Orange flagging tape marked "Falling Boundary" ropes off massive red cedars in a section of the Avatar Grove near Port Renfrew

Pandora fans feeling blue over the Earth

/in /by

What’s 12 feet tall and blue all over?

If you’ve seen the movie Avatar — and who hasn’t? — you’ll know the answer to that question is the Na’vi, the incredibly cool, nearly naked aliens with cornrows and braids who live on the incredibly cool, beautiful planet known as Pandora, all threatened by the techno-military-industrial (and little) bad guys from Earth, who lust for a metaphorical mineral called “unobtanium.”

That’s us, folks.

People have begun to notice a strange thing when they take off their 3-D glasses and re-enter the real world after a two-hour 40-minute exposure to Pandora. This beautiful place, inhabited by intelligent (and really tall) beings who have a direct link to Aywa, a.k.a. Mother Nature, is so vividly drawn that the planet we actually live on, Earth, seems like a giant slum.

Moviegoers are pouring their hearts out on blogs and chat rooms, all mourning the loss of Eden, er Earth, and wishing they were cool and connected like the Na’vi.

There’s at least one group that’s not lying around in a Pandora-induced coma. The Ancient Forest Alliance, based in Victoria, gets Avatar and understands its value in spawning a whole new generation of Na’vi-loving environmentalists. Not daunted by the anti-global warming backlash, the alliance has picked a likely forest near Port Renfrew and dubbed it “Avatar Grove.”

Sounds so much better than Tree Farm Licence No. 46.

We dare you, says the alliance, to clear-cut this little slice of Pandora on Earth. If I’m the Teal-Jones Group, which owns the licence, I’d send my PR department to the movie to take notes. Can you imagine Hollywood actresses in cornrows chained to trees, weeping for Avatar Grove? The Ancient Forest Alliance can.

It’s entirely possible the Last Battle for the Planet Earth will be played out in Canada. After all, James Cameron, Avatar’s creator, is Canadian; his art director studied the Athabasca oilsands project for its lurid images of environmental destruction.

And British Columbia is one of the last Pandora-like preserves on Earth. Its ancient forests (sounds better than old growth, no?) protect 1,600 species at risk and 60 per cent of the nation’s evergreen trees.

Even the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, once a bastion of hewers of wood, now believes the best bet for the future is to save Avatar Grove for the tourists. If you loved the movie, stay tuned for the sequel — it’s coming soon to an ancient forest near you.

Undated image from the Tahsish Valley on Vancouver Island

Old-growth logging blamed for Island wasteland

/in /by
Rare old-growth Douglas Fir trees in the threatend Koksilah River grove.

Koksilah River Old-Growth In Jeopardy

/in /by
By Lexi Bainas, The Citizen March 12, 2010
The Cowichan Valley Regional District will write to provincial Forests Minister Pat Bell and TimberWest, asking that any timber harvesting within the vicinity of the Koksilah Ancient Forest and the upper Koksilah River corridor be held in abeyance while consideration be given to other potential interests in these lands.

Warrick Whitehead, who’s been spearheading the push to save this old-growth forest beside the Koksilah River in the Shawnigan Lake area since 2007, told the CVRD’s parks committee March 10 that he’d been up to the beautiful area recently and seen new logging boundary and road location ribbons on the trail into the big trees.

“After many phone calls and emails I was again able to save this area from logging and roadbuilding, which was about to begin,” he said.

Kirk Taylor, vice-president of sales and marketing for Couverdon Real Estate, which is selling the land for TimberWest, replied to him that although they were planning to put the land on the open market, they were willing to hold off on harvesting until after the March 10 CVRD meeting.

Postponing logging was very important as no negotiations had been started, no boundaries set and no surveying done for acquisition, Whitehead told the committee March 10.

Since first hearing about the trees years ago, Whitehead has taken hundreds of people to visit the grove, which is located not far from Burnt Bridge, near but not part of the Koksilah River provincial park.

Notified of the need to protect this additional piece, the province has expressed an interest in purchasing the land for a park at some point but there is no money for that right now, he said, telling directors that immediate action is called for.

“This logging is planned in the area that is extremely important to the integrity of this whole project, the link between the Koksilah River Ancient Forest and the downstream properties that will have access to it.”

While he stopped the logging for the moment, it’s merely a postponement as he has no power to do more, Whitehead said.

“TimberWest and Couverdon will not hold on to these private lands without a positive response from the CVRD. Without your political support, we could lose this opportunity forever.”

Whitehead asked urgently for the regional district to be a leader and contact Couverdon to set up negotiations.

Once that is done, the next step will be fundraising to buy the land and Whitehead said he’s lined up retired TV exec Kim Wildfong to help generate public campaigns and negotiate matching funding from various foundations and government agencies, many of whom are already interested in the project.

“The Environment Canada Natural Areas Conservation Program has, for example, a fund of $225 million ‘to secure environmentally sensitive lands to ensure protection of our diverse ecosystems, wildlife and habitat’. This project is perfectly matched,” he said.

After hearing Whitehead’s presentation directors quickly decided to write to the Minister but wanted more time to hash out the subject in private.

However, they all liked Director Gerry Giles’ idea of a tour of the land in question.

“It’s a really majestic sight. The hike in is not severe. When you are standing in that grove, it’s far more impressive than a picture,” she said.

Saltair Dir. Mel Dorey and Malahat-Mill Bay Dir. Brian Harrison agreed that the subject must be dealt with expeditiously as the land is now at risk.

“There’s no point in buying a property if the trees have all been cut down,” Harrison said.

News Article: https://www.canada.com/business/Whitehead+urges+action+save+forest/2673585/story.html

Wu atop a red cedar stump in Upper Walbran Valley.

Ken Wu Wants to Save ‘the Avatar Grove’

/in /by

Ken Wu knows how to get attention for ancient forests.

When we met at the Bread Garden Café on Broadway in Vancouver just after the news broke a few weeks ago that he and several other tree-hugging stalwarts from Vancouver Island had splintered from the Western Canada Wilderness Committee to form the Ancient Forest Alliance, the former Victoria campaign director for WCWC mentioned how much he enjoyed the movie Avatar.

A few weeks later he’d not only shone the media spotlight at his new organization — while repeatedly resisting the opportunity to take potshots at his old one for closing down the office that has been home base for many Vancouver Island environmentalists — he’d launched a new high-profile campaign to save an ancient forest near Port Renfrew that his group has dubbed what else but “the Avatar Grove.” Also known as TFL (Tree Farm License) 46, the stand, which includes some of South Island’s largest red cedars and Douglas firs, is scheduled to be logged any second now.

If the name attracts the attention of Avatar creator James Cameron — and in the days of Twitter and Google alerts you never know (this’d be the hint for whoever reads Cameron’s press to alert him before it’s too late) — this could be the most inspired new name for a patch of endangered land since “The Great Bear Rainforest.”

I spoke to Wu about the challenges of starting a new group — their total bankroll when we met was just over $200 — his excitement at the freedom that comes with not being part of a group with charitable status and his conviction that he could build an effective new organization from scratch with the magic of Facebook and the alliance he helped build on Vancouver Island.

At press time the Alliance’s two Facebook groups already had close to 7,000 members.

Logging markings in Port Renfrew.

World’s Largest Douglas-fir Under Threat

/in /by

Please Note: Keith Martin supports an expansion of Pacific Rim National Park, not necessarily the heritage trees designation as stated in the article.

The world’s largest Douglas fir tree, the famous Red Creek Fir tree, located in Port Renfrew at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, remains vulnerable to the effects of logging in an adjacent old-growth forest, claim environmentalists.

The Red Creek Fir giant, a major tourist attraction in the region, stretches more than 73.8m (242ft) in height with a trunk 4.2m (13’ 9”) wide, has environmentalists concerned that the venerable fir will loose its forest padding sheltering the enormous tree to future logging in the area.

“They’ve already logged almost 90% of the old-growth forests on the south island, including 99% of the ancient Douglas firs,” explains Ken Wu, co-founder of the newly-formed Ancient Forest Alliance.

A Ministry of Forest and Range spokesperson, in a recent Times Colonist interview, stated that British Columbia Timber Sales has no immediate plans to log in the area.

However, Ancient Forest Alliance, in conjunction with Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Keith Martin, want the British Columbia government to establish a Provincial Heritage Trees designation that will identify and protect the 100 largest and oldest specimens of each of the province’s tree species. Currently there is no provincial legislation that specifically protects the largest or oldest specimens of BC’s world-renowned old-growth trees.

“If we have laws that recognize and protect heritage buildings that are 100 years old, why don’t we have laws that recognize and protect our 1000 year old heritage trees? How many jurisdictions have trees that can grow as wide as a living room and as tall as a downtown skyscraper,” asks TJ Watt, photographer and co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance.

British Columbia is home to a number of record-size ancient trees including the world’s largest Douglas fir (the Red Creek Fir near Port Renfrew), the world’s second largest western red cedar (the Cheewhat Cedar by the West Coast Trail/ Nitinat Lake), and the world’s second largest Sitka spruce tree (the San Juan Spruce by Port Renfrew). The majority of British Columbia giant trees lack official recognition or protection.

world's largest Douglas fir tree
Ken Wu stands beside the Red Creek Fir tree. Image courtesy TJ Watt.

Some moviegoers leave Avatar depressed

The Avatar blues

/in /by

When you stop and think about it, post-Avatar depression isn’t as bizarre a phenomenon as it seems.

If news reports and postings on fansites such as Naviblue and Avatar Forums are to be believed, many filmgoers are feeling as blue as those tall, peace-loving Na’vi aliens after watching James Cameron’s stunning 3-D sci-fi epic.

Some have even said they felt suicidal after removing their 3-D goggles when the closing credits rolled on the blockbuster that, with a $2.5-billion box-office take, has dethroned Titanic as the world’s top-grossing film.

Such dark thoughts have spawned online forum threads with titles like Ways to Cope With the Depression of the Dream of Pandora Being Intangible.

“I have a depression. It makes me want to go to Pandora and stay there,” wrote a user named loverofnature, referring to the idyllic planet where gentle blue-skinned natives who live in harmony with nature are threatened by Earthmen.

In an apparent metaphor for the way European settlers wiped out native Americans, the glowing planet is being exploited by a corporation strip-mining a rare mineral, since the human race has depleted Earth’s natural resources.

When some twentysomething moviegoers left a screening of Avatar at Silver City the other day complaining they felt “bummed-out” that Earth wasn’t more like Pandora, I felt like snapping: “Get a grip! It’s only a movie.”

It wasn’t until I took a closer look at some online forums for fans and like-minded victims of Avatar-induced melancholia that I realized it isn’t just the usual web wingnuts sounding off. Reassuringly, thoughtful concerns are also being aired.

Many viewers recognize that Avatar — apart from its exotic, computer-generated and Oscar-worthy beauty — is a cautionary environmental parable that shrewdly blurs the line between fact and fiction.

While it’s bizarre some avid Avatar fans don’t seem to get that Pandora, with its wondrous alien ecosystem and weird wildlife, is a Utopian fantasy world, their sudden sorrow is understandable.

The pristine planet is a reminder of how beautiful our own blue planet was before we messed with it.

(One idealistic poster named Jorba has even pledged to start his own Na’vi tribe on Earth. OK.)

“Are there other people out there who think humanity is going south?” asks another, LifeOnATree.

She laments how she and so many others feel compelled to buy things that aren’t necessary.

“I need them to ‘bear’ the world around me,” LifeOnATree writes.

Avatar is just one of many tales of doom and gloom out there. From such apocalyptic fantasies as I Am Legend, The Road and The Book of Eli to chilling real-world exposés of humanity’s self-destruction like An Inconvenient Truth and Collapse, it appears “feel-bad” movies have become fashionable.

“When we have these movies that talk about the end of the world or life as we know it, or an unstoppable force, it can put us into a sense of helplessness or dread or fear,” Victoria registered clinical counsellor Lisa Mortimore explains. “Psychophysiologically our bodies can go into immobility in response to that shutdown, and that can translate into depression.”

While Avatar might spark a so-called depression, I see it as more of a rude awakening with an upside. Such films can inspire a shift in consciousness and an appreciation for what we’ve too long taken for granted.

Ken Wu, co-founder of Victoria-based Ancient Forest Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of B.C.’s old-growth forests, says it irks him so many people are unaware we have “the real Pandora” on our doorstep.

“It struck me as being an incredible analogy of what’s happening on earth,” says the five-time Avatar viewer. “We have giant moss and fern-draped ancient trees almost as large as Home Tree, spectacular creatures like bears, wolves, mountain lions, wolverine and elk in our forests, and giant blue whales, killer whales, elephant seals and huge stellar sea lions along our wild coast. People just need to be more aware.”

Wu advises those stricken with depression to take a stand.

His group has even come up with a three-step “cure”, starting with helping to protect disappearing ancient trees such as Avatar Grove, the film-inspired nickname for a 10-hectare stand on Crown land near Port Renfrew designated for logging.

“Get out and experience nature, take action to defend nature and get others to do the same,” Wu says. “You have to learn to appreciate this beautiful planet.”

Related Stories

TJ stands in the forefront wearing a black hoodie. Behind him stands a number of old-growth cedars and other ancient trees.

A Channel News – Giant Fir Threatened

/in /by
\

PORT RENFREW – Conservationists say the BC government is putting the future of the World’s tallest Douglas fir tree in jeopardy.

The Red Creek Fir Tree towers above a stand of old growth forest about a half hour from Port Renfrew. But the Ancient Forest Alliance says nearby logging could threaten the mighty fir. If the forest around the tree was cut down, the group says the mighty fir tree would be exposed to fierce winds roaring up the valley.

They want the province to consider protecting the red creek fir tree and the surrounding forest by creating an ancient forest reserve.

Rare stand of old-growth trees near Port Renfrew only partly protected says eco-group

/in /by

Logging is already prohibited in part of a stand of massive old-growth trees near Port Renfrew that the community and environmentalists want protected, but it’s not nearly enough, say members of the Ancient Forest Alliance.

A section of the stand, nicknamed Avatar Grove, is in an old-growth management area, meaning no cutting is allowed, Forests Ministry spokeswoman Vivian Thomas said yesterday.

However, TJ Watt, co-founder of the environmental group, said ministry maps show only a small ribbon along the Gordon River is protected, while most of the biggest trees are marked for cutting.

“The most valuable stands of cedars and firs are outside the old-growth management area,” he said. “The only way that area is going to function as a proper ecosystem is if the whole area is protected. Putting a ribbon down the creek fractures everything.”

The ministry map shows three small sections of old-growth management areas in the immediate vicinity of the stand of huge and twisted trees.

Ken Wu of the alliance said the government should consider expanding the management area, intended to protect biodiversity, to cover the entire stand.

Surrey-based Teal-Jones Group has cutting rights and has marked the area for logging, but did not respond to numerous calls yesterday. Thomas said the company is in the preliminary planning stages, and has not yet submitted a cutting-permit request.

John Cash, president of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, said protecting extraordinary stands of old-growth, such as Avatar Grove, is the best way forward for the struggling community.

A survey five years ago found the biggest tourist draw in Port Renfrew is Botanical Beach and the biggest money draw is fishing — although that industry is having difficulties — but most people also want to see the big trees, Cash said.

“Everyone wants to see the Red Creek Fir and it’s almost inaccessible,” said Cash, who recently put together a big-tree tour map so tourists wouldn’t get lost on the logging roads.

“Every attraction we can bring in is one more day we can keep people here.”

Cathedral Grove draws 1.5 million people a year, but shows only a small sliver of old-growth, while areas near Port Renfrew show the entire natural habitat, Cash said.

The Pacific Marine Circle Route is beginning to bring people into the community of 270 people, he said. “But we have to have something to show people, otherwise we are dying.”

Jessica Hicks, owner of the Coastal Kitchen Cafe, is hoping the grove and other spectacular stands of old-growth will be protected. “The trees are such a draw. People want any excuse to just get out there for the day and seeing the big trees is pretty amazing,” she said.

Nearby Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park is difficult to reach, so a nearby attraction would provide the wow factor, she said. “This could be the future of Port Renfrew.”

Environmental group: Protect rare forest giants marked for logging near Port Renfrew

/in /by

Some of the giants stretch straight to the sky for 80 metres, while others are bulbous and misshapen, the knots and gnarls betraying their age.

The old-growth Douglas firs and red cedars have stood in the valley beside the Gordon River for centuries, but now, in the almost undisturbed grove, the end is spelled out in spray paint and logging tape.

The approximately 10-hectare stand of trees on Crown land, 15 minutes outside Port Renfrew, is marked for logging, although a Forests Ministry spokeswoman says no cutting permit has yet been issued.

If the newly formed environmental group Ancient Forest Alliance has its way, logging plans for the area would be scrapped.

“This area is just about the most accessible and finest stand of ancient trees left in a wilderness setting on the south Island,” said co-founder Ken Wu. “This is potentially a first-rate ecotourism gem and it’s so close to Port Renfrew.”

The stand, nicknamed Avatar Grove after the movie because of the twisted shapes, giant sword ferns and hanging mosses, was located by self-styled big-tree hunter TJ Watt in November. But when he and Wu returned this month, the biggest trees were surrounded by falling-boundary logging tape and marked with blue spray paint.

What make the grove different from other fragments of south Island old growth is the relatively flat terrain, nearby areas of protected old-growth such as the Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park, and its proximity to Port Renfrew, a community attempting to attract eco-tourists.

“All other unprotected old-growth stands near Victoria are either on steep, rugged terrain, far along bumpy logging roads or are small isolated stands surrounded by clearcuts and second-growth and near human settlements,” Wu said. “This is one of the last of the old-growth valley bottoms.”

On Monday, the Ancient Forest Alliance will deliver a letter to Forests Minister Pat Bell asking that the stand be protected immediately by a Land Use Order, similar to the process being used to protect areas of Haida Gwaii and 1,600 hectares of coastal Douglas fir zones on the east side of Vancouver Island.

Watt is desperately hoping the province will step in.

“This is my passion. This is what gets me excited,” he said, staring at the crazily twisted trees. “You can’t help but develop a natural attachment to this area when you see it.”

Getting up close and personal with the Avatar Grove is not a walk in the park. There is no defined trail, massive rotting trees litter the ground and unexpected holes are covered by moss.

But it’s worth it, said Watt, hoisting himself up onto a giant burl.

“It would be a huge tragedy to lose something like this,” he said.

“Tourists come from all over the world to visit the ancient forests of B.C. and Avatar Grove stands out as a first-rate potential destination if the B.C. Liberals don’t let it fall.”

Bell could not be contacted yesterday afternoon and there is uncertainty about which company is planning to log the area.

Surrey-based Teal-Jones Group is cutting in the area and Forests Ministry spokeswoman Vivian Thomas said the Pacheedaht First Nation has a licence to remove wind-throw nearby.

“But we haven’t received a cutting-permit application in that area and you need an approved cutting permit before you can start logging,” she said.


T.J. Watt of the Ancient Forest Alliance stands by a stand of old growth forest just outside of Port Renfrew that is designated for logging
Photograph by: Debra Brash, Times Colonist

Ancient Forest Alliance

TJ Watt Exclusive Interview Canadian Landscape Environmental Photographer

/in /by

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything. It doesn’t always have to be people or objects. I once heard a quote by Robert Adams that reads “No place is boring, if you’ve had a good night’s sleep and have a pocket full of unexposed film”. Quickly after meeting Canadian based landscape photographer TJ Watt I realized that this quote was written about him.

TJ Watt is a professional photographer living in the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC. Born and raised in the rural town of Metchosin, he carries with him a strong passion for the outdoors, the environment, and life itself. TJ combines his personable nature, physical endurance, and strong knowledge of the natural world to cover a wide variety of important social and environmental issues. Whether it involves forging rough rivers, hiking through mountainside clear cuts, or hanging 100ft off the ground from the canopy of an old-growth tree, TJ brings back solid images that tell a compelling story. TJ’s past work is quite diverse. He has worked on a number of interesting and imporatnt projects for various ENGO’s such as the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Sierra Club BC, and Spectral Q. His images have been published in the Times Colonist, Vancouver Sun, Victoria Daily News, Granville Magazine, Monday Magazine, JPG Magazine, Color Magazine, SBC Magazine, Concrete Wave, WCWC calendars and newsletters, and a variety of online media.

Daniel: Tell me about yourself, where are you from, what have you been up, where did you grow up?

TJ: My name is TJ Watt, I am 2wenty 5ive years old, and I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up in the enchanted rural town of Metchosin, BC on Vancouver Island (Canada). I’ve lived here my whole life and would love to continue to do so either in a house or in the bush if I have to! As of late my involvement in the environmental issues facing BC’s forests has expanded through co-founding the newly formed Ancient Forest Alliance! (www.ancientforestalliance.org). We’re working to protect the remaining endangered old-growth forest ecosystems in southern British Columbia and ensuring sustainable logging practices take place in second-growth forests. I am also an avid hunter of big trees and like peanut butter and cucumber sandwiches.

Daniel: When did photography become more then a hobby of yours?

TJ: It’s been a slowly evolving process I guess that started with saving up points on a gas station card to buy disposable cameras to shoot with. I was drawn right away to photographing nature, initially in a more abstract way, which overtime I have combined with my passion and concern for our natural environment. I’m not sure there was a specific transition point, just little changes here and there.

Daniel: Canada seems to have some amazing natural places, where is your favorite spot to take photographs?

TJ: Yes! The outdoors here is world class, especially in British Columbia with huge snowy mountains, long sandy beaches, and 1000+ year old trees growing over 50ft around! On the island we have the largest living examples of Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, and Douglas Fir trees in Canada! The Red Creek Fir being the largest of its kind in the world! So as far as a favorite place goes, that is tough. It’s a close call between a pristine and virtually un-explored old-growth forest with giant monster trees and the top of a mountain with a wide expansive view at sunset.

Daniel: You do a lot of nature photography, do you go out by yourself?

TJ: Yes, I find myself alone much of the time. There are probably a few reasons for that. For practical reasons, I find it much simpler being able to move at the pace I like and take whichever route I want to, while also being able to stop for long periods of time for a shot without feeling like you’re holding anyone up. Another big reason though is I truly enjoy quiet solitude, especially when surrounded by lush forests and peaceful wildlife. There is nothing quite as healing as time spent wandering the woods alone.

Daniel: I know Vancouver Island has quite a lot of bears.. Have you ever had an encounter with a Grizzly bear? Have you ever thought this might happen, are you afraid – and what do you do to avoid this (e.g. gear equipment)?

TJ: While it is true there are a lot of black bears on the Island, Grizzly Bears actually haven’t made it here other than the odd one so they’re of no concern. Black Bears are actually much more a passive creature than you might expect. You really don’t stand much of a chance of having bear bother you unless you tie a steak’n’apple pie to yourself and then go smack one with a stick until it chases you. We have wolves and cougars as well but again, they’re much more likely to run away from you then come after you if you’re even lucky enough to see one. You should still be smart about things though like never camp in remote areas with food in your tent, never try and pet a bears babies, don’t try and ride a cougar like a wild horse, etc. As far as protection goes, I do carry a knife on my side for general safety and sometimes keep bear spray with me but I have yet to have to use either so far.

Daniel: What is it like being in the wild by yourself with just a camera? And how often do you travel?

TJ: Being alone in the wild, as I mentioned before, is the most peaceful and rejuvenating thing. It’s very humbling and helps to put life’s dramas in into a more leveled perspective. It also forces you to be much more aware of your surroundings and what is happening at each moment in time. There is no listening to your I-Pod while texting on your Blackberry. Your eyes are much more open, ears tuned into each sound, and steps more thoughtfully placed. It brings out much more primal movements and feelings in you including natural fears. It’s a bit of rush in a way to have the sense that the playing field is flipped and you are no longer in your usual territory anymore.

Daniel: Tell me about the SOS for World’s Whales, how did you get involved in this? What is it all about?

TJ: The image of the Orca whale was created by artist John Quigley of Spectral Q productions. He was in the middle of creating various whale images along the west coast from Baja, Mexico all the way to Alaska. The focus was on the fact that there is still a large threat to the world’s whales though most people think they are fully protected. To create the image he arranged over 500 school children into the shape on the ground and then we shot it from a helicopter for perspective. I really lucked out in getting the chance to shoot this actually. At the time, I was working on my portfolio for photo school and got word through a friend that he was going to be creating this piece so I phoned him up in Los Angeles and asked if he had a photographer already. He didn’t and decided to give me the chance to take the shots! It was quite the experience shooting out the open door from 1000ft in the air. We could have no loose articles on us whatsoever as the pilot said they could get sucked out the opening, go into the rear rotor, and we would all crash to the ground and go bang.

Daniel: If you could choose – what is your dream place to go to solo with a camera?

TJ: Hmmm… into space! If I could float around in a little clear glass bubble and photograph the giant nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies of this totally unbelievable universe that would be the most mind boggling thing in the world. Or, I guess out of the world.

Daniel: Share with us a good photography quote

TJ: “Say Trees!” oh….not funny.

See TJ’s photos at the Bloginity.com page with this interview or his own site www.utopiaphoto.ca.