Big lonely doug : the story of one of canada's last great trees

On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. His job was to survey the land and flag the boundaries for clear-cutting. As he made his way through the forest, Cronin came across a massive Douglas fir the height of a twenty-storey building. It was one of the largest trees in Canada that if felled and milled could easily fetch more than fifty thousand dollars. Instead of moving on, he reached into his vest pocket for a flagging he rarely used, tore off a strip, and wrapped it around the base of the trunk. Along the length of the ribbon were the words "Leave Tree." When the fallers arrived, every wiry cedar, every droopy-topped hemlock, every great fir was cut down and hauled away--all except one. The solitary tree stood quietly in the clear cut until activist and photographer T.J. Watt stumbled upon the Douglas fir while searching for big trees for the Ancient Forest Alliance, an environmental organization fighting to protect British Columbia's dwindling old-growth forests. The single Douglas fir exemplified their cause: the grandeur of these trees juxtaposed with their plight. They gave it a name: Big Lonely Doug. The tree would also eventually, and controversially, be turned into the poster child of the Tall Tree Capital of Canada, attracting thousands of tourists every year and garnering the attention of artists, businesses, and organizations who saw new values encased within its bark. 2018.;Prologue : a seed -- The ribbon -- Evergreen -- A tree of many names -- Green gold -- War for the woods -- A forest alliance -- The logger -- Last tree standing -- Growing an icon -- Big tree hunting -- Tall tree capital -- A new ecosystem -- Epilogue : a giant. On A Cool Morning In The Winter Of 2011, A Logger Named Dennis Cronin Was Walking Through A Stand Of Old-growth Forest Near Port Renfrew On Vancouver Island. His Job Was To Survey The Land And Flag The Boundaries For Clear-cutting. As He Made His Way Through The Forest, Cronin Came Across A Massive Douglas-fir The Height Of A Twenty-storey Building. It Was One Of The Largest Trees In Canada That If Felled And Milled Could Easily Fetch More Than Fifty Thousand Dollars. Instead Of Moving On, He Reached Into His Vest Pocket For A Flagging He Rarely Used, Tore Off A Strip, And Wrapped It Around The Base Of The Trunk. Along The Length Of The Ribbon Were The Words Leave Tree. When The Fallers Arrived, Every Wiry Cedar, Every Droopy-topped Hemlock, Every Great Fir Was Cut Down And Hauled Away--all Except One. The Solitary Tree Stood Quietly In The Clear Cut Until Activist And Photographer T.j. Watt Stumbled Upon The Douglas-fir While Searching For Big Trees For The Ancient Forest Alliance, An Environmental Organization Fighting To Protect British Columbia's Dwindling Old-growth Forests. The Single Douglas-fir Exemplified Their Cause: The Grandeur Of These Trees Juxtaposed With Their Plight. They Gave It A Name: Big Lonely Doug. The Tree Would Also Eventually, And Controversially, Be Turned Into The Poster Child Of The Tall Tree Capital Of Canada, Attracting Thousands Of Tourists Every Year And Garnering The Attention Of Artists, Businesses, And Organizations Who Saw New Values Encased Within Its Bark. Originally Featured As A Long-form Article In The Walrus That Garnered A National Magazine Award (silver), Big Lonely Doug Weaves The Ecology Of Old-growth Forests, The Legend Of The West Coast's Big Trees, The Turbulence Of The Logging Industry, The Fight For Preservation, The Contention Surrounding Ecotourism, First Nations Land And Cultural Rights, And The Fraught Future Of These Ancient Forests Around The Story Of A Logger Who Saved One Of Canada's Last Great Trees.-- Harley Rustad. The Walrus Books, A Partnership Between The Walrus, House Of Anansi Press, And The Chawkers Foundation Writers Project, Supports The Creation Of Canadian Non-fiction Books Of National Interest. Big Lonely Doug Is The First In This Series.--page [i] Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Issued Also In Electronic Format. Finalist, Banff Mountain Book Competition On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. His job was to survey the land and flag the boundaries for clear-cutting. As he made his way through the forest, Cronin came across a massive Douglas fir the height of a twenty-storey building. It was one of the largest trees in Canada that if felled and milled could easily fetch more than fifty thousand dollars. Instead of moving on, he reached into his vest pocket for a flagging he rarely used, tore off a strip, and wrapped it around the base of the trunk. Along the length of the ribbon were the words "Leave Tree." When the fallers arrived, every wiry cedar, every droopy-topped hemlock, every great fir was cut down and hauled away - all except one. The solitary tree stood quietly in the clear cut until activist and photographer T.J. Watt stumbled upon the Douglas fir while searching for big trees for the Ancient Forest Alliance, an environmental organization fighting to protect British Columbia's dwindling old-growth forests. The single Douglas fir exemplified their cause: the grandeur of these trees juxtaposed with their plight. They gave it a name: Big Lonely Doug. The tree would also eventually, and controversially, be turned into the poster child of the Tall Tree Capital of Canada, attracting thousands of tourists every year and garnering the attention of artists, businesses, and organizations who saw new values encased within its bark. Originally featured as a long-form article in The Walrus that garnered a National Magazine Award (Silver), Big Lonely Doug weaves the ecology of old-growth forests, the legend of the West Coast's big trees, the turbulence of the logging industry, the fight for preservation, the contention surrounding ecotourism, First Nations land and resource rights, and the fraught future of these ancient forests around the story of a logger who saved one of Canada's last great trees « On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. His job was to survey the land and flag the boundaries for clear-cutting. As he made his way through the forest, Cronin came across a massive Douglas-fir the height of a twenty-storey building. It was one of the largest trees in Canada that if felled and milled could easily fetch more than fifty thousand dollars. Instead of moving on, he reached into his vest pocket for a flagging he rarely used, tore off a strip, and wrapped it around the base of the trunk. Along the length of the ribbon were the words "Leave Tree." When the fallers arrived, every wiry cedar, every droopy-topped hemlock, every great fir was cut down and hauled away--all except one. The solitary tree stood quietly in the clear cut until activist and photographer T.J. Watt stumbled upon the Douglas-fir while searching for big trees for the Ancient Forest Alliance, an environmental organization fighting to protect British Columbia's dwindling old-growth forests. The single Douglas-fir exemplified their cause: the grandeur of these trees juxtaposed with their plight. They gave it a name: Big Lonely Doug. The tree would also eventually, and controversially, be turned into the poster child of the Tall Tree Capital of Canada, attracting thousands of tourists every year and garnering the attention of artists, businesses, and organizations who saw new values encased within its bark. Originally featured as a long-form article in The Walrus that garnered a National Magazine Award (Silver), Big Lonely Doug weaves the ecology of old-growth forests, the legend of the West Coast's big trees, the turbulence of the logging industry, the fight for preservation, the contention surrounding ecotourism, First Nations land and cultural rights, and the fraught future of these ancient forests around the story of a logger who saved one of Canada's last great trees. »-- Quatrième de couverture "On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. His job was to survey the land and flag the boundaries for clear-cutting. As he made his way through the forest, Cronin came across a massive Douglas-fir the height of a twenty-storey building. It was one of the largest trees in Canada that if felled and milled could easily fetch more than fifty thousand dollars. Instead of moving on, he reached into his vest pocket for a flagging he rarely used, tore off a strip, and wrapped it around the base of the trunk. Along the length of the ribbon were the words "Leave Tree." When the fallers arrived, every wiry cedar, every droopy-topped hemlock, every great fir was cut down and hauled away--all except one. The solitary tree stood quietly in the clear cut until activist and photographer T.J. Watt stumbled upon the Douglas-fir while searching for big trees for the Ancient Forest Alliance, an environmental organization fighting to protect British Columbia's dwindling old-growth forests. The single Douglas-fir exemplified their cause: the grandeur of these trees juxtaposed with their plight. They gave it a name: Big Lonely Doug. The tree would also eventually, and controversially, be turned into the poster child of the Tall Tree Capital of Canada, attracting thousands of tourists every year and garnering the attention of artists, businesses, and organizations who saw new values encased within its bark. Originally featured as a long-form article in The Walrus that garnered a National Magazine Award (Silver), Big Lonely Doug weaves the ecology of old-growth forests, the legend of the West Coast's big trees, the turbulence of the logging industry, the fight for preservation, the contention surrounding ecotourism, First Nations land and cultural rights, and the fraught future of these ancient forests around the story of a logger who saved one of Canada's last great trees."-- Provided by publisher Finalist, Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing Finalist, Banff Mountain Book Competition Finalist, BC Book Prize Globe and Mail best books of 2018 CBC best Canadian non-fiction of 2018 In the tradition of John Vaillant's modern classic The Golden Spruce comes a story of the unlikely survival of one of the largest and oldest trees in Canada. On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. He came across a massive Douglas fir the height of a twenty-storey building. Instead of allowing the tree to be felled, he tied a ribbon around the trunk, bearing the words "Leave Tree." The forest was cut but the tree was saved. The solitary Douglas fir, soon known as Big Lonely Doug, controversially became the symbol of environmental activists and their fight to protect the region's dwindling old-growth forests. Originally featured as a long-form article in The Walrus that garnered a National Magazine Award (Silver), Big Lonely Doug weaves the ecology of old-growth forests, the legend of the West Coast's big trees, the turbulence of the logging industry, the fight for preservation, the contention surrounding ecotourism, First Nations land and resource rights, and the fraught future of these ancient forests around the story of a logger who saved one of Canada's last great trees. On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. His job was to survey the land and flag the boundaries for clear-cutting. As he made his way through the forest, Cronin came across a massive Douglas fir the height of a twenty-storey building. It was one of the largest trees in Canada that if felled and milled could easily fetch more than fifty thousand dollars. Instead of moving on, he reached into his vest pocket for a flagging he rarely used, tore off a strip, and wrapped it around the base of the trunk. Along the length of the ribbon were the words "Leave Tree." When the fallers arrived, every wiry cedar, every droopy-topped hemlock, every great fir was cut down and hauled away — all except one. The solitary tree stood quietly in the clear cut until activist and photographer T. J. Watt stumbled upon the Douglas fir while searching for big trees for the Ancient... Tells the story of a large Douglas fir tree named Big Lonely Doug located in an old-growth forest near Port Renfrew, British Columbia that was saved by a logger named Dennis Cronin who tied a ribbon around its trunk saying "leave tree". In telling this story, the author explores such topics as the ecology of old-growth forests and their future, the legend of the West Coast's big trees, the instability of the logging industry, the fight for preservation, the contention surrounding ecotourism, and First Nations land and resource rights. Originally featured as a long-form article in The walrus