When Jerry Franklin was just a boy, he vowed to protect the forests and trees he saw as his friends. During his career as a forest ecologist, his research into the unique attributes of old growth Douglas fir forests led to the protection of millions of acres of ancient forests in the Pacific Northwest.

Cinematography, drone and editing by Lauren Frohne

See the full magazine story by Lynda Mapes, photos by Steve Ringman: Meet the eminent scientist, now 84, who vowed as a boy to protect Washington’s old-growth forests