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The temperate rainforests on Vancouver Island run along the west coast of North America from Northern California to southern Alaska. The Pacific Ocean charges the rainy winters and the shift in seasonal winds brings warm, dry summers. These coniferous forests are specially adapted to our coastline and have thrived here relatively unchanged since the last ice age, a few thousand years ago. These ecosystems have been home to spectacular wildlife diversity and have supported the rich cultures of First Nations that have lived on this land for millennia. There were old-growth stands of Pacific Cedar, Douglas Fir, Shore Pine, and Garry Oaks and so much more. The rich ocean and forest life were essential for the culture and wellbeing of the First Peoples. Since European colonization, the fish stocks have plummeted, and most of the original forests have been logged or developed. On Vancouver Island, we only have a very small percentage of the old-growth forest left. The public is becoming increasingly concerned about this loss. Once these ancient forest ecosystems are gone, it will take hundreds of years for them to develop again… if ever. https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/learn-more/before-after-old-growth-maps/. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/old-growth-trees-british-columbia-1.6045289 No matter from what scale you observe, the living world is rich and beautiful. We have so much more to learn about how it functions and what it needs to endure into the future. I suspect it mainly just needs to be left alone.
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