Ray Troll

"If you walk into the Tongass for the first time, you might think it all looks the same. But then, you begin to learn more. It’s a magical and wonderful place. It’s not untouched, but parts of it still have a completely intact ecosystem with ancient old growth trees. It’s a privilege to live on the traditional land of the Tlingit people. This very spot that I'm on is actually the ancestral home of the Tongass Tribe, and they are part of the Tlingit nation. What’s cool is in the distance, I can see Metlakatla, that’s the Tsimshian people, and beyond that is the home of the Haida people. It’s a spot where all three nations touch.

I made an image a long time ago, “Ancient Forests Forever.” Living in the Tongass for this long, I have a greater appreciation for the value of wilderness. When you travel around the world and see how wilderness is disappearing rapidly, you realize you have to do whatever you can to keep the wild world that we have. What we do in our lifetime is going to make a huge difference for the fate of the world, and how we manage the forest now has repercussions for hundreds and thousands of years."

– Ray Troll, Alaskan artist

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