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Deer Ferns

Apr 21 2023/in Educational

Deer fern is abundant in the coastal rainforest. This delicate little plant has two distinct forms: its sterile fronds are evergreen and lie flat on the ground, and its fertile fronds produce spores, they appear only in the spring and stand straight up from the forest floor. True to its name, deer fern is an important source of winter forage for our coastal blacktailed deer.

Big-tree hunters with the AFA have also noticed that some of the most magnificent groves of giant cedars on the coast are densely populated with lovely beds of deer fern. Cedars are unique among our coastal giants in that they are, like ferns, symbiotically linked to arbuscular mycorrhizae (Douglas-firs and Sitka spruces are connected to another group of fungi called ectomycorrhizae), this means that the mammoth pillars of ancient cedars are intimately connected with the delicate fern gardens that grow in their shadow.

Deer ferns, captured by AFA photographer and campaigner TJ Watt

Deer fern in Pacheedaht Territory, near Port Renfrew. Photograph by Melissa Renwick

A man with grey hair and a beard stands in front of a massive old-growth tree wearing a puffy Patagonia vest and neon green t-shirt. Beside him on the right is a photo of another man with red hair and a beard wearing a teal Ancient Forest Alliance t-shirt, also standing in an old-growth forest.

Earth Week Event with Andy MacKinnon & TJ Watt – Wed. April 19th

Apr 14 2023/in Events

Are you curious to learn about biodiversity and old-growth ecosystems in BC, what they can teach us, and how you can help see them protected?

Then please join us for a free night of insightful presentations and a special photo show on Wednesday, April 19th from 7–9pm (doors at 6:30pm) at St. Mary’s Church in Metchosin, BC (4125 Metchosin Rd.)!

Dr. Andy MacKinnon, renowned forest ecologist, educator, and co-author of Plants of Coastal British Columbia, among other publications, will speak to the connections between old-growth ecosystems and biodiversity and how they affect the planet’s well-being as well as our own.

TJ Watt, Ancient Forest Alliance’s award-winning conservation photographer, will present on Exploring & Photographing Ancient Forests in BC, giving a behind-the-scenes look into how his images are captured, new updates on the old-growth campaign, and how people can help move it forward!

Arrive at 6:30pm to enjoy a few refreshments while viewing TJ’s photos, which will be on display for this event. TJ’s photography will be on display for public viewing April 20th, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 27th, and 29th from 1–3 pm, April 21st and 28th from 6-8 pm, April 25th from 10–12 pm. The event is free, but donations to the Ancient Forest Alliance are welcome!

Click here to register for the Earth Day event. We look forward to seeing you!

Western Skunk Cabbage

Apr 11 2023/in Educational

A sure sign of spring on the coast is the emergence of the spectacular western skunk cabbage. These magnificent plants, with their gargantuan leaves, flourish in wet, swampy areas in the rainforest and are among the earliest flowering plants to grace our forests. Their pungent odour is the chemical equivalent of birdsong, though instead of attracting a mate of the same species, the skunk cabbage’s olfactory music lures in flies and beetles to pollinate its dense column of flowers called a spadix.

Bears relish skunk cabbage, feasting on it after they emerge from hibernation in the early spring when other food resources are scarce. If you come across a skunk cabbage garden in the forest, look for bear tracks in the mud and pits where the hungry animals have dug up their swamp salad. Don’t be tempted to follow their example though, as the leaves of skunk cabbage contain crystals of calcium oxalate, the same substance that makes rhubarb leaves toxic.

Also called a swamp lantern because of its bright yellow spathe, encountering dozens of these bright “lanterns” glowing in the shadow of ancient cedars on a cool spring morning, while varied thrushes and pacific wrens pour out their music, is one of the quintessential pleasures of the coastal rainforest.

Western skunk cabbage, with their gargantuan leaves, flourish in wet, swampy areas in the rainforest and are among the earliest flowering plants to grace our forests.