Tree Huggers, Art and Activism
On a cold February day last year, a mutual aid group called Friends of Denman Forests emerged spontaneously to stop the logging of more than 150 trees at Gravelly Bay Ferry Terminal. The cutting of these trees was a part of B.C. Ferries’ planned expansion of the access and parking area at the terminal’s approach. More than 100 people showed up to declare its intentions to block the logging crew and force B.C. Ferries to reconsider their design plans. Members of this group stayed for another 48 hours to make sure that no trees fell until solid assurances were made for that work to stop.
A year later, the trees remain, mostly unscathed, and an extraordinary art installation has taken shape in and around some of these trees, designed and created by an art and activism group called Tree Huggers. Mary Jane Stewart and Joy Brockman began collaborating on sculptures made from branches of a downed weeping willow tree, and from there, Wendy Boothroyd, Lorraine Martinuik, and Cynthia Minden were inspired to create more of these sculptures using basketry willow, maple, bramble, and other prunings. This group was inspired by a similar project in Europe, also named Tree Huggers.
At present, B.C. Ferries has postponed terminal expansion at Gravelly Bay for the remainder of their new contract term, and we can celebrate, at least for now, the success of ad hoc activism that can be credited with protecting this small forest ecosystem and many beautiful and mature fir and arbutus and other species of trees. The direct action of Friends of Denman Forests led to these beautiful activist/art installations, hugging these trees and reminding us of what is possible when we use creativity to imagine the world we wish to see. If you can, go have a look for yourself.
