I’m standing at the edge of a clearcut where a towering ancient cedar and hemlock rainforest used to be. One giant cedar tree remains in the middle, a lonely monument holding the memories of creatures who used to call this place home. Only a year ago, this clearcut was a forest full of life.
It’s been three years since the BC government promised to protect the ancient trees in our forests, but those trees continue to fall. Almost 400 square kilometres of old growth forest were logged last year alone.
When you think about threatened wild places, you might not think of the interior of BC. Maybe you think about coral reefs or the Amazon. But right here in BC lives the last somewhat intact Inland Temperate Rainforest in the world – home to the endangered mountain caribou and vast stores of carbon. Every day this incredible place is being mowed to the ground, one clearcut at a time.
Thousands of you have come together to put a stop to planned old growth logging in Argonaut Creek, and it was you who protected ancient and old growth forest in the new Incomappleux Conservancy. Your voice has been critical, but there is still more we must do to protect our forests. Will you give today to defend our old growth forests?
Together, we will keep the pressure on government as they draft new legislation to protect biodiversity and ecosystem health in partnership with Indigenous Nations — legislation that could fundamentally change how we log and how much we log. Your gift today will also support expert research directly on the ground, backing up our fight with facts and showing the world what’s at stake.
We know that the government won’t go far enough to protect all of our old growth, so we must seize this opportunity to get the strongest laws in place that we possibly can. Now is the time to act to change the paradigm for our forests.
We can imagine a better future for BC’s forests. A future where all ancient and old growth forests are protected. Where we hear the sound of migrating songbirds instead of chainsaws. Where we heal the landscape of the scars of endless roads, returning them to the wild. Will you make a gift to give our forests a fighting chance?
It breaks my heart to return to what was once a grove of ancient trees to find nothing but stumps. I know that when we stand tall together with our ancient trees, we can put a stop to the senseless destruction of our forests.
Will you join me, to fight for a future where our grandchildren can walk among these towering giants and feel the same sense of awe that we do today?
For the wild,
Eddie Petryshen
Conservation Specialist, Wildsight
p.s. Giving monthly is the most effective way to protect our wild places. Join me and our dedicated crew of monthly donors to defend our old growth forests all year round.