On the far western edge of Clayoquot Sound lies the Sydney River Valley, a fully intact rainforest watershed at the head of Sydney Inlet. In 2024, after years of advocacy, much of the watershed was permanently protected under the leadership of the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. To learn more about this incredible valley and see photos, click the image below!
History was made in Clayoquot Sound one year ago with the most significant expansion of old-growth protection in decades!
The Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, in partnership with the BC NDP government, declared the protection of 760 km2 of land in 10 new conservancies in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino. These lands comprise some of the grandest and most intact coastal old-growth temperate rainforests on Earth.
The historic milestone also included significant support from provincial, federal and conservation sources to advance sustainable economic development opportunities for the communities.
A year on, we applaud the visionary leadership of the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht Nation for their work in protecting old-growth ecosystems in their territories while building pathways to conservation-based economies.
Victories like these serve as an inspiring model for what’s possible throughout BC. Clayoquot demonstrates that when First Nations’ protected area plans are supported through conservation financing, we can safeguard old-growth forests while supporting community economic, cultural, and social well-being.
From the mind-blowing ancient redcedar dubbed the “most impressive tree in Canada” on Flores Island to the world-famous ancient groves of Meares Island or the sweeping rainforest vistas of the Sydney River Valley, see what’s now protected thanks to this historic achievement!
Looking to explore this beautiful region? Be sure to check out Ahous Adventures, the Maaqutusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society and Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks.
Inspired by these successes? We’re actively working with several First Nations communities in BC to help establish new Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas in some of the world’s grandest old-growth and rarest ecosystems. Your support helps protect these irreplaceable forests for all who depend on them. Make a donation.
Diversity is a defining feature of old-growth forests, whose unparalleled structural complexity (a mix of ancient giants, tiny saplings, standing snags and fallen logs) develops over centuries to provide habitats for thousands of species, many of which live nowhere else.
Thousands of organisms, from tiny arthropods to arboreal lichens to nesting seabirds, can be found living in a single old-growth tree! After death, the tree becomes home to a whole new array of organisms—standing snags supply nesting and denning habitats for a variety of creatures, from small songbirds to hibernating black bears, while fallen logs provide habitat for a hidden world of arthropods and amphibians. The dead tree also gives a head start to saplings that will be the next generation of forest giants.
Seething through the soil and the bodies of dead and dying trees are thousands of species of fungi, recycling the nutrients of the fallen and turning death into life again. This mix of young, old, dead and living trees creates an uneven canopy, which allows light to stream into the forest floor. The filtered light fosters diverse shrubs, ferns, and wildflowers that, in turn, feed herbivores such as deer, which then provide food sources for predators such as wolves and cougars.
Logging old-growth and replacing it with second-growth plantations wipes out this vast circle of life that took centuries to develop, with dire consequences for myriad species that thrive in the varied microhabitats of ancient forests. Old-growth forests in BC are irreplaceable reservoirs of global biodiversity.
Here are a few fascinating examples of why temperate rainforests in western North America are biological riches:
But it doesn’t stop there. Did you know that temperate rainforests in BC are home to remarkable species such as:
The world’s second-largest slug, our beloved charismatic mega-slimer, the banana slug!
Skydiving salamanders. The adventurous wandering salamander, found high in the crowns of old-growth trees, leaps from branches like a flying squirrel.
North America’s biggest black bear, the Haida Gwaii black bear, or Taan, is found only in BC.
One of the world’s most cryptic seabirds, the threatened Marbled Murrelet, which nests high in the mossy branches of giant old-growth trees
A hot spring-loving bat. The Keen’s myotis is the signature bat of the coastal rainforest, whose only confirmed breeding colony is among the steamy hot springs of Haida Gwaii.
A predatory mushroom that hunts tiny animals with lassos. The delicious oyster mushroom hunts nematode worms on the forest floor.
The world’s largest member of the pine family. The legendary “Red Creek Fir,” a gargantuan Douglas-fir tree, grows near Port Renfrew, BC, in Pacheedaht territory.
The oldest trees in Canada, the ancient yellow cedars of the coastal mountains, with some documented at nearly 2,000 years old!
The most primitive of all rodents, the “mountain beaver” (not really a beaver), a fern-eating rodent of the rainforest, is considered a “living fossil.”
North America’s most unique frog, the stream-loving “tailed frog,” is an ancient species unrelated to any other amphibian in North America, whose tadpoles adhere to rocks in swift current with suction cups on their bellies.
And many, many more weird and wonderful living beings!
However, this exceptional biodiversity is at significant risk as BC continues to liquidate its endangered old-growth forests, especially the most biologically productive ecosystems.
The BC government has committed to protecting 30% of the lands in BC by 2030, which we highly commend, but how that 30% is selected is what matters. In the past, governments have concentrated protection on the less biodiverse ecosystems, less threatened by industry (for example, alpine rock and ice or sub-alpine and bog forests), leaving the most productive and biologically rich ecosystems in the valley bottoms and lower slopes to be logged and developed.
That’s why we need “Ecosystem-Based Targets” (protection targets for every ecosystem type) to turn that old model on its head and finally prioritize the protection of the most at-risk and biodiverse ecosystems. This includes the “high-productivity” old-growth forests, known for their towering giants and incredible diversity of living creatures!
To make this happen, BC must move forward with the draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework and ensure it delivers real, science-based protection measures.
On this International Day for Biological Diversity, join us in calling on the BC government to ensure this framework is implemented to safeguard the incredible diversity in BC!
📢 Send a message to decision-makers using our newly updated Take-Action Tool today!
Dear Ancient Forest Friends,
Thank you to everyone who attended and/or supported the Ancient Forest Alliance’s (AFA) 15th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser on May 1st at the beautiful Gorge Pavilion!
It was truly special to connect in person with our amazing community while reflecting on everything we’ve accomplished together over the past 15 years and looking ahead to what’s next.
From AFA’s humble beginnings, with co-founders TJ and Ken running things on a shoestring budget, to early wins like the protection of Avatar Grove, to the powerful movement we’ve built today—with over a billion dollars in provincial-federal funding now on the table for nature conservation in BC—it’s been an incredible journey so far!
Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $13,000 to support our efforts to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC. We’re so grateful.
Meeting many of you in person was a beautiful reminder of the dedicated, passionate, and kind community standing with us. As TJ shared during his presentation, AFA’s first year began with just 55 monthly donors, and 44 of you are still with us to this day. Your continued support, along with that of the thousands who’ve joined since, has been essential to AFA’s success over the past decade and a half. Thank you.
We also want to give a heartfelt shout-out to the local businesses and individuals who generously donated to our silent auction. Thank you to: Edith Looker, Helen Utsal, Cathy Hussey, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, Nathan Hutchinson, Mike Pedde, Living Forest Campground, Tantalus Design, BFit Personal Training, Organic & Sustainable Trading Company, The Basic Books Group & Thor Hanson, Viva Cacao!, Patagonia Victoria, Russell Books, Wildwood Saunas, Havn Saunas, Nicola North Art, WildPlay Element Parks, Seaflora Skincare, Robinson’s Outdoor Store, Silfr Metal Art, Understory Supply Co., and Amanda Key Design.
And a big thank you to Food For Thought Catering and Bon Macaron for the delicious eats, Twist of Fate for the refreshing drinks, Zero Waste Emporium for providing cutlery and mugs through their free dish library, and the Gorge Pavilion staff.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come and thankful to have you with us for what’s next.
For the forests,
The AFA Team
See photos from the magnificent Mossome Grove, standing hushed under a soft blanket of snow. The woods felt like a fairytale on this day, with glowing golden moss and flurries of soft snow drifting through shafts of sunlight.
This enchanting lowland ancient forest is home to towering old-growth Sitka spruce trees, ancient bigleaf maples, and wildlife such as deer, elk, wolves, cougars, and bears. Growing largely unprotected near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory, it’s reminiscent of the majestic maple forests found in the Olympic National Park. Rare to begin with on Vancouver Island and virtually non-existent today, it was extra special to see this type of rainforest in a winter wonderland state
The scenes around Port Renfrew were equally as magnificent as the February cold snap turned the coastal landscape into a stunning winter wonderland.
The quest to protect old-growth forests in BC continues. Want to make a difference? Our new send-a-message campaign just launched—take a moment to send yours.
A mystical day in the woods at Jurassic Grove near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory. Exploring this incredible grove of old-growth redcedar trees was like stepping back into prehistoric times.
On this particular day, the fog was so thick it felt like you could swim through it. Shimmering water droplets dripped from the dark green needles while the sound of ocean waves softly filtered through the forest. The odd raven call only added to the magic of it all.
We often have to hustle through the forest, trying to quickly capture images of a place we might not see again. This day, it was nice to slow down and soak up the scenery. A rainforest really feels like a rainforest this time of year.
If you’re looking to visit old-growth forests on Vancouver Island, see our Ancient Forest Hiking Guides for Victoria and Port Renfrew. As always, be sure to tread lightly.
You can also help us protect old-growth forests like this one by making a charitable donation to Ancient Forest Alliance this holiday season.
The emblem of an endangered ecosystem, of deep cultural significance, and simply gorgeous, the camas lily is one charismatic plant. This flower, native to the Garry oak ecosystem of southeastern Vancouver Island is instantly recognizable for its glorious blue-purple flowers that can blanket whole meadows in springtime.
There are two species of blue camas on Vancouver Island — the common camas and the great camas — separated by size and the arrangement of the petals, which on the great camas twist together. Neither should be confused with death camas though, a white flowering species with bulbs that can be lethal to consume.
For the Coast Salish people, camas have traditionally been no mere ornament but a way of life. Indeed, it was considered second only to the all-important Pacific salmon in its importance in trade on the coast. This is because the rich, starchy bulb of the camas is a fantastic source of carbohydrates, traditionally filling the role of potatoes, bread, or rice in other cultures. Camas bulbs would be cooked in pit ovens for 24–48 hours to allow the complex starches to become sweet and easily digestible.
Traditionally, Indigenous camas harvesters have not been passive consumers of a wild plant, but instead active cultivators of camas meadows, including carrying out controlled burns to maintain the oak savannahs where camas thrive. Archaeological research suggests that Indigenous people in North America have been cultivating camas ecosystems for at least 3500 years, a legacy of care and stewardship that has helped maintain this biodiverse ecosystem and all the creatures that depend on it.
Today, due to development for housing and agriculture, Garry oak ecosystems are among the most threatened habitats in Canada.
To see some of the best camas displays this spring, visit one of the beautiful meadows at Uplands Park, Summit Park, or Beacon Hill in Victoria (late April/early May are the best times). Here, one can still wander among the fields of flowers and be reminded of the interwoven human relationship that goes back thousands of years 💜
Last summer, members of the House of Ewos from the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation, and many invited guests, raised a totem pole at the ancient village of Opitsaht on Meares Island for the first time since 1993. Prior to colonization, each house in the village, located just across from Tofino, would have had up to four totem poles in front of them. Today, with the addition of this new pole, three now stand in total in the village.
The pole was created by Tla-o-qui-aht master carver Joe Martin and a team of helpers. The top crest is a female thunderbird, representing female ancestry & connection to the supernatural. Eagle down was placed in the talons and could be seen blowing in the breeze.
The totem also bears four ominous skulls representing the multiple pandemics and losses the Nation has faced. These include COVID-19, tuberculosis & smallpox, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, and the Residential School System and the children who never came home from them.
The population of Tla-o-qui-aht Nation was about 10,000 strong when the first Europeans arrived. In the year 1900, there were only 122 survivors. Without their consent, colonial governments used this to take control of the wealth of natural resources on their unceded territory.
Today, the logging industry has destroyed well over 90% of the old-growth forests with the biggest trees in BC and continues to aggressively target old-growth cedar in particular. Without monumental cedars, it’s impossible to make canoes and totem poles, resulting in a loss of Indigenous culture.
Known as the ‘Tree of Life’, there are thousands of ways cedar plays a role in the lives and culture of First Nations people. Trees would never be felled during spring or summer months as great respect was paid to any nesting birds or denning animals in the area.
Ensuring that old-growth forests are protected, while still allowing for select trees to be used for cultural purposes, will help preserve the diversity of life — both human and non-human — that depend on them.
TJ Watt with support from the Trebek Initiative
On the shores of Nahwitti Lake between the towns of Holberg and Port Hardy in Tlatlasikwala & Quatsino Territory stands one of the loveliest little old-growth trails on Vancouver Island. This gentle path winds through a lush old-growth forest and features massive Sitka spruce trees that soar majestically from enchanting fields of ferns before ending at the shores of the lake. In a landscape that’s been almost entirely cleared of its ancient giants, it provides a stunning glimpse into the grand forests that once grew here.
This big tree trail could also be a major ecotourism draw – similar to Avatar Grove in Port Renfrew – and should be added to the list of must-see north island wilderness destinations such as San Josef Bay and the North Coast Trail.
To visit the trees, find the recreation site trailhead in a small parking area just off Holberg Rd on the east end of Nahwitti Lake (50.697842, -127.812370). Be sure to support the local business community as well, helping them benefit from big tree tourism.
Nicknamed “The Cathedral Grove of the North Island”, White River Provincial Park is a protected old-growth jewel on Vancouver Island.
After over a century of relentless logging, old-growth Douglas-fir stands like this one have become exceedingly rare in British Columbia. However, in a strange twist of fate, this ancient forest still stands thanks, in part, to three loggers who refused to fell the trees here in the 1990’s.
If you’re looking for an adventure, make this slice of old-growth heaven a must-see and be sure to support the local businesses in town.
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