30+ ways you can stand up for old-growth forests today!

Thank you for standing up for the last remaining old-growth forests in BC!

We know how much you care about these irreplaceable trees and you’re not alone. 9 in 10 British Columbians support taking action for endangered old-growth ecosystems too.

There are so many unique and nourishing ways you can use your personal gifts to stand up for forests.

Over the next few crucial weeks, it’s going to take as many of us as possible to shine a light on the danger these ancient trees are in. So please help us to spread the message far and wide in whatever way speaks to you!

Can you:

Take the conversation further

Hold conversations among your friends and network to find 10 more people to send the online letter tool. This could look like a physically distant picnic to discuss old-growth forests, phoning people or convening an online discussion.

Call your MLA

Calling your MLA is one of the most effective ways to get the government to act – even more than petitions. And we’ve made it easy! We’ve created a calling system that will patch you in directly to your local MLA. Plus, we’ve provided some talking points if you need some inspiration. Use the calling tool here.

Donate

Please consider donating to Sierra Club BC to help support our work protecting endangered old-growth forests. A monthly gift of just $10 can make a big difference!

Support Indigenous land and water protectors who are calling for Indigenous governance authority to be respected.

• Donate funds to Nuchatlaht for legal fees and Salmon Parks traditional salmon laws development.
• Learn about the history of Indigenous peoples, both before contact with European settlers and since. Reflect on the ongoing violence that Indigenous peoples face in Canada as a result of the continuing legacy of colonialism — and how we can all take responsibility to stop it.
• Show up as a peaceful, anti-racist witness in solidarity with the land and water protectors.

Help build a buzz in your community

• Can you write a letter to the editor or an opinion piece for your local newspaper?
• Are you a member of a sports club or school? Can you write something for your newsletter or e-bulletin?
• Are you a member of a faith community? Can you help your organization dedicate service time or prayers to the old-growth cause?
• Are you a carpenter? Advocate for new purchasing policies around the wood your carpentry school orders for building projects. Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label to trust that the wood comes from a more sustainably managed forest.

Organize a day of action

Organize with your friends and family in ways that feel exciting to you. For example, you could:

• Host a community rally outside your local MLA’s office.
• Send your MLA artwork, photos, videos and stories about what forests mean to you.
• Hang banners in your community and around BC government offices calling for old-growth protection.
• Host a letter writing or sign painting party.
• Place (without nailing) “Please don’t log me” hearts on trees where you mountain bike, climb, hike, trail run – anywhere you enjoy the outdoors!
• Create a mural with washable chalk paint in front of MLA offices or FLNRORD office windows saying, “Save old-growth.”

Need support? Reach out to our Lead Organizer Flossie Baker who can help support your work for forests.

Calling all artists and storytellers!

Are you a visual artist, photographer, videographer, poet, writer or creatively-minded? Please share your work as widely as possible with messages about why these ancient trees are important to you. Don’t be shy! Whether sharing on social media, in a gallery, publishing your work in a local magazine or a personal blog – use whatever platforms feel right for you.

Hold industrial logging companies accountable

• Learn how to document concerning logging and engage with companies and local governments with this helpful guide.
• Register plant and animal species sightings in old-growth cutblocks flagged for logging by corporations or BC Timber Sales. You can register these sightings in the BC Conservation Data Center.
• Phone licensees operating in your area and ask for meetings and site plans to increase the social pressure directly on the company.

Speak out on social media

Share a photo, video, piece of art or written piece about why forests matter to you. Tag government officials to call on them to #SaveOldGrowth. (Pssst… be sure to tag us @sierraclubbc so we can give your post a boost on our channels)

Educate yourself

• Download our Old-Growth Forest Fact Sheet and find all our latest forest data, maps, press releases, blog posts and media on our Forest Stories page.
• Watch our two-part webinar, where campaigners Jens Wieting and Mark Worthing discuss the importance of ancient forests for healthy communities, a liveable climate and sustainable economies.
• Read the independent scientists’ report detailing just how few big, old trees remain in the province (you can find the highlights in our response, here).
• Read about how ending clearcutting in BC is as important for the climate as phasing out fossil fuels. Check out our Clearcut Carbon report (for highlights, click here).
• View and download our map State of Vancouver Island’s Coastal Temperate Rainforest showing the scarce endangered old-growth rainforest ecosystems and recent old-growth destruction on Vancouver Island.
• Read our submission to the provincial government’s old-growth review panel.

Teach the kids in your life about the importance of old-growth

Explore our free educational resources for kids from Kindergarten to Grade 8 to help them learn all about the wonderful forests in BC.

Hug a tree

Think about how you are breathing with a tree. It needs the carbon dioxide you breathe out, and you breathe in the oxygen that it releases. We are all connected.

If you have any questions or would like some support in taking these actions, please contact our Lead Organizer Flossie Baker at flossie@sierraclub.bc.ca

Protecting these forests can be exhausting and heartbreaking work. We know it can feel daunting but we are asking you to dig deep in these coming weeks and do all you can to bring attention to this situation. We will support you however we can.

Featured photo by Louis Bockner