These photos showcase the magnificent Jurassic Grove, an exceptional stand of unprotected, monumental old-growth trees just a 90-minute drive west of Victoria in Pacheedaht territory. The grove, identified by Ancient Forest Alliance photographer TJ Watt in 2018, spans a 3-kilometer stretch of public/Crown lands between Highway 14 and the popular Juan de Fuca Marine Trail Provincial Park. See our Port Renfrew old-growth hiking guide for directions.
On southern Vancouver Island, lowland old-growth groves with giant trees like these are about as rare as a Sasquatch these days. Over 95% of forests like this have now been logged on the south island. It’s hard to fathom that at one time, the highway between Sooke and Port Renfrew would have been lined with ancient forests like this. Now, they remain in just a few places, like Jurassic Grove, underscoring the urgent need to protect what’s left.
While a large portion of Jurassic Grove’s 130 hectares of old-growth is protected within a Marbled Murrelet Wildlife Habitat Area that is off-limits to logging, about 40 hectares are on unprotected Crown lands without any type of regulatory or legislated protection. There are no approved or proposed logging plans on these lands for now. Since it’s adjacent to a popular provincial park for hiking, it would be a natural addition to the park and as a buffer to the Juan de Fuca trail, and ultimately as a star attraction for visitors around the world.
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