The Red Creek Fir, located just 30 minutes from Port Renfrew BC, is truly a feast for a big tree hunters eyes. Growing on a slope alongside the San Juan River Valley, the monolithic column of wood was recognized by early timber cruisers as being of considerably noteworthy size. As it stands, it is the largest known living tree of its kind on earth!

The giant tree has some impressive measurements. It reaches 73.8m (242ft) tall, stretches 13.8m (43'7ft) around, and is 4.4m (14.4ft) across its base. The tree would have stood at least 90m (300ft) tall at one time before its top was blown off due to exposure to strong winds after much of the surrounding forest was logged. Most of its larger branches have suffered the same fate and lie scattered about the ground. Estimates of its age place the tree anywhere from 750 to 1000+ years old.

The BC government has virtually ignored the tree's significance as a world class eco-tourism destination. Recently with the Ancient Forest Alliance I erected a new sign that I made showing the tree's stats to replace the old government made sign which has laid rusted, broken, and ignored at the base of the tree for years. Local tourism operators have also now put up road direction signs leading you to the trail head. GPS co-ordinates for the Red Creek Fir are: lat=48.5790450649, lon=-124.22084

The trail leading up to the famous fir passes at one point a cluster of spectacular old-growth western red cedars. Three of these monsters sit inline with eachother and offer an impressive place to take a break.

The giant burls on the side of this cedar seem straight out of a fairytale fantasy land. Unfortunately, the ones on the lower right have had large chunks cut off of them in the past.

The Red Creek Fir has managed to survive century upon century throughout all conditions but it is still under threat from human activity. Logging company Timber West has recently laid out a cut-block within a few hundred meters of the record sized tree and includes in it some large old-growth cedars. The BC government also deems the site a Forest Recreation Area which actually offers no legislated protection. Finding a cut-block so near the tree also proves its ineffectiveness at protecting this world wonder.

If you feel strongly about this issue, please contact the following people and let them know what you think about a logging cut-block being placed so close by and if you would like to see legislated protection of the tree and surrounding forest buffer zone.

Timber West: http://www.timberwest.com/about-timberwest/contact-us.aspx

BC Forest Minister Pat Bell: pat.bell.mla@leg.bc.ca

On March 3rd 2010 members of the Dogwood Initiative and the general public made a powerful presence at the Royal Canadian Bank (RBC) on the corner of Fort & Douglas in downtown Victoria, BC. The issue being brought to light was that of the fact that RBC is the largest financial funder of the Alberta Tar Sands, contributing over $16 billion dollars to date in direct fossil fuel funding.

Environmental groups are asking RBC to take more responsibility with its large investments in dirty fuels and focus on shift to financing renewable resources.

Key requests in regards to the Tar Sands are;

To recognize the rights of indigenous communities to free, prior and informed consent to industrial projects affecting their traditional territory.
To phase out client relationships with tar sands operators that are unable or unwilling to reverse adverse impacts on water quality and regional ecology.
For RBC to take a leadership role on fighting climate change by committing to measure and reduce its financed emissions over time.

An example of fishing for a deformed fish born with two mouths due to water pollution. The Alberta Tar Sands are considered to be the most environmentally destructive industrial project on the entire earth. Of the approximately 350 million cubic meters of fresh water used in production every year, at least 90-95% ends up being too toxic to be released and is stored in tailing ponds large enough to be seen from space. An estimated 11 million litres of this waste water leaks out everyday, poisoning wildlife and increasing cancer rates in nearby communities.

What can you do as an individual? Storing or investing your money with a bank with strong environmental principles is a great start! Every dollar counts! In Canada, Vancity is ranked #1 for these standards. If you are interested in how your bank rates, the carbon footprint of your savings, and how to change it, please visit this site: http://climatefriendlybanking.com/

Red Creek Fir - World's Largest Douglas Fir Tree

RBC - Get Out Of The Tar Sands!