In Photos: Keith River Sitka Spruce Grove

Tucked away on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, just above the Brooks Peninsula in Quatsino territory, lies a superlative grove of enormous Sitka spruce trees. This forest grows along the Keith River and is an oasis of ancient forest in a region that has been hit hard by old-growth logging.

Here, ancient Sitka spruces soar into the air from park-like glades of sword ferns, their huge, pillar-like trunks up to 10 feet (3 metres) in diameter. Along the fertile banks of the creek, vast thickets of salmonberry and stink currant provide excellent habitat for a wide range of forest creatures, from tiny songbirds to berry-loving bears. It’s a window back in time.

In the late 1980s and early 90s, this region experienced some of the most destructive old-growth logging, with nearly entire watersheds clearcut from riverside to mountaintop. Aerial imagery from that era reveals this grove standing as an island of green in a landscape laid tragically bare.

Today, the spruce grove along the Keith River offers a glimpse into the once-grand forests that would have stood as far as the eye could see. Thankfully, what little remains here is now protected as a wildlife habitat area for the endangered marbled murrelet, providing sanctuary for a rich diversity of coastal creatures, now and for years to come.

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