Earth Embassy: The Return to Nature—Walrus’s Legacy
I had heard stories of a man who lived up the hill on Hanson Island. He studied the ancient trees and protected the island from the threat of logging. He identified culturally modified trees and became a central figure in the fight to preserve the island’s natural beauty. His name was David Garrick, though many knew him as Walrus Oakenbough. He was the chef on the first Greenpeace boat and fought alongside Paul Watson in the 1976 anti-whaling campaign.
We watched the documentary How to Change the World, and I learned more about Walrus’s work and dedication to conservation. After coming to Hanson Island in the 1980s, his mission to protect Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs) led him to preserve the entire island from logging. I’d heard that when Walrus would come down from his camp, ravens often followed him, a quiet symbol of his deep connection with the wildlife around him. My friend Julia and I visited Earth Embassy, the camp where Walrus did his research.
When we arrived the silence was profound, and I wondered where the birds had gone—the ones Walrus had once shared this place with. When we arrived to the front gate of the camp, I noticed a small squirrel at the entrance to Earth Embassy, chattering away, as if it were guarding the place.
Earth Embassy felt like a time capsule of Walrus’s work. A library with a wood-burning stove, a desk, and countless books. Some were yellowed with age, others damp and covered in mold from the island’s humidity. I felt an urge to preserve the place, to honor what Walrus had created. It was his sanctuary, a symbol of his dedication to protecting the land and the trees.
Walrus Oakenbough’s work on Hanson Island made a lasting impact. Through his mission to protect the island’s CMTs, he ended up saving the entire island from logging. He founded Earth Embassy as a hub for his research, and it became a gathering place for volunteers who shared his passion for environmental activism. His presence was deeply felt on the island, and even now, it lingers in the quiet spaces he left behind.
Hanson Island is also home to the magnificent Grandmother Cedar, a ~2000-year-old tree. When I arrived at OrcaLab, I was introduced to her, and before I left, I thanked her for her presence. She is one of the many trees that have been saved thanks to people like Walrus and Paul Spong, who fought tirelessly for the island’s ancient forests and wildlife.
Their work reminds me that these trees, this land, are more than just nature—they are living history, and they carry the spirit of those who stood up to protect them.
Photos and videos of my adventures can be found on instagram.
