How this piece came to be...

In the summer of 2019, I made a pilgrimage of sorts — to visit a tree. Big Lonely Doug is a 1,000-year-old Douglas fir on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where ancient forests are routinely destroyed by clear-cut logging. More or less by a fluke, Doug was spared the loggers’ saw and stands alone amid a vast clear-cut mountainside. When National Geographic photographer T.J. Watt’s images of this haunting scene went viral, Doug became a powerful symbol of the destruction of old-growth forests.

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I’ve been a “tree-hugger” all my life. Growing up in the woods instilled in me a sacred connection to forests, and for years I searched for a way to address their destruction through music. Meeting Big Lonely Doug showed me how.

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Through music, sound design, T.J. Watt’s stunning photography, and recorded oral histories of trees, this program immerses audiences in Doug’s world: the joy of centuries spent growing among ancient giants, the terror of their destruction, and the loneliness that remains — as destruction of what little remains of Vancouver Island’s old growth continues.

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But immersion alone isn’t enough. I want this experience to inspire action, not despair. After the performance, I invite you to meet with forest experts, learn about threats facing our forests, and discover how you can help protect and restore these vital ecosystems in your own community.