Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/725964
AN ISLAND APART IT WAS 2009, AND ENVIRONMENTALIST T.J. WATT WAS SCOUTING OUT THE FORESTS NEAR THIS LOGGING TOWN ON THE WEST COAST OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. BY JIM BYERS "I was just driving around on this old road and I saw the way the landscape was shaped and saw some tree growth. I thought it might have some old- growth forest so I just pulled over and walked around." Only a few feet from the road he discovered a magical world of towering cedars and firs that are hundreds of years old, with gnarly "burls" the size of a Smart Car and lime green ferns and thick carpets of deep green moss. He also found tags on the trees that suggested they might soon be logged. "I got back to Victoria and told a friend I was working with to help save local forests and he almost didn't believe me. He kept saying, 'You mean you were just driving around and pulled over and discovered this forest that's not even on a map? And it's 10 feet from the road? Yeah, right.'" Watt and his friend, Ken Wu, went on to found the Ancient Forest Alliance in an attempt to protect the wondrous forests of British Columbia. They nicknamed this particular 50- hectare plot Avatar, after the movie of the same name. BACKGROUND: The magical beauty and serenity of Vancouver Island is best experienced on walks through its many provincial parks. Destination BC/JF Bergeron OPPOSITE LEFT: The south side of Vancouver Island is filled with glorious rainforests that are perfect for hikers of all abilities. Destination BC/Rick Graham OPPOSITE RIGHT: A stunning waterfall awaits visitors to Mystic Beach after a hike through the rainforest between Sooke and Port Renfrew. Destination BC/Rick Graham