Ancient Forest Alliance

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Ancient Forest Alliance

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Ancient Forest Alliance, Environmental conservation organisation, 205-620 View Street, Victoria, BC.

The leading charitable organization working to protect endangered old-growth forests in BC and ensure a transition to a sustainable, value-added second-growth forest industry.

08/31/2026

Cathedral Grove remains one of the most iconic old-growth forests in Canada, and for good reason!

This superlative forest of towering Douglas-fir and western redcedar trees is located just off Highway 4 and has been beloved by locals and tourists alike for well over a century.

The trail on the south side of the road leads through the most magnificent firs, including one of the largest Douglas-firs remaining in the country, measuring over 10 feet (3 metres) in diameter and 230 feet (70 metres) tall.

Meanwhile, the trail on the north side of the road leads through some magnificent western redcedars and gorgeous views of Cameron Lake.

To stand in such a hallowed space with these ancient beings is a truly spiritual experience. Cathedral Grove is indeed well named!

For the newcomer to rainforests in BC and the most experienced old-growth explorer alike, Cathedral Grove serves as a window into the past. After more than a century of industrial logging, old-growth Douglas-firs on Vancouver Island have been reduced to less than 1% of their natural extent, making this forest one of the rarest ecosystems in Canada.

Swipe to see this ancient forest, and visit the link below for our latest hiking guide, plus information about other iconic places to visit old-growth forests on Vancouver Island!

See our West Coast Hiking Guide here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/ancient-forests/hiking-guides/west-coast-old-growth-hikes/

A reminder to always travel and hike with respect for the people and places around you, leave no trace, and support local businesses 👏

08/05/2026

A big thank you to the businesses that show up month after month for old-growth forests in BC.

Your ongoing support allows us to stay focused on the heart of our campaign: exploring and documenting both the beauty and destruction of old-growth forests, and bringing back compelling imagery and videography that strengthen our storytelling. This work fuels powerful press releases that put pressure on government decision-makers to pass meaningful legislation, while also supporting Indigenous-led conservation initiatives and the transition to a sustainable, second-growth forestry industry.

Consistent, reliable gifts provide the stable foundation we need to plan ahead and take on new projects — helping to drive lasting progress for old-growth forests.

We’re extremely grateful to these long-time monthly business donors: Corvidae Environmental Consulting, Seaflora Skincare, Elastic Email, Camp Wolf Willow, Arrowmaker Advisory & Accounting, and Blue Skies Accounting.

Because of you, we can spend less time fundraising and more time working toward the protection of ancient endangered ecosystems, advocating for lasting solutions, and supporting Indigenous-led conservation efforts. That kind of consistency makes a real, tangible difference.

If your business wants to join this incredible group of monthly supporters, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected] or (250) 896-4007.

08/04/2026

Few trees in the world take your breath away like the Cheewhat Giant—Canada's largest tree and the world's largest western redcedar.

Measuring nearly 20 feet (6 metres) in diameter and soaring 183 feet (56 metres) tall, it has a mind-blowing wood volume of about 450 cubic metres (roughly equivalent to 450 telephone poles).

Yet despite its immense size, photos never quite prepare you for standing beneath it. It's almost like it has its own gravitational field.

Thankfully, the Cheewhat Giant stands protected within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve near Cheewhat Lake on southwestern Vancouver Island in Ditidaht territory. A fairly hidden trail leads you on a 30–40 minute hike through an incredible grove of record-sized cedars, so don't turn around until you're sure you've reached the end!

But forests like this have become incredibly rare. More than 90% of Vancouver Island's productive valley-bottom old-growth forests with the biggest trees have already been logged, leaving only scattered remnants of these once-vast ecosystems.

We still have a chance to protect what remains.

Speak up! Send an instant message to the BC government calling for the protection of endangered old-growth forests: https://ancientforestalliance.org/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/protect-old-growth-and-ecosystems/

And drop a note below if you've had the chance to visit this ancient giant 🌲

07/29/2026

Action Alert! 📣 Your voice is needed to help protect 3.4 million hectares of ecologically and culturally significant lands and waters in northern BC.

The Province is seeking public feedback on three major protected area proposals being advanced in partnership with First Nations:

1. Dene K’éh Kusān
2. Klappan Sacred Headwaters
3. Meziadin River Watershed Conservancy Expansion

If approved, these proposals would safeguard critical salmon-bearing river systems, vast grizzly bear habitat, wetlands, and one of the largest intact wild landscapes remaining in BC.

To make taking action easy, we’ve put together a handy guide with suggested answers and resources for all three surveys:
https://ancientforestalliance.org/speak-up-for-three-major-new-conservancies-in-northern-bc/

Public feedback is open until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4. With industry interests also weighing in, it’s vital that voices supporting strong protection are heard through the government surveys.

Every submission helps demonstrate the strong public support needed to protect these lands, waters, and wildlife for generations to come. Thank you!

07/28/2026

Meet the Harris Creek Spruce! 🌲

Measuring nearly 13 feet (4 metres) wide and more than 200 feet (60 metres) tall, this Sitka spruce with its massive, flared base majestically towers above Harris Creek along the Pacific Marine Circle Route between Lake Cowichan and Port Renfrew.

The surrounding old-growth forest was logged over a century ago, yet this individual tree was spared, likely because of its impressive size.

It’s easy to visit as well. A small roadside pullout and 30-second path lead right to the base, making it a popular stop for those travelling by. The road signs are easy to miss, though, so be sure to save a pin in your phone!

🥾 View our Port Renfrew Old-Growth Hiking Guides and the recently updated Big Trees Map, which includes routes to the iconic Harris Creek Spruce, as well as other remarkable trees, groves, and parks in the region: https://ancientforestalliance.org/ancient-forests/hiking-guides/old-growth-forest-hikes-port-renfrew/

🗣️ If you'd like to see more big trees like this one saved, be sure to send an instant message to the BC government calling for the protection of endangered old-growth forests: https://ancientforestalliance.org/send-a-message

07/25/2026

Have you visited the Ancient Cedars Loop Trail in Ucluelet? 🌲🥾 AFA’s New Hiking Guide can help you get there!

Just minutes from Ukee and right off Highway 4, this easy loop trail offers one of the most accessible and awe-inspiring experiences of old-growth forest on Vancouver Island.

The 1-km loop winds through an impressive rainforest of western redcedar, Sitka spruce, and western hemlock, including giant redcedars up to 13 feet wide and likely over 800 years old!

Along the way, interpretive signs share insights into the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet) First Nation’s enduring cultural connection to these ancient forests and highlight Culturally Modified Trees, living evidence of sustainable use by Indigenous Peoples.

The trail is part of the new Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet, an 8-km trail that traverses a spectacular range of wild west coast ecosystems, including windswept coastal headlands, pocket beaches, bogs, and old-growth forests.

Scroll through the photos for a glimpse of this incredible trail, and visit the link in bio for our latest hiking guide to get directions, plus information about other iconic places to visit old-growth forests on the west coast of Vancouver Island!

Start exploring here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/ancient-forests/hiking-guides/west-coast-old-growth-hikes/

A reminder to always travel and hike with respect to the people and places around you, leave no trace, and support local businesses 👏

07/20/2026

The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) are calling for the protection of an at-risk forest on Vancouver Island known as the “Jewel of the Tahsish.”

According to the old growth advocates, this stand is nationally significant and one of the largest remaining unprotected old-growth karst forests in BC.

Karst forests are located in areas where trees grow atop limestone, and are among the rarest, most productive and sensitive old-growth ecosystems in Canada.

According to the organization, thousands of hectares of old-growth forest once grew on karst in the impacted region, but after years of logging, the vast majority have now been cleared.

“It’s hard to grasp how rare this old-growth karst forest is unless you’ve made the long journey there,” said TJ Watt, campaign director at the AFA.

“It’s like an emerald oasis in a sea of clearcuts and tree plantations that now define much of the landscape on northern Vancouver Island.”

Once logged, karst ecosystems are reportedly slow to recover because soils can take centuries to rebuild on exposed limestone.

The AFA says evidence suggests that logged karst landscapes are also more vulnerable to wildfire, since air cavities in the bedrock can provide oxygen that feeds flames.

For these reasons, and to protect the wildlife that thrives in this unprotected ecosystem, the AFA is calling on the province to deliver funding for First Nations-led logging deferrals and a proactive BC Protected Areas Strategy to secure lasting protection of the region.

Read the full article on Victoria Buzz

07/16/2026

PHOTO GALLERY: In the upper Tahsish Valley on northern Vancouver Island stands the “Jewel of the Tahsish,” one of the grandest remaining unprotected old-growth karst rainforests in BC and an area of exceptional conservation value that deserves national recognition.

📣 TAKE ACTION! Send an instant message to the BC government: https://ancientforestalliance.org/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/protect-old-growth-and-ecosystems/

Karst forests, where ancient trees grow atop limestone, are among the rarest and most biologically productive ecosystems in BC. After decades of logging in the region, the vast majority of old-growth karst forests have been clearcut and replaced with second-growth tree plantations.

This roughly 235-hectare grove, within the territories of the Kyuquot/Checleseht and Quatsino First Nations, is shaped by remarkable karst features, from sinkholes to caves, and is alive with towering ancient trees, vibrant plant understories, and abundant signs of wildlife.

Beneath the surface, numerous natural wells and sinking streams feed into a flooded cave system that forms the headwaters of the Tahsish, a major salmon-bearing river. These karst systems act like a natural sponge, storing and slowly releasing water to moderate flow and help reduce the risk of major flooding downstream. The importance of protecting this fragile landscape is underscored by the collapse of a nearby cave chamber following logging.

But despite being recommended for logging deferral by the BC government’s independent science panel, the forest remains unprotected today, with parts now at imminent risk of being clearcut by BC Timber Sales — the government’s own logging agency.

Martin Davis, Mayor of Tahsis, explains, “As a caver, conservationist, and Mayor of Tahsis, I’ve seen firsthand how vital karst ecosystems are, not only for biodiversity, but for the growing ecotourism opportunities built around their remarkable cave systems and rainforests.”

To defer logging in this old-growth karst forest — and across the other remaining 1.3 million+ hectares of priority at-risk old-growth forests in BC — AFA is calling on the province to deliver “solutions space” funding for First Nations-led logging deferrals and a proactive BC Protected Areas Strategy to secure lasting protection.

“It’s hard to grasp how rare this old-growth karst forest is unless you’ve made the long journey there — it’s like an emerald oasis in a sea of clearcuts and tree plantations that now define much of the landscape on Vancouver Island,” said TJ Watt, AFA campaign director and photographer.

Browse the photos below to explore the stunning features of the “Jewel of the Tahsish,” plus read the full story here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/media-release-nationally-significant-old-growth-karst-rainforest-at-risk-in-bc/

07/15/2026

In the upper reaches of the Tahsish Valley on northern Vancouver Island stands the “Jewel of the Tahsish,” one of the grandest remaining unprotected old-growth karst rainforests in BC and an area of exceptional conservation value that deserves national recognition.

TAKE ACTION! Send an instant message to the BC government: https://ancientforestalliance.org/ways-to-take-action-for-forests/protect-old-growth-and-ecosystems/

Karst forests, where ancient trees grow atop limestone, are among the rarest and most biologically productive ecosystems in BC. After decades of logging in the region, the vast majority of old-growth karst forests have been clearcut and replaced with second-growth tree plantations.

This roughly 235-hectare grove, within the territories of the Kyuquot/Checleseht and Quatsino First Nations, is shaped by remarkable karst features, from sinkholes to caves, and is alive with towering ancient trees, vibrant plant understories, and abundant signs of wildlife.

But despite being recommended for logging deferral by the BC government’s independent science panel, the forest remains unprotected today, with parts now at imminent risk of logging by BC Timber Sales — the government’s own logging agency.

Martin Davis, Mayor of Tahsis, explains, “As a caver, conservationist, and Mayor of Tahsis, I’ve seen firsthand how vital karst ecosystems are, not only for biodiversity, but for the growing ecotourism opportunities built around their remarkable cave systems and rainforests.”

To defer logging in this old-growth karst forest — and across the other remaining 1.3 million+ hectares of priority at-risk old-growth forests in BC — AFA is calling on the province to deliver “solutions space” funding for First Nations-led logging deferrals and a proactive BC Protected Areas Strategy to secure lasting protection.

“It’s hard to grasp how rare this old-growth karst forest is unless you’ve made the long journey there — it’s like an emerald oasis in a sea of clearcuts and tree plantations that now define much of the landscape on Vancouver Island,” said TJ Watt, AFA campaign director.

Browse the photos below to explore the stunning features of the “Jewel of the Tahsish,” plus read the full story here: https://ancientforestalliance.org/media-release-nationally-significant-old-growth-karst-rainforest-at-risk-in-bc/
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Address

205-620 View Street
Victoria, BC
V8W1J6

Website

https://AncientForestAlliance.org/

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