"Its message is clear...[W]e need to seek reciprocity with nature and stop cutting old-growth forests everywhere on earth." David Foster, Dir. Emeritus, Harvard Forest

Today, precious little old growth remains, and First Nations and environmentalists are again taking a stand. This new War for the Woods has captured the attention of Canadians once again, including Stephanie Kwetásel'wet Wood, a journalist for The Narwhal who reports on Indigenous rights and the natural world.

She travels to Tla-o-qui-aht territory where the protests took place, meeting Tribal Park Guardians, community leaders and others. They are exploring new land use visions and models of Indigenous-led conservation, including phasing out old growth logging altogether, but as communities struggle to balance environmental stewardship with meeting their economic needs, the hurdles to protecting these ancient forests have grown ever more complicated. With an industry that prioritizes profits over the health of the forests, and precious time left to save these intact ecosystems, the stakes in today's War for the Woods could not be higher.



Grade Level: 10 - 12, College, Adults
US Release Date: 2024     Copyright Date: 2023
DVD ISBN: 1-961192-26-8

Reviews "Beautiful...Evocative...War for the Woods provides an inspirational reminder of the value of ancient forests across time and cultures. Its message is clear that we need to seek reciprocity with nature and stop cutting old-growth forests everywhere on earth." David Foster, Director Emeritus of Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Author, Wildlands in New England and Hemlock: A Forest Giant on the Edge "A beautiful documentary depicting the bio-cultural connections to ancient temperate rainforests that has inspired love, devotion, and respect for all beings in leading humanity back to its deeply profound connection with Nature." Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist, Wild Heritage, Project of Earth Island Institute, Author, Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World: Ecology and Conservation "Not all of us are fortunate enough to see the ancient cedars of British Columbia firsthand, but this beautiful documentary depicts the ancient trees and the lush ecosystem in a way that makes you feel as if you are there. Hearing the perspectives of the activists and the First Nations people who care deeply about these forests adds an even deeper dimension. It is a tragedy that these forests are still being destroyed; I hope War for the Woods is one more stepping stone on the path toward preserving them." Joan Maloof, Founder, Old-Growth Forest Network, Author, Nature's Temples: A Natural History of Old-Growth Forests "War for the Woods beautifully captures the zeitgeist of forest conservation today, combining the urgency of old-growth protection with Indigenous wisdom, reciprocity, sovereignty, and the respect that Indigenous Knowledge and lifeways are finally getting from Western institutions. I've been in this old-growth conservation game a long time, but I have never before seen a study that so seamlessly connects historical retrospective with current conditions, utilizing Indigenous voices to both critique ongoing practice and signal hope for the future." Gregory H. Aplet, Senior Forest Scientist, The Wilderness Society "War for the Woods is a powerful reminder at a critical time of the importance of forests in general and old growth forests in particular to our ecological, cultural, and economic health. Old-growth forests and our relationship to them should not be a relic of the past, but a road map to our future." Paul Catanzaro, Professor of Forestry, State Extension Forester, University of Massachusetts-Amherst "A beautifully-made documentary about a 30-year struggle that has yielded Indigenous-led cultural revitalization and forest tending...War for the Woods will be useful in environmental sustainability classrooms when covering topics of Indigenous climate resilience, traditional ecological knowledge, and environmental activism." Janet Franklin, Professor of Geography, San Diego State University "War for the Woods expertly weaves together the histories of the Clayoquot Sound blockades and today's continued fight for old-growth protection and efforts that bolster Indigenous-led conservation across the region. As the world desperately seeks solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises, it is always important to remember that Indigenous Nations have held caretaking responsibilities for the lands and waters for millennia, and this film demonstrates why Indigenous rights and authority need to be respected and supported." Nikolaj Lasbo, Marketing Director, The Nature Conservancy and Nature United