Welcome to the Ancient Forest Alliance

The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) is a registered charitable organization working to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and to ensure a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry. Founded by Ken Wu and TJ Watt in February 2010, the organization has quickly grown into British Columbia’s main organization working toward province-wide legislation to end the logging of endangered old-growth forests.

Our Mission

The AFA is calling on the BC government to:

  • Implement a science-based plan to protect the endangered old-growth forests in the province.
  • Ensure the sustainable logging of second-growth forests, which now constitute the majority of forest lands in southern BC.
  • Support First Nations land use planning and sustainable economic development and diversification in lieu of old-growth logging.
  • End the export of BC raw logs to foreign mills in order to ensure a guaranteed log supply for BC mills and value-added processing facilities.
  • Implement incentives for the retooling and development of BC mills and value-added facilities to handle second-growth logs.

Meet the Team

TJ Watt
TJ Watt
Campaigner & Photographer - Executive Team
TJ is a Co-Founder, Campaigner, and Photographer with the Ancient Forest Alliance. Combining his passion for conservation with professional photography, TJ works to shed light on BC’s endangered ancient forests in an effort to help see them saved.
Joan Varley
Joan Varley
Administrative Director - Executive Team
Joan has been growing in the understory of the AFA since 2012 as the Administrative Director where her knowledge and skills of bookkeeping and office management compliment her love of all things natural and passion to preserve big old trees and the intricate habitat that they are a part of.
Ian Thomas
Ian Thomas
Research & Engagement Officer
Born in Vancouver, Ian has a lifelong passion for the ecosystems and wildlife of the coastal rainforest. A biologist by training, Ian received his Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Windsor in Ontario.
Coral Forbes
Coral Forbes
Donor Relations and Administrative Associate
Coral fell in love with big trees after visiting the Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park when she was just out of High School and immediately decided that she wanted to be a “professional tree hugger” when she grew up.
Kristen Bounds
Kristen Bounds
Communications Coordinator
Bridging her background in journalism, creative writing and digital marketing with a passion for the natural world, Kristen has used her communications skills to advocate for the protection of the environment and the mitigation of climate change in a number of different capacities for the better part of the past decade.
Nadia Sheptycki
Nadia Sheptycki
Victoria Canvass Director
Nadia is a passionate visionary who believes in making the world a better place. Beginning as a canvasser with AFA in 2018, she grew deeply connected to the organization and the cause to protect BC’s endangered old-growth ecosystems.
Ken Wu
Ken Wu
Board Member
Ken Wu is the former Executive Director and co-founder of the Ancient Forest Alliance. He has worked to protect ancient forests in BC for over a quarter century, after first seeing the Walbran Valley as a teenager in 1991.
Celina Starnes
Celina Starnes
Board Chair
Celina has a life-long dedication to protecting diverse ecosystems. From the park behind her childhood house, to her time at the McGill School of the Environment, to her environmental work on the west coast, she is always looking to help.
Kerrie Blaise
Kerrie Blaise
Board Member
Kerrie Blaise is an environmental lawyer, passionately dedicated to advancing environmental rights and justice. She is the founder of the non-profit, Legal Advocates for Nature's Defence, and maintains an active practice representing First Nations and grassroots groups on matters of urgent climate and environmental protection.
Hannah Carpendale
Hannah Carpendale
Board Member
Having grown up on BC’s west coast, Hannah has nurtured a passion for old-growth forests since a young age.