I was excited to check out another legacy forest with Scott and our crew. I slipped on my twelve-year-old, but still in good shape, hiking boots and packed the usual into my backpack.
“Ready to go?” Scott tossed his camera and gear into Greyjoy’s backseat (our Overlander Trail Team FJ Cruiser, aka “Fake Jeep”).
“Yup. All set.”
On the short drive, we chatted about what to expect on today’s hike. In the past, we had done basic surveying, which involved measuring trees, evaluating the densities of ground and top canopies, and identifying some plants. Since we were still new to surveying, we looked forward to learning more from an experienced forest advocate/defender/surveyor.
The hike was moderately challenging from the start, but the views were stunning. To this day, we haven’t seen a forest decorated with so many towering ‘cathedrals’ (hollowed-out snags/dead trees). I told Scott they reminded me of the Fortress of Solitude in Superman. The name seemed fitting here, too.
Sadly, this timber sale was also aptly named, “On The Line” by DNR (Department of Natural Resources). She was beautiful. Her trees were a mixture of old growths, snags, and “mature” (not yet considered an old growth). Dense top canopies shaded the rainforest, allowing endless varieties of plant species.
We took a snack break from our training. While the crew yapped with each other and Scott continued photographing as much as he could, I found a large fallen tree calling out my name. I sat down, tuned out the noise, and found myself faced with the harsh reality of On The Line’s future while relishing in her beauty. Scott captured that moment, and my expression says it all.
I couldn’t fathom the thought of those logging machines plowing through the diverse ecosystem and the abundance of trees that help all creatures, including humans, in so many ways. My heart ached. I stepped down, walked toward Scott, and told him, “I can’t believe it! I just can’t believe it!”
I truly understand that logging is how some local families survive, but we are at a time when we must make drastic changes. Our destruction of these magnificent and ecologically important, life-saving forests is destroying not only wildlife and their habitats but also our survival.
Now, those who know me know I’m not a big fan of our human species, to say the least. That story is for another time, but for those who care more for our human existence than our non-human companions and their homes, protecting these remaining legacy forests benefits us, especially in the long term.
Heartbreakingly, On The Line could not be saved. Deep down, I wish we had done more. Then again, I’ll always feel like that with every forest, we couldn’t keep from being clear-cut.
I will never forget her awe and her humbling beauty.
If you’d like to know more about our strong, brave, and fantastic team of forest defenders and why we do what we do, please visit https://elwhalegacyforests.org/
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Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
