Walbran Forest is Canada’s most spectacular remaining ancient temperate rainforest and its under threat of being destroyed by logging.
Some of the trees are more than 1000 years old.
The Central Walbran Valley is a small 485 hectare pocket of wilderness adjacent to Carmanah/Walbran Provincial Park. North of Port Renfrew and east of Cowichin Lake.
At the end of May a friend took me to experience and photograph this beautiful, ancient forest. Leaving her home in Errington at 7am on a Sunday morning it was a 4/5 hour drive due to the last 50kms being a very bumpy, logging road. Traveling with us was a friend, Jackie and film maker Warren Rudd .
Crossing the long wooden bridge over the river, we made our way into the ancient forest. Like entering a spectacular grotto it was a truly a magical and a powerful experience. Over the years, volunteers, have made boardwalks across the swampy ground which is home to ferns, creepers, many rare plants and fungi. The ancient trees lavishly decorated with lichen, Old Man’s Beard, mosses and exotic fungi – we could have been on another planet.
After several hours bathing in the wondrous energies of these ancient trees, we found a pathway down to the banks of the river, here we sat reflecting on our experiences, while Diana’s drumming penetrated deep into the forest carrying its healing vibrations.
It was around 4pm when we made our way back across the bridge to pile in the van for the long bumpy journey home. In the far distance we could hear the sounds of tree felling equipment getting ever closer. I wondered if I will ever be able to return here, or will this small but wonderful corner of Canada join the dinosaurs and become extinct. Will it become just a painting, a photograph, a story to tell our grandchildren? How sad would that be?
As we drove away from Walbran Forest we passed the graveyards of younger forests and the distant hills of the before and after the trees covered the land.
links – https://www.ancientforestalliance.org, https://www.wildernesscommittee.org
