Vancouver Island is home to some of the last giant trees in British Columbia. However, the majority of the area has been logged, with only small fragmented patches of old growth forest remaining. The region is now primarily covered by dense, younger forest, which often lacks the habitat complexity and biodiversity of old growth. Clearcuts also dot the landscape, with ancient trees reduced to decomposing stumps. However, one clearcut is home to a survivor: Big Lonely Doug. The second largest Douglas Fir Tree in Canada, Doug stands at 230 feet tall, has a circumference of 39 feet, and is estimated to be 1000 years old.
The feeling of standing under a giant like this is difficult to put into words, and even more challenging to capture in a photo. However, I figured that no backdrop would be more impactful than the starry night sky. Many of the stars visible in this image are so distant that their light has travelled for hundreds or thousands of years before reaching our eyes here on Earth. However, Big Lonely Doug has been standing to see those ancient photons from well before the light from many of the stars visible in this image even began the journey towards Earth.
This photo almost didn’t happen. True nighttime darkness only lasts a couple of hours around here in early July, when I visited Big Lonely Doug. The moon in the sky further reduced that time to about an hour while I was there. However, the clouds rolled in just five minutes after arriving at the base of this giant. Had I opted for a few more minutes of sleep, this photo wouldn’t exist!
Big Lonely Doug received protection in 2019, but many ancient trees and forests in the region remain unprotected. I hope that this and other ancient giants will stand for generations to come.