This is a call to rally allies and a call for help in my mission to bear witness to and take pictures in the heart of the Ada'itsx (aka Fairy Creek) Rainforest to protect it for future generations
I can't wait to tell you about the ancient beings I meet there and the stories they hold.
I am especially excited to witness and connect with the stones at the heart of the valley, within the flowing living waters. Waters that have been gathered, nourished and protected for millennia by tall rooted beings.. I sense those stone beings will have very important stories to tell indeed.
I wonder how much logging like this could be related to Canada’s struggles with wildfires. If they’re planting black spruce when they take these down, as I heard was happening in other Canadian forests, that’s an extremely flammable species. Best of luck on your journey and with this endeavor!
It most certainly is related, as I was saying in a recent note ( https://substack.com/@gavinmounsey/note/c-124166413 ) old growth primary forests are forest fire resistant, manmade forestry industry plantations (planted with a single species after clearcutting) are highly susceptible to extreme "forest" fires (actually would be more accurately described as "monoculture tree plantation fires").
97% of "forest fires" in BC, Alberta and Ontario in the last decade were in forestry industry planted monoculture tree farms (which many mistakenly and erroneously describe as "forests").
Farm plantations of a single species planted close together for easy profiteering for the logging industry are not wilderness places anymore and they are certainly not forests (a forest is a community made up of diverse tree species existing at many ages and spaced naturally).
Thus, in reality, most of the smoke people are breathing in and blaming on "wildfires" is actually not due to "wild fires" nor "forest fires" as most of the places that are burning are neither wild nor forests any longer. In reality, people are breathing in human logging industry tree monoculture farm fire smoke.
Clearcutting operations in BC often plant one species in the place of the diverse forests they have destroyed (creating a situation that is like a pile of match sticks and kindling waiting to go into flames with a single lightning strike). Whether it is Black Spruce or some other single species (or even a small handful of multiple species) planted super close together (all being the same age) the result is the same (a tree farm that is stripped of biodiversity and that is highly prone to unusually intense fires).
Thank you for the kind well wishes and thoughtful comment.
This is so helpful to know, Gavin! Do you have any references or perhaps maps showing that 97 percent of the Canadian wildfires are in plantations? I've been wondering about this for a while but haven't seen any scientific papers documenting this. Thanks for considering my request, and thanks for the good work you do.
Another pertinent variable, the prolific use of Glyphosate in conjunction with the creation of the industrial logging industry's tree plantations (erroneously/fallaciously referred to as "managed forests")
Thanks for your interest in learning more on this topic and for the kind words.
I have too many plates spinning right now to dig up the maps but I found the data by a combination of personal experience living in BC, having a forester as a grandpa and then cross referencing maps that show areas logged of old growth forest (and re-planted with tree farms) and the new "wild" fires occurring.
With regards to studies relating exploitative forestry practices to forest fires, I think you will find a similarly industry dominated academic landscape to pro-Big Pharma papers in the medical field. "Big Lumber" has an army of think tanks pumping out propaganda in universities distorting people's perception of what "old growth forest" means and blaming "climate change" for all the problems their exploitative profiteering operations are causing. So not seeing any scientific papers documenting that says very little about the absence of data or facts, and a lot about the success of corporate domination of the academic circles.
For some pertinent data and lines of thought, here is a thread on this topic worth unravelling a bit:
Thanks, Gavin. I understand, and it’s helpful to know that you did the research using maps and such. I agree with you that it’s logging and other human activities rather than climate change causing so much trouble in our forests. I wrote about that very thing last week, in my publication, Eco-Logic.
one of my sisters saw the fairies dwelling in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest in numerous occasions when we were children on vacation … I have wondered if they are still there or if they must migrate to unspoiled areas when their habitat is threatened.
at the time she referred to them as “eelies” and when my mom asked why she called them eelies she said it was the noise they made (she would scream “eeeeeeeeeeeeeee” at the top of her lungs running down the paths, the moss covered surfaces muffling, softening the sharp noise… this happened every time we went hiking in a rainforest… it was unforgettable.)
decades later I read a Time-Life book about fairies (which I gave my sister for her birthday) and it discussed the fairies in the British Isles called “Seelies” due to the sound they make… confirming they weren’t just a figment of imagination.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story! I’ve had similar experiences in other environments. If you have not already done so, you must read this marvelous book from 1972, “Secret in the Stlalakum Wild”. It’s aimed at thoughtful kids about age 10, but I promise that thoughtful adults will enjoy the story and the extraordinary illustrations. I’d love to find something for adults on the subject. You can borrow it from your public library on Interlibrary Loan (ILL) - just show them this listing: https://search.worldcat.org/title/340603?oclcNum=340603
That is very interesting regarding the beings and their characteristic sounds.
The rainforest watershed I will be visiting got it's English title from the Nu'chek (indigenous) word for that valley (it is a dialect of the Nuu-chah-nulth language) which is Ada'itsx.
Ada'itsx speaks to the small multi-dimensional beings that Pacheedaht stories speak of living in that valley (and the surrounding valleys/mountains back when they still had their magical/spiritual qualities intact).
The Pacheedaht First Nation have a traditional stories about "little people" (called "Ma-ma-kwa-se-suk" by some) that are said to be able to become invisible, turn into rocks, and either imbue blessings or hinder the endeavors of humans (depending on if the human's intent is honorable or not). Those stories also speak about how those beings have a high pitched voice, so perhaps the beings your sister perceived and the "Ma-ma-kwa-se-suk" and other similar legends of various indigenous cultures oral traditions that refer to the "little people" of the rivers, forests and mountains are one in the same?
I think I shall bring some sage, sweetgrass and sacred stones from our garden to leave as an offering to the "eelies" when I enter the valley.
I love this more than I can say, Gavin! I can’t wait to hear all about it! 🌲🌲💚
I can't wait to tell you about the ancient beings I meet there and the stories they hold.
I am especially excited to witness and connect with the stones at the heart of the valley, within the flowing living waters. Waters that have been gathered, nourished and protected for millennia by tall rooted beings.. I sense those stone beings will have very important stories to tell indeed.
Thanks for the comment my friend.
Please tell the ancient Trees and Stones that Barbara, your Nature sister to the south, says hello! :)
I wonder how much logging like this could be related to Canada’s struggles with wildfires. If they’re planting black spruce when they take these down, as I heard was happening in other Canadian forests, that’s an extremely flammable species. Best of luck on your journey and with this endeavor!
It most certainly is related, as I was saying in a recent note ( https://substack.com/@gavinmounsey/note/c-124166413 ) old growth primary forests are forest fire resistant, manmade forestry industry plantations (planted with a single species after clearcutting) are highly susceptible to extreme "forest" fires (actually would be more accurately described as "monoculture tree plantation fires").
97% of "forest fires" in BC, Alberta and Ontario in the last decade were in forestry industry planted monoculture tree farms (which many mistakenly and erroneously describe as "forests").
Farm plantations of a single species planted close together for easy profiteering for the logging industry are not wilderness places anymore and they are certainly not forests (a forest is a community made up of diverse tree species existing at many ages and spaced naturally).
Thus, in reality, most of the smoke people are breathing in and blaming on "wildfires" is actually not due to "wild fires" nor "forest fires" as most of the places that are burning are neither wild nor forests any longer. In reality, people are breathing in human logging industry tree monoculture farm fire smoke.
Clearcutting operations in BC often plant one species in the place of the diverse forests they have destroyed (creating a situation that is like a pile of match sticks and kindling waiting to go into flames with a single lightning strike). Whether it is Black Spruce or some other single species (or even a small handful of multiple species) planted super close together (all being the same age) the result is the same (a tree farm that is stripped of biodiversity and that is highly prone to unusually intense fires).
Thank you for the kind well wishes and thoughtful comment.
This is so helpful to know, Gavin! Do you have any references or perhaps maps showing that 97 percent of the Canadian wildfires are in plantations? I've been wondering about this for a while but haven't seen any scientific papers documenting this. Thanks for considering my request, and thanks for the good work you do.
Wow, this is great! I really appreciate this. Best of luck on your journey.
Another pertinent variable, the prolific use of Glyphosate in conjunction with the creation of the industrial logging industry's tree plantations (erroneously/fallaciously referred to as "managed forests")
"Forest Herbicides, Monocultures Drive Wildfires"
https://www.theenergymix.com/forest-herbicides-monocultures-drive-wildfires-harm-wild-species/
Other pertinent data sets and articles:
- https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eap.1710
- https://stopthespraybc.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Cumming.2001.EcolAppl.pdf
- www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/cutting-it-close-logging-canadas-boreal-report.pdf
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037811270900036X
- https://davidsuzuki.org/expert-article/will-logging-more-in-healthy-forests-reduce-wildfire-risk/
- https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/environment/fires/the-ns-wildfires-are-not-natural-disasters-climate-change-forest-management-and-human-folly-are-all-to-blame/
- https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/cover-stories/disaster-capitalism-8684508
Hope that helps!
Thanks for your interest in learning more on this topic and for the kind words.
I have too many plates spinning right now to dig up the maps but I found the data by a combination of personal experience living in BC, having a forester as a grandpa and then cross referencing maps that show areas logged of old growth forest (and re-planted with tree farms) and the new "wild" fires occurring.
With regards to studies relating exploitative forestry practices to forest fires, I think you will find a similarly industry dominated academic landscape to pro-Big Pharma papers in the medical field. "Big Lumber" has an army of think tanks pumping out propaganda in universities distorting people's perception of what "old growth forest" means and blaming "climate change" for all the problems their exploitative profiteering operations are causing. So not seeing any scientific papers documenting that says very little about the absence of data or facts, and a lot about the success of corporate domination of the academic circles.
For some pertinent data and lines of thought, here is a thread on this topic worth unravelling a bit:
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2023/06/are-the-canadian-wildfires-really-natural-disasters.html
Thanks, Gavin. I understand, and it’s helpful to know that you did the research using maps and such. I agree with you that it’s logging and other human activities rather than climate change causing so much trouble in our forests. I wrote about that very thing last week, in my publication, Eco-Logic.
one of my sisters saw the fairies dwelling in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest in numerous occasions when we were children on vacation … I have wondered if they are still there or if they must migrate to unspoiled areas when their habitat is threatened.
at the time she referred to them as “eelies” and when my mom asked why she called them eelies she said it was the noise they made (she would scream “eeeeeeeeeeeeeee” at the top of her lungs running down the paths, the moss covered surfaces muffling, softening the sharp noise… this happened every time we went hiking in a rainforest… it was unforgettable.)
decades later I read a Time-Life book about fairies (which I gave my sister for her birthday) and it discussed the fairies in the British Isles called “Seelies” due to the sound they make… confirming they weren’t just a figment of imagination.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story! I’ve had similar experiences in other environments. If you have not already done so, you must read this marvelous book from 1972, “Secret in the Stlalakum Wild”. It’s aimed at thoughtful kids about age 10, but I promise that thoughtful adults will enjoy the story and the extraordinary illustrations. I’d love to find something for adults on the subject. You can borrow it from your public library on Interlibrary Loan (ILL) - just show them this listing: https://search.worldcat.org/title/340603?oclcNum=340603
Or you can buy a used copy:
https://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&ref=bf_s2_a1_t6_6&qi=1Q2BVU18E0OQtG8tPz3pMgyasow_1749741657_1:1239:2140&bq=author%3Dchristie%2520harris%26title%3Dsecret%2520in%2520the%2520stlalakum%2520wild
Thank you for sharing that story with us all.
That is very interesting regarding the beings and their characteristic sounds.
The rainforest watershed I will be visiting got it's English title from the Nu'chek (indigenous) word for that valley (it is a dialect of the Nuu-chah-nulth language) which is Ada'itsx.
Ada'itsx speaks to the small multi-dimensional beings that Pacheedaht stories speak of living in that valley (and the surrounding valleys/mountains back when they still had their magical/spiritual qualities intact).
The Pacheedaht First Nation have a traditional stories about "little people" (called "Ma-ma-kwa-se-suk" by some) that are said to be able to become invisible, turn into rocks, and either imbue blessings or hinder the endeavors of humans (depending on if the human's intent is honorable or not). Those stories also speak about how those beings have a high pitched voice, so perhaps the beings your sister perceived and the "Ma-ma-kwa-se-suk" and other similar legends of various indigenous cultures oral traditions that refer to the "little people" of the rivers, forests and mountains are one in the same?
I think I shall bring some sage, sweetgrass and sacred stones from our garden to leave as an offering to the "eelies" when I enter the valley.
Thanks again for the thoughtful comment.
There are fewer and fewer unspoiled areas left for the eelies to flee to, yet another reason to save those which are left.