A Farewell Note from AFA’s Ian Thomas

I am profoundly grateful for my years as a Research and Engagement Officer at Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) both for the opportunity to help protect magnificent old-growth forests in BC and for the incredible group of people I’ve had the privilege of working with along the way. The AFA team comprises the most dedicated and passionate people, and I’m extremely proud to have been part of this amazing group.

Through my time at AFA, I’ve been privileged to explore some of the most beautiful ancient forests left on Earth and spent countless hours with some of the world’s oldest and largest living things. I came to this organization as a biologist with a deep love and concern for the wildlife and ecosystems of BC; AFA has provided me with the chance to give something back to the wild places that mean so much to me.

The human element has been no less amazing! The team at AFA is at once so heartfelt and passionate while also the most clear-eyed and pragmatic I’ve ever worked with. I’ve learned so much about change and advocacy from their strategy of carefully parsing policy and ecology to identify the exact barriers and gaps to conservation and finding the pathways through which change is possible. AFA’s dedication to community outreach and bringing people from all walks of life together to preserve these forests is unmatched. I will miss the warmth and camaraderie of the office and every staff member.

Though this work has forced me to witness the shocking devastation of these ancient, irreplaceable ecosystems, I’ve been deeply inspired and uplifted by the AFA team and the thousands of supporters helping us make historic progress for old-growth forests. This is the kind of work that humbles you and brings you close to what really matters: working with people and communities from all backgrounds and walks of life to foster a healthy living world for all the creatures that depend on it.

When I look at the scale of transformation in just the last few years – the hundreds of millions of dollars mobilized for conservation in BC and major protected areas being established or getting underway – it still stuns me how just a handful of dedicated folks in a small office in Victoria could play such a pivotal role in making our world a better place.

It is impossible to leave such an organization unchanged. I am moving on from AFA with a deep sense of hope, both for these old-growth forests that we have been at the forefront of protecting but also because I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary power we can mobilize to safeguard native ecosystems while supporting sustainable, thriving communities.

I’m keeping a tight grip on my AFA alumnus card. Though my official role with AFA has (for the present) come to a close, I’m looking forward to supporting their work and mission in whatever ways I can and celebrating the many victories to come.

For the forests,

Ian Thomas