camas flowers bloom in a garry oak meadow in uplands park
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Camas Lily

The camas lily, known for its glorious blue-purple flowers that can blanket whole meadows, is native to the Garry oak ecosystems of southeastern Vancouver Island.

Totem Pole Ceremony – Opitsaht, Meares Island

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.

Nahwitti Lake Old-Growth Trail

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 […]

Photos: White River Provincial Park

Nicknamed “The Cathedral Grove of the North Island”, White River Provincial Park is a protected old-growth jewel on Vancouver Island.

Photos: Spruce Bay Old Growth Trail – Port Alice

Located roughly 23 km from Port Alice along the shores of Victoria Lake and in the territory of the Quatsino First Nation, is Spruce Bay and the little-known Spruce Bay Old Growth Trail and Recreation Site.

Photos: Vernon Bay

This past summer, AFA had the privilege of exploring stunning ancient forests along the shores of Vernon Bay in Barkley Sound. Home to the Uchucklesaht and Tseshaht First Nations, TJ Watt and Ian Illuminato measured monumental redcedar trees up to 12 feet in diameter.

Photos: Eldred River Valley

Located in Tla’amin First Nation territory, outside the town of Powell River, the Eldred Valley is legendary among rock climbers for its towering granite peaks while also supporting some of the last vestiges of old-growth forest in the region.

Photos: Mount Freda Ancient Forests – qathet Region

Located in the territory of the Tla’amin and shíshálh First Nations, and close to the town of Powell River, Mt. Freda is home to some of the oldest trees in Canada. High in the mountains, locked in by snow for much of the year, these forests are incredibly slow growing, delicate ecosystems. Some ancient yellow cedars logged on Mt. Freda were found to be over 1200 years old.

Logging in the Klanawa Valley: “World’s best forestry practices”?

These recent images from the Klanawa Valley highlight the brutal impacts of clearcut logging on Vancouver Island.

Photos: Lower Caycuse River

These ‘before’ photos were captured last week in the Lower Caycuse River in Ditidaht territory. Teal-Jones has plans to log 31 hectares of mature and old forest, virtually the last remaining unlogged remnants along the river.