DIARY ENTRY FROM:

Wim Van de Vyver, Greenpeace Belgium

June 10, 1997

I cannot believe it. My friends in Belgium promised me all kinds of unique sights if I were to go to the west coast of Canada. Yes, the coast is beautiful. Millions of trees are standing proud on the slopes, only stopped by glaciers and snowy caps. The bears enjoy the fresh leaves and multicolored seals watch the bald eagles fishing in the peaceful inlets. And yes, I've seen orca whales breaching along our shop the Moby Dick.

But there is more I've seen, something the tourist brochures in Europe don't talk about. Looking behind all this beauty you see millions of trees lying on the ground. 800 years of resistance and surviving windstorms was not enough to convince logging companies that these trees should be respected and protected for future generations. But where the trees have fallen I have met some people who do care about this unique and fragile ecosystem called the temperate rainforest.

Together with environmentalists from all over the world and the Nuxalk First Nation we from Greenpeace stand united on the logging road. We are occupying their machinery and making it clear to the companies that this madness must stop. We have stopped the loggers from felling more trees. Enough is enough. Because we know that clearcutting is not healthy for our planet and its inhabitants.

Yes, there are First Nations living in these forests in harmony with the trees and animals. Real people, for whom these forests and their homes are sacred.

In my hometown in Belgium there are two big old trees. They are 120 years old and once a year people come together to celebrate the trees because they are a symbol for life and a healthy future. We know that Belgium was once fully covered with oak and beech trees but we made a mistake and cut them all down. We know now that if the trees are gone we will soon follow.

But even here the clearcutting continues. Today I walked through a clearcut on Ista, King Island. I started counting the age-rings of a huge stump and ended up at 408! I couldn't believe it.

The blockade is still going on and the spirit is strong. People of all ages and races, come and join us to stand together to protect the Canadian temperate rainforest. Come and see and you will understand why we are here.