The forest is composed
mostly of mature Douglas fir trees
mixed with ancient western red
cedar, western hemlock, and balsam
fir. The trees are 300 to 400
years old, but some go as far
back as 800 years. These older
trees stand like giant sentinels
in the forest, reaching 250 feet
high and trunks measuring over
30 feet in circumference. The
rainforest contains trees of various
sizes, species and ages, with
a large number of dead standing
and fallen trees.[2]
Cathedral Grove is a
rare and endangered remnant of an
ancient Douglas fir ecosystem on Vancouver
Island in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
The biggest trees in the Grove are
about 800 years old and measure 75
m (250 ft) in height and 9 m (29 ft)
in circumference. They are the survivors
of a forest fire that ravaged the
area some 350 years ago and the even
more devastating invasion by Europeans
who colonized Vancouver Island from
1849.[4]
MacMillan Provincial
Park is a 157 ha provincial park in
British Columbia, Canada. Located
25 km west of Qualicum Beach and 16
km east of Port Alberni, the park
straddles Highway 4. It is nestled
on the western shore of Cameron Lake,
and protects the delta of the Cameron
River.
The park is home to
a famous stand of ancient Douglas-fir,
known as Cathedral Grove, which draws
visitors from all over the world.
Some of the trees are more than 800
years old and 9 metres in circumference.
The flora of the park is typical of
the region, and stands of Western
Redcedar and Bigleaf Maple can be
found south of the highway. The understory
(term for the area of the forest that
grows in the shade the forest canopy)
includes red huckleberry, salal, and
Devil's Club. The park is home to
several species of birds, including
owls and woodpeckers; as well as such
mammals as black bear, elk and cougar.
The Cameron River and Cameron Lake
are stocked with rainbow, brown, and
cutthroat trout.
Cathedral Grove was
popular with visitors long before
its protection. It was part of the
timber holdings belonging to the forester
and logging industrialist H.R. MacMillan,
who donated 136 ha of land to the
provincial government in 1944. Three
years later, the area was established
as a Class A provincial park.[3]
You Tube video
Seeing Cathedral Grove
on a short loop walk that takes you
through a forest of giant trees. The
largest are about 800 years old.
