Tag Results

7 posts tagged Trees

May
01

Apr
03

Where the River Meets the Ocean It was a dreary rainy day so the shoot devolved to location scouting (still fun) and I captured this dramatic looking scene of the Nanaimo River Estuary - an essential hub of the Snuneymuxw territory on Vancouver Island. I’ll be back to this area to apply the NatGeo effect (shooting everything at sunrise and sunset). Vancouver Island Photography

Where the River Meets the Ocean

It was a dreary rainy day so the shoot devolved to location scouting (still fun) and I captured this dramatic looking scene of the Nanaimo River Estuary - an essential hub of the Snuneymuxw territory on Vancouver Island. I’ll be back to this area to apply the NatGeo effect (shooting everything at sunrise and sunset).

Vancouver Island Photography

Mar
27

Mar
17

Feb
04

Jan
05

Nov
22

Gnarly Forest Action I am a full fledged tree hugger. I heart trees. Looking through some photos from this summer I realized I have yet to do my full on Carmanah Valley photo journal. Maybe because it is blizzarding outside I am having some summer coastal rainforest nostalgia. Carmanah is a special place. Back in 1990 I used to work for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee (WCWC) - mostly canvassing to raise awareness about dominant environmental campaigns of the time. At that point the lower Carmanah valley had been “saved” by the high profile campaign to halt logging in the area. It was a significant victory, but it seemed cheezy since logging was continuing in the upper part of the valley - and everywhere else in the area. One of the reasons the campaign was successful was because boardwalks had been built as pathways through the majestic old growth forest enabling increasing numbers of the public to witness what was really under threat. In an effort to build on the success some efforts were made to use the same strategy to raise awareness about the Walbran valley (and eventually Sandstone and other areas to the South of Carmanah). I was part of a team that ventured into Walbran to build an eco-hut where path-builders could camp and store gear in preparation for a similar boardwalk. I felt pretty hardcore enviro at the time. Walbran was amazing and undoubtedly the most pristine wilderness experience I have ever had. Fortunately, it has remained relatively untouched and today is protected alongside Carmanah as one big park - but a very undeveloped park. When you go to Carmanah-Walbran you cannot miss the incredible devastation of clearcut logging (you have to drive through several to get there). Total bummer.  Being with the trees - particularly the giant ones - “recharges my batteries” as Richard St. Barbe Baker used to say. Known as the ‘Man of the Trees’ Richard St. Barbe Baker spent decades working for conservation and reforestation. He would hug trees and recharge. In meditation and martial arts practice these giant trees provide a profound example of how we can become flexible while still BEING rooted deeply to the ground. The fact that trees are the lungs of the earth and provide an exact mirror for our lungs and how we breathe (from gnarly branching appearance to CO2 & O2 exchange) is just a crazy phenomena that can send you on a  journey of contemplation of theoretical physics, full blown mysticism - or both.  I love trees. The above photos are a meagre attempt at capturing some of the beauty (and an ugly clearcut)… but you should just go there and experience it yourself. I just found a little article that recounts the history of the effort to save the valley. You can check it out HERE Keep it groovin.

Gnarly Forest Action

I am a full fledged tree hugger. I heart trees. Looking through some photos from this summer I realized I have yet to do my full on Carmanah Valley photo journal. Maybe because it is blizzarding outside I am having some summer coastal rainforest nostalgia.

Carmanah is a special place. Back in 1990 I used to work for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee (WCWC) - mostly canvassing to raise awareness about dominant environmental campaigns of the time. At that point the lower Carmanah valley had been “saved” by the high profile campaign to halt logging in the area. It was a significant victory, but it seemed cheezy since logging was continuing in the upper part of the valley - and everywhere else in the area. One of the reasons the campaign was successful was because boardwalks had been built as pathways through the majestic old growth forest enabling increasing numbers of the public to witness what was really under threat.

In an effort to build on the success some efforts were made to use the same strategy to raise awareness about the Walbran valley (and eventually Sandstone and other areas to the South of Carmanah). I was part of a team that ventured into Walbran to build an eco-hut where path-builders could camp and store gear in preparation for a similar boardwalk. I felt pretty hardcore enviro at the time.

Walbran was amazing and undoubtedly the most pristine wilderness experience I have ever had. Fortunately, it has remained relatively untouched and today is protected alongside Carmanah as one big park - but a very undeveloped park.

When you go to Carmanah-Walbran you cannot miss the incredible devastation of clearcut logging (you have to drive through several to get there). Total bummer. 

Being with the trees - particularly the giant ones - “recharges my batteries” as Richard St. Barbe Baker used to say. Known as the ‘Man of the Trees’ Richard St. Barbe Baker spent decades working for conservation and reforestation. He would hug trees and recharge.

In meditation and martial arts practice these giant trees provide a profound example of how we can become flexible while still BEING rooted deeply to the ground. The fact that trees are the lungs of the earth and provide an exact mirror for our lungs and how we breathe (from gnarly branching appearance to CO2 & O2 exchange) is just a crazy phenomena that can send you on a  journey of contemplation of theoretical physics, full blown mysticism - or both. 

I love trees.

The above photos are a meagre attempt at capturing some of the beauty (and an ugly clearcut)… but you should just go there and experience it yourself.

I just found a little article that recounts the history of the effort to save the valley. You can check it out HERE

Keep it groovin.