FoCWs new calendar for 2022, if you wish to attend please contact us to register.
Big Lonely Doug outhouse
Outhouse at Big Lonely Doug Trail head.
On the weekend of March 5-6th volunteers with the FoCW and others helped finish off the outhouse project near the trail head of Big Lonely Doug. With the increasing numbers of visitors to the area it had became a priority before we could carry on with our work on the trails.
Again this area is not currently part of any of the recent logging deferrals and is not protected.
Trail to outhouse and privacy screens,
‘Eden Grove’ Arch.
On the rare rain free weekend of November 20th volunteers with FoCW were able to work on the trails in the unprotected ‘Eden Grove’ area of Edinburgh Mt, Pacheedaht territory. We also had time to put up this arch at the entrance of the trail. It’s made from a part of an ancient Red Cedar, the top of the tree the ‘castle’ or ‘reiteration’ where a new leader grows. It was pulled out of a slash pile, cut in half, book matched, turned upside down and set into the ground.
The latest on the NDPs logging deferrals show that there are some proposals for Edinburgh Mt but there are key areas that are missing protection like ‘Eden Grove’. This does not necessarily mean it will be logged but is mostly down to insufficient government data which shows it as being a low-prod hemlock stand. The governments science panel has acknowledged that some areas may be missed and that ground truthing and local knowledge should fill in the gaps.
Hoping that these trails and entrance arch will help!
October Trail Work
A few volunteers with FoCW had a chance to check and clear the hiking trails in the Central Walbran the weekend of 23rd-24th October and also try out a new cordless electric chainsaw. Thanks to the donors to our groups work that helped purchase this.
With the recent discoveries this summer of large numbers of nesting Marbled Murrelets in the vicinity of the trails it became clear that our work should be carried out during the spring and summer in as careful a way as possible to minimize disturbance and noise.
The chainsaw worked excellently providing us with a tool that can work in these sensitive areas, we will hopefully be able to get one more before the trail/visitor season starts next year.
Picture below is one of the many Ancient Western Red Cedars which were slated to be logged but is now included in the 2 year, 1500 hectare deferral in the Central Walbran. Amazing, something to celebrate and many thanks to the Pacheedaht Nation and the the many groups who have worked towards this including FoCW. We all hope this deferral will become full and permanent protection.
August 9th Forest Rally
FoCW update
FoCW have been working to support the current public interest in forest reform that is happening in Teal Jones TFL 46 which is near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. The many boots on the ground there means a lot of support for the blockades but also means that a lot of people are visiting the forests, we have been helping to mitigate these visitor impacts by; improving trails, adding boardwalk, wood chips, signage and outhouses. We hope this work in the future will be part of the “big tree tourism” of an alternative economic model. These forests are worth more standing!
We have been working under the guidance of members of the Pacheedaht First Nation and insuring adequate Covid precautions.
As soon as the lifting of Covid restrictions we will be going ahead with public openings of the improved trails, in the so called ‘eden grove’ area at Edinburgh Mt, Bio-Blitz (flora and fauna counts) and other public events.
FoCW Events (postponed until further notice)
Event cancelled, December 16th.
This event has been postponed until the new year. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Join the FoCW, Forests4climate and other groups for an Info Picket outside the British Columbia Timber Sales building at 727 Fisgard St, Victoria………..
Read article in Narwhal about BCTS illegal actions in liquidating the last of the Old Growth Forests.
Myco-Blitz Photos and Update
Many thanks to the Mycologically talented people who came out for the 2019 Central Walbran Myco-blitz (fungi count). We added over 50 new specimens to our ever growing list, delving deeper into this rare and magical place. Old growth forests contain a breadth of fungi that is not able to grow in the short harvest rotations of the tree farms that replace them.
Among the many things we learnt is that Western Red Cedars are loners, that is mycologically in the soil, not interacting in a similar way as the other trees do with each other. Their mycological relationship is their own and their related mushrooms when they fruit are so small as to be not visible to the naked eye!
Held with gratitude on the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht Nation. Check out the updated species list and please join us again next year. All photos by James Holko. Photo below of species of Phaeocollybia with its immense tap root, whose reason for is not yet understood!
Myco-Blitz October 5th 2019
Please come and join FoCW in the Central Walbran for a Myco-blitz, mushroom and fungi count.
Start time is 12.30pm with a brief introductory circle and welcome.
This is followed by guided hikes led by mycologists familiar with the wide variety of mushrooms to be found in the autumn rain forest.
Hikes finish at approximately 4.30pm .
Final identification of species and finish, 5.30pm.
Friends of Carmanah Walbran 