In recognition of Earth Month in April, a group of environmental conservation advocates decided they would showcase one of Vancouver Island’s largest old-growth giants by climbing, measuring and capturing drone footage of the process.
Members of the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA) sought out the Carmanah Valley’s largest Sitka spruce trees which stretches approximately 21 storeys into the sky in an effort to highlight the importance of conserving and protecting old-growth forests.
According to the AFA, this Sitka in particular has a mammoth trunk which forks into multiple stems, reminiscent of the multi-headed hydra of Greek mythology.
They noted that this tree is protected, as it grows within the Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park in Ditidaht territory.
“This giant is by far the most spectacular Sitka spruce tree that we’ve come across during our decades-long search for big trees in BC,” said TJ Watt, AFA campaigner and photographer.
“We had been big tree hunting in the valley for two days as part of my work as a National Geographic Explorer, when, just before dark, a massive crown caught our eye in the distance. Right away, we knew we had found something special.”
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The tree is 12.9 feet (3.89 metres) wide near its base, 233 feet (71 metres) tall and has an average crown spread of 72 feet (22 metres).
BC’s Big Tree Registry marks this as the largest tree in the Carmanah Valley, despite the “Carmanah Giant” being taller, and the fourth-largest Sitka spruce on record in BC.
The AFA says that two blue whales laid end-to-end would still not be as tall as this tree which has been dubbed the “Hydra Spruce.”
“Most Sitkas are tall and straight like a Roman pillar, but this one had an enormous trunk that forked into five major stems, creating a sprawling canopy like the head of a hydra,” Watt explained.
“Near the base, it would have taken seven or eight of us to wrap our arms around the trunk. Seeing it from the ground was one thing, but we knew that to truly highlight the tree’s grandeur, we would need to climb to the top.”
To climb this giant, the AFA partnered with Bartlett Tree Experts, a group of professional arborists, who shot an enormous slingshot loaded with a line up unto the canopy.
They used ropes to climb so they would not damage the tree and were able to get to within a few metres of the top of the tree’s canopy.
“I’ve climbed thousands of trees in my life, but this one was like none other,” said Matthew Beatty, Arborist and Climber with Bartlett Tree Experts.
“Even within the Carmanah Valley, where we have climbed numerous trees for scientific research projects, this is a giant among giants.”
He continued by saying he hopes that the footage and images captured during this climb inspire people to protect and advocate for old-growth groves.
The BC government continues to develop and roll out their Old-Growth Strategy which aims to protect 30% of BC’s ancient forests by 2030.
Through these protections being put in place, the AFA continues to advocate for proper implementation that will ensure protection for sites that hold BC’s oldest, largest and most at-risk trees.
Watch the video of the climb below:
