tall Tree Festival was a huge success. The 2 day music festival featured live music and DJs, with the proceeds going to the AFA. There was an AFA table set up during the festival and hundreds of signatures were collected for the Ancient Forest petition (https://16.52.162.165/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/petition//). Forest campaigner and photographer TJ Watt took to the stage on Saturday to tell the lively, hundreds-strong crowd about the dire need for the protection of BC’s endangered ancient forests.
Another massive THANK YOU is owed to Cindy Bernicot, who organised a very successful night of belly dancing, beer, and burgers in Fort Langley on June 5th. Almost 50 dinner tickets sold for the event and, all told, it raised nearly $600 for the Ancient Forest Alliance. We are extremely grateful for all this support at this crucial early stage of the organisation.
After hosting 7 “Karma Classes” in support of the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), Bikram’s Yoga in Saanich (https://www.bikramyogasaanich.com/) mailed a cheque to the AFA for nearly $1000!
THANK YOU so much to Abbey and all the staff at Saanich Bikram’s. We are so appreciative of this support, especially at this formative stage of the organisation.
IN CONCERT
What: Tall Tree Music Festival
When: Friday and Saturday (camping is available)
Where: Wild Coast Cottages, 6574 Baird Rd., Port Renfrew
Tickets: $70 (weekend pass) at Sitka Surf Shop, McPherson box office, and www.rmts.com
Information: talltreefestival.com
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Music festivals always face their toughest challenges the first time out of the gate.
Attendance is an unknown. On-paper procedures can be problematic when executed. And the x-factors — well, they are far too numerous to mention.
The organizers behind this weekend’s Tall Tree Music Festival, being held Friday and Saturday on the Wild Coast Cottages grounds, have already beaten the odds by eliminating one of the biggest obstacles in their path.
The inaugural event, which was set at a fixed capacity to minimize the footprint on the Port Renfrew festival site, is already nearing sell-out status. More tickets could have been issued, according to Mike Roma of Radio Contact Productions, whose collective is producing the event, but immediate financial gain was never the motivation.
“There’s something to be said about respecting where we are,” he said. “If it gets too out of control, it’s not fair to the town of Port Renfrew. You want to make sure that people walk away with a great experience, because the goal is to be able to do this for multiple years.”
Radio Contact and a group of like-minded collaborators (including Sitka Surf and Skate Shop, Whitebird Lounge, Saltspring Island Ales, and Wild Coast Cottages and Big Fish Lodge) put plans in place to ensure the event’s success, long before the first act takes the stage at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
Great care was taken to preserve the treed setting, which features views of the West Coast Trail.
The festival’s “no fires, no pets, no bad attitudes” motto is underscored by an emphasis on environmentally sound practices. Car-pooling is not only encouraged but promoted — a $20 carbon tax of sorts will be levied on vehicles parking with fewer than three passengers (a full car is free) — while a portion of the proceeds will benefit the town of Port Renfrew and the Ancient Forest Alliance, which protects old-growth forests.
The same care was taken when choosing the acts. Among those appearing this weekend are popular performers Aidan Knight, Current Swell, Jon and Roy, Listening Party, Quoia, the Racoons, and Vince Vaccaro, along with a dozen other bands and DJs.
Each one has roots on Vancouver Island and has a distinct following that should make for two well-rounded days of music, Roma said.
“Everybody looks off the Island, but you can look in your backyard, too,” he said. “The picking of the bands was something that was done to represent different circles. But all of them represent quality music.”
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TALL TREE CHECKLIST
Gates open: Friday, 5 p.m.
Age limit: 19 and over
Camping: On site and nearby at Pacheedaht campground
(both are separate from admission)
Tent size: No larger than 9 x 9 feet
Closest gas station: Sooke
Closest bank machine: Sooke
RVs: Permitted, but must park in lot (security patrolled)
Fires: Not permitted
Food: Available on site
Alcohol: Beer garden on site
Travel: Highway 14 via Sooke or Highway 18 via Lake Cowichan
On Sunday, June 6, the numerous cyclists participating in the Big Trees Pedal Powered Tour successfully completed the final leg of their 4 day, 260 kilometre self-propelled journey to see some of the stunning old growth forests of southern Vancouver Island. The trip was organised as a fundraiser and to raise awareness of the pressing need for protection of BC’s endangered forests. As part of their trip, the riders visited many of the biggest trees in Canada, including those found in the spectacular Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew. In recent months, freshly logged stumps measuring 45 feet in circumference have been found in the Gordon River Valley, just over a kilometre from Avatar Grove.
Everyone at the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) wishes to say a huge thank you to all the riders, to Tom Fortington for organising this awe-inspiring event, and to all those who PLEDGED to their support. In total, the pledged donations amount to over $4000, with all proceeds going to the AFA!
As a new grassroots organization and with our June 21 deadline to raise $20,000 fast approaching, we are in GREAT need of funding. Per dollar, your support will go farther with us than with virtually any other major environmental organization in the country, allowing us to build a most effective movement for our ancient forests and forestry jobs!
Now there is a new, quick, and convenient way to donate to the Ancient Forest Alliance over the phone! With just one phone call, you can support ancient forest protection in a matter of minutes!
Visa and Master Card are both accepted.
To donate by phone, please contact us at: 250 896 4007 from Monday to Friday.
***PLEASE CALL!
Whatever amount you can afford, we can assure you that YOUR support with the Ancient Forest Alliance will go farther with us. We are the BUSIEST environmental group with the LEAST funding right now! YOU can help us make this a sustainable organization by supporting us…
See our full funding appeal at: https://16.52.162.165/support.php
Currently we need funds to:
– Print 100,000 copies of a new educational newsletter that will go into “swing ridings” in BC that will exert disproportionate pressure on the BC Liberal government to change their backwards forest policies. This will cost $5000 for the printing alone.
– Undertake expeditions into endangered ancient forests on Vancouver Island and elsewhere to document their beauty and their destruction with professional photography and video.
– Organize Days of Action in front of BC Liberal MLA offices – right now the BC Liberal government contends that Vancouver Island’s endangered old-growth forests don’t require any protection and that raw log exports to foreign mills should continue.
– Establish new Ancient Forest Committees (activism teams) in swing ridings in BC that exert a disproportionate amount of pressure on the BC Liberal government.
– Build vital support among businesses, faith groups, unions, and First Nations.
You can also donate ONLINE with your credit card at: https://donate.ancientforestalliance.org/
Or you can MAIL in your cheque (made out to “Ancient Forest Alliance”) to:
Ancient Forest Alliance
706 Yates Street
PO Box 8459
Victoria, BC V8W 3S1
This weekend festival in Port Renfrew is being hosted by various local businesses, including the Bigfish Lodge, Wild Coast Cottages, Sitka Surfboards, and Radio Contact Productions, in support of the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA). The festival will feature bands and DJs from across Canada playing in a coastal venue with views over the West Coast Trail and the Port San Juan. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the AFA. For more information, please visit https://www.radiocontact.ca/
Tickets can be purchased at Sitka Surfboards at 538 Yates St in Victoria or online at the Royal McPherson website at: https://www.rmts.bc.ca/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=5093
Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113558335347102
The festival organisers are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. Anyone interested in getting involved should send an e-mail to: volunteers@talltreefestival.com
Ahimsa Yoga in Sooke is hosting a special Karma Yoga class with all proceeds donated to the AFA!
Saturday June 5th at 10:30am
Join us for a morning of nature inspired Yoga with Sarah Richer CYT in an effort to bring awareness and support to help stop the destruction of our beautiful, old growth “Avatar Grove” in Port Renfrew.
By donation, with all proceeds going to the “Ancient Forest Alliance”
Ahimsa Yoga & Fitness
www.ahimsasooke.com
6653B Sooke Rd
Sooke BC
V9Z 0A2
256.642.9642
A BIG THANK YOU TO AHIMSA YOGA FOR HOSTING THIS EVENT!
