Here are some pics from the closing night of 'From Above', an aerial photography show featuring photos from across Vancouver Island shot by Jeremy Koreski Photography, Graeme Owsianski, Christian Coxen, pilot Nick Temos, and myself. A huge thanks goes out to Nick from Pacific Northwest Collective for flying us around to all these rad places (without crashing) and for organizing the printing and framing for the show! Big thanks as well to White Sails Brewing for the delicious beers and for hosting the event + all those who came out and supported the show!
Published and News
Tonight! Closing Part for 'From Above' Photo Show
Guest Judge for British Columbia Magazine 2017 Photo Contest
Thanks to the fine folks at British Columbia Magazine for inviting me to be the guest judge of their 2017 Photo Contest! Grab a copy of the latest issue to view the winning pics and a feature on the gear I use in the field.
Reader's Digest: The Loneliest Tree In Canada
Standing in line at the grocery store or waiting at the doctor's office, I never guessed that one of my photos would end up in a Reader's Digest, but this shot of Matthew Beatty climbing Big Lonely Doug is featured in the latest issue with a story by Harley Rustad. I wonder if Doug knows just how famous he's become?
New Documentary: Giant Tree Hunters
I'm excited to share the new documentary Giant Tree Hunters about the efforts to find and protect Canada's largest trees and grandest old-growth temperate rainforests on Vancouver Island! The film features the activities of Ancient Forest Alliance campaigners Ken Wu and myself; forest ecologists Dr. Andy MacKinnon and Dr. Sally Aitken of the BC Big Tree Registry; and tree climbers Matthew Beatty and Damien Carre of Expedition Old Growth. It was produced by Nootka St. Film Company for Telus Optik TV. Huge thanks to everyone who brought this project to life!
New Documentary: "No Degree of Scarcity"
In his new 8-minute documentary titled No Degree of Scarcity, renowned US filmmaker Joe Callander highlights Big Lonely Doug and old-growth logging on Vancouver Island. Joe came to the island for a brief stint and followed myself and Ken Wu of the Ancient Forest Alliance through the clearcut around Big Lonely Doug by Edinburgh Mountain and to the Walbran Valley. He also spoke with Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce president Dan Hager about old-growth forests and the local economy. The video includes some of my photography and drone footage as well. Thanks to Joe for taking the time to cover this story. You can see more of his films here.
Ahousaht First Nation Bans Industrial Logging & Mining In Their Traditional Territory
In what is the largest leap forward in old-growth forest protection on Vancouver Island in decades, the Ahousaht First Nation band recently announced their land use plan vision that prohibits industrial logging, mining, and oil and gas development in 82% of their 170,000 hectare territory while supporting sustainable economic development in selected areas. Their territory in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino is home to the largest tracts of old-growth forests of any Vancouver Island band. I'm deeply grateful for the incredible leadership shown by the members of this community and for the hard work of the conservation organizations involved as well. Knowing that wild places like the Sydney Valley (pictured above) have finally been declared safe is an amazing feeling. It's nice to have some good news every once and a while.
- Ahousaht First Nation's press release with maps: www.mhssahousaht.ca/news/press-release-ahousaht-land-use-vision
- STAND.earth's press release: www.stand.earth/latest/ahousaht-announcement
- DeSmog Canada article featuring my photo: www.desmog.ca/2017/01/27/first-nation-just-banned-industrial-logging-and-mining-vancouver-island-territory
- Times Colonist news article: www.timescolonist.com/business/island-first-nation-bans-mining-and-clearcutting-1.9279987
'Back to the Roots' - Vancouver International Film Festival - Nov. 23 2016
I'm excited to be a part of 'Back to the Roots', a forest-themed evening at this year's Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) taking place tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 23 at the Rio Theater. I'll be presenting the Ancient Forest Alliance documentary produced by Darryl Augustine, the drone video I filmed of our climb up Big Lonely Doug, and a slideshow of my favourite images from the coast. The night also features a peek at the Heartwood Documentree by Daniel Pierce and a short documentary titled "Primeval" by Damien Gillis on the ancient forests of the Incomappleux Valley. The event starts at 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm) and tickets ($19) are available online here. If you're in the area, it would be great to see you there!
The night was fantastic!! Thank you to everyone who made it out! It was an honour presenting to a sold-out crowd of over 400 people. If you weren't able to make the event, you can still see the videos I shared below. Best, TJ.