SAN FRANCISCO, 15 December – In spite of a law safeguarding ancient trees, animals and native old-growth within the Salmon Nation Rainforest, the British Columbia Ministry of Forests approved an illegal logging operation that put to death a colossal Yellow Cedar. That Ancient One had an astonishing 8.8-metre (29.9ft) circumference, one of the largest and oldest trees in the province.
This near 2000-year-old shrine and the surrounding rainforest was home to breeding marbled murrelets, a threatened species. These beautiful seabirds, first cousins of puffins and auklets, nest only in crowns of old-growth within the Salmon Nation Rainforest, laying one egg on a large branch festoon with lichens and mosses.
Since the Age of Modernity, British Columbia, Canada, has led the world in plundering its complex old-growth native rainforests. Nowhere on Earth has a major region been endowed with a more unique and diverse array of breathtaking native forests and animals. In fact, its coastal temperate Salmon Nation Rainforest is three-fold more effective at stashing carbon than the Amazon Rainforest.
British Columbia’s coastal old-growth native forests are only bested by one other superlative carbon stockpiler within the Salmon Nation Rainforest, the Coastal Redwoods. Redwood old-growth lockdown carbon six times better than the Amazon Rainforest. Distressingly, less that one percent, or ~30,000 hectares (74,000ac) of old-growth Redwood is left on Earth. A hundred years of plundering have decimated the finest rainforest, Redwoods, in the Milky Way Galaxy.
So, why should YOU care about old-growth native rainforests? Think about the holiest church or sanctuary that you have ever visited. Then imagine it exhaling oxygen with plentiful cancer-preventing airborne molecules. Soothing sounds of flowing freshwater melt away stress, while the undeciphered animal languages, liveliness and much mystery, pique your curiosity. Meanwhile, conjure up a spicy burnt molasses aroma with other exotic aromatic resins wafting through your nasal passages, providing resistance to infections and toxins. Heaven is indeed on Earth, an old-growth native rainforest.
Old-growth native rainforests are Mother Earth’s unparalleled treasures. Native forests are, in truth, holy ground because of the time-tested, self-organised networks of cooperative biological communities that flourished there.
If, as people say, trees are the “lungs of the planet”, then animals are the “veins and arteries”, and the wee ones, such as flies and beetles, are the “capillaries”. Together, the animals are the heart of native forests.
Moreover, ancient big native forest trees make up about one per cent of all living trees. Those Majesties hold an astounding 50 per cent of the standing planetary carbon. And, as they age their ability to storehouse carbon, as wood, gets better. Some species stow almost 70 per cent of all their carbon in the last half of their lengthy lives.
It is imperative to understand there is no manmade carbon capture system that rivals Mother Earth’s perfect Giant native forest trees. So, why are all the Giants not protected with personhood rights (like those bestowed upon corporations) and guarded by thousands of Mother Earth-loving people?
Allow me to remind you, the world’s remaining Giants within old-growth native forests make flying rivers that irrigate the world’s breadbaskets. They release chemicals that create clouds to cool off the planet. And, old-growth boreal, temperate and tropical native forests are unequalled terrestrial carbon amassers.
In the case of British Columbia, Yellow Cedars are my favourite trees because they span back to the birth of Christ. Terrifyingly, Yellow Cedars are climate victims. With a lack of snow cover and frozen roots, almost 70 per cent of British Columbia’s Yellow Cedars have perished.
Yellow Cedar old-growth native forests are essential habitat for Grizzly and Black Bears, Mountain Goats, Wolverines, Cougars, Sea Wolves, Martens, Northern Flying Squirrels, Elk, Moose, Stellar Jays, Sooty Grouse, Eagles, Owls, Salamanders, and Chinook, Coho and Chum Salmon. Incidentally, salmon support 138 other rainforest species, including nourishing tree roots with nitrogen. Hence the dub, Salmon Nation Rainforest, in their honour.
To the British Columbian SUBSIDISED blood-stained forestry annihilators, I say: “Enough is enough.” Over the previous century, YOU have thieved $600,000,000,000 of Mother’s outstanding freshwater-making native forests, ruined unrepeatable wildlife habitats, accelerated the Sixth Mass Extinction, obliterated vast carbon repositories and stoked an unstable global climate.
Shame on British Columbia’s government for its unchecked dereliction of duty and greed that hath no bounds.
No one in their right mind would dare demolish heaven; so, why in bad grief are we allowing corrupt governments, forestry corporations, oligarchs and transnational organised crime to destroy Mother Earth’s inimitable native forests and animals that sustain glorious planetary life?
Vigorous old-growth native forests are crucial for continued colonisation of Earth. The universal answer lies in justice, loving more, taking less and – at all costs – defending native forests and animals.
Hoy! Gen Zs and Gen Alphas, four billion strong – have at it.
Agitate. Disrupt. Defend.
Reese Halter is a bees/trees/seas defender.
Unearthly Wails is a special edition, a collection of poetry
illustrated by renowned Ojibwa artist Terry McCue.
Email: HalterBooks@gmail.com to order
