Expedition sea kayakers Dan Lewis and Bonny Glambeck are bringing their slideshow presentation to the Brackendale Art Gallery (BAG) on Thursday (April 7) to draw attention to the industrial activity they say continues to threaten the ecology of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve - a biologically rich, mostly wild area on the west coast of Vancouver Island, just north of Tofino.
The duo are seasoned naturalists who have paddled most of the B.C. coast. They are touring B.C. coastal communities this spring to share stories about their many adventures at home in Clayoquot Sound and show images from some of B.C.'s leading outdoor photographers in an effort to draw attention to the need to finally protect the area's rare temperate rainforests.
"People believe the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is a park," said Glambeck. "However, it is not. Not only is there continued cutting of Clayoquot's magnificent ancient forests, now Imperial Metals wants to put in an open-pit copper mine."
"Secrets of Clayoquot Sound" - sponsored by Mountain Equipment Co-op and Tofino's local environmental group, The Friends of Clayoquot Sound - is an unforgettable journey through the natural beauty and splendour of the sound's waterways and watershed from a locals' perspective.
"We're going to share with people we have some really incredible ecology in Clayoquot Sound that's really special," Glambeck said. "Seventy-eight per cent of Vancouver Island has been logged and Clayoquot Sound is the largest area of rainforest that's left on the island and so speaking in terms of biodiversity and climate change and carbon storage, it's one of the most important places left."
The Vancouver-based mining company's exploratory drilling on Catface Mountain - visible from Tofino - was the major impetus for the pair's decision last August to do a road show focusing on the potential of a huge open-pit copper mine in the middle of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Since then, the sole logging company in the area has applied for a road-building permit on Flores Island, another of the Sound's prominent mountains with intact ancient rainforest that has been protected from logging since 1999 by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
"They are moving ahead towards breaking the MOU and so this is really escalating the tension that's happening in our community," said Glambeck.
"Clayoquot's forests store more carbon per hectare than almost any other forest on Earth," Lewis said. "There are ways forward that can protect the forests while supporting healthy communities."
This free presentation takes place Thursday (April 7) at 7:30 p.m. at the BAG, and proceeds from donations accepted at the door will go toward covering the cost of the tour.
"We're dealing with some big topics, but the feedback we're getting is that our show is really concise and informational and inspirational," Glambeck said, "so people are really loving it."
For more information, visit www.clayoquot.tumblr.com.
