Putting More of Victoria's Sequoias On The Map

This giant sequoia is located at the corner of Moss and Richardson in Victoria, BC,
and may be the largest tree in the city.

In the ten years I lived in the Victoria, BC area, the big tree hunter in me was blown away by the beauty of the massive urban sequoias. 

These trees are north of their usual range in California, but some have still managed to become large, eye-popping trees.

I published a post about my project of mapping some of the trees I found so others could find and enjoy them, too. 

That post, Mapping The Giant Sequoias Of Victoria, BC is the second most viewed post on our blog.  

It also has more comments than anything else I have published here, as readers share their favourite Victoria sequoias over the years.

A while back, a comment on that post alerted me to the work of other Victoria-based sequoia hunters that have picked up on my mapping project.

These big tree aficionados have found more than 350 of these trees in the Victoria area! 

A giant sequoia in Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, BC

Here is the comment they left on our blog:

 

"Thanks to Greg's initial idea, this winter we have made an effort to identify as many sequoias in Victoria as possible while walking all around the city.

 

We have actually found more than 350(!) of them (including a half dozen Coast Redwoods), much to our surprise.

The map showing all the sequoias we have found so far around Victoria is now online at:

 

Not Only Natural website

 

 

We hope that people here will find it interesting/helpful. Yes it was a bit of work looking for them, but also quite enjoyable - and thought-provoking.

 

Please have a look at the map and let us know what you think - and if you know of any sequoias we have not yet seen. (We haven't included dawn redwoods, just because they seem to be in a different category than the redwoods that naturally grow south of here.)

Wow! Thanks to the good folks over at the Not Only Natural. It is heartening to see the project I initiated continuing on and being expanded. 

We also have to thank the good people of Victoria, BC and area that have commented here to share their favourite big sequoias, making this urban big tree project more fun and complete.

Please do take a look at the Not Only Natural website and map. 

Is your favourite Victoria giant sequoia on it?

"Emily Carr: Deep Forest" At Vancouver Art Gallery

A Rushing Sea of Undergrowth, Emily Carr, 1932-35.

This weekend is a celebration of Emily Carr's 142nd birthday. The local artist was born in Victoria on December 13th, 1871.

Emily Carr was a friend of Vancouver Island's forests. Throughout her life she sought to plumb their mossy green depths to hopefully some day say she really knew this magnificent ecosystem.

Her paintings document her quest to learn as much from the Victoria area's big trees as she could, then depict that in her images.

“This perhaps is the way to find that thing I long for: go into the woods alone and look at the earth crowded in growth, new and old bursting from their strong roots hidden in the silent, live ground, each seed according to its own kind expanding, bursting, pushing its way upward towards the light and air, each one knowing what to do, each one demanding its own rights on the earth. Feel this growth, the surging upwards, this expansion, the pulsing life, all working with the same idea…life, life, life…”

From "Hundreds and Thousands: The Journals of Emily Carr." 

Soon you will be able to experience Carr's vision in a new exhibit of her work. "Emily Carr: Deep Forest" at the Vancouver Art Gallery will exhibit over 40 paintings starting December 21, 2013.

Most of the paintings are scenes within 25 km of Carr's home near Victoria, and were completed in the 1930s.

Scorned as Timber Beloved of the Sky, Emily Carr, 1935.

After a trip to view the exhibit, one can get first hand exposure to some of the same forests that the artist enjoyed on the south island. While vastly altered, the green fuse still drives growth and the trees still pulse with life.

"I glory in our wonderful west and I hope to leave behind me some of the relics of its first primitive greatness. These things should be to us Canadians what the ancient Briton's relics are to the English. 

Only a few more years and they will be gone forever into silent nothingness and I would gather my collection together before they are forever past."

One can visit the forest here and be surrounded by the power of nature that so gripped Emily Carr. The natural power of trees that kept her mesmerized is still to be found.

But how long before a trip to the trees yields a vast "silent nothingness"?

Mapping The Giant Sequoias Of Victoria, BC

This map is interactive - click on the tree icons and get more information about specific sequoias. View a larger version of the map here: "Giant Sequoias In Victoria".

The same mild climate that grows the fattest, tallest native trees in Canada, also nurtures some amazing exotic trees on south Vancouver Island. A case in point are the Giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum), many of which were transported here as seedlings over 100 years ago by settlers from California.

So loved were these California native trees that many made the journey north, and many were successfully planted. In just over a century some of these seedlings have reached, well, giant proportions.

The tallest and widest trees in Victoria are both sequoias which is not surprising considering this tree species is the largest in the world. Also not surprising is the fact that people are still loving these trees after 150 years of occupying their new home.

They are among the most photographed single trees in the area. My post on The Giant Sequoias Of Beacon Hill Park is the most viewed of all time on this blog. They are unique in this region and are far from their traditional range, making them of special interest.

The native range of the Giant sequoia is very restricted,
but they do grow successfully in Victoria, BC.

Giant sequoia occurs naturally only in California in a narrow band of mixed conifer forest, between 5,000-8,000 ft. elevation on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada. Climatically, the Giant sequoia prefers the "Cool Summer Mediterranean" (Csb) climate.

Giant sequoia in its natural California Sierra Nevada range.

Victoria has a Mediterranean climate, and although we are north of their northern limits, the sequoias have done well here.

This Giant sequoia at the residential intersection of Moss and Richardson is the
tallest sequoia in the Victoria area at about 50 meters tall.

I am in the process of mapping the sequoias in the Victoria area that I am familiar with from wandering about town. Many I have found simply by driving around and looking for the tallest trees on the horizon, then navigating to their base for photos. But there are always more trees to be found.

Lately I have been cruising around town using Google Maps instead of my truck to see if I can find more of these big trees. I figure that Google has the cash - let them pay for the gas. I can also get reasonable photos by taking screenshots while on Street View.

A large sequoia on Douglas Street across from Beacon Hill Park.

Using the above map one could set up a walking, cycling, rolling, or driving tour of interesting sequoias in the downtown area.

Not downtown? Chances are there is a Giant sequoia in a neighbourhood near you. Check the map.

This beauty is at the intersection of Jutland and Burnside Rds - I added it to the map
after a reader mentioned it in a comment below.

There is even a small sequoia down the street from where I live in Sooke. It is a mere baby only a few decades old and stands at a tiny 10m (30ft) in height. Eventually it could outlive civilization, and end up the tallest, fattest tree in the new coastal wilderness.

It is a treat to get a feel for the mighty California sequoia forests right here on the south island. If you can't make the 15 hour drive to the Sierra Nevada, this is the next best thing.

Do you know of a Victoria area sequoia that you don't see on the map? Please leave a comment below, like Bernard did, and describe the location of any notable sequoia that you know of. I would like to continue including new trees in this mapping project, and your participation can go a long way to filling in much needed information.

Thank you. Now go enjoy the trees, even if it is on Street View on the map above.

Forest Creatures: Wolf

Wolves call the forests and beaches of Vancouver Island home

One of the most heartening news items I have read in a while was a few days ago. The piece told the tale of a lone wolf living on a small island just off shore from the city of Victoria.


Wolves are a symbol of wilderness wherever they live. The same as other top predators like bears and cougars, the presence of wolves is an indicator of a functioning ecosystem. Indeed, the top predators are necessary for optimal ecosystem management.


A recent survey looking at the loss of top predators (especially wolves) in the Northern Hemisphere found "that the loss of major predators in forest ecosystems has allowed game animal populations to greatly increase, crippling the growth of young trees and reducing biodiversity. This also contributes to deforestation and results in less carbon sequestration, a potential concern with climate change."



It goes on to say that "large predators can help maintain native plant communities by keeping large herbivore densities in check, allow small trees to survive and grow, reduce stream bank erosion, and contribute to the health of forests, streams, fisheries and other wildlife".

The forest needs the wolf.

View Staqeya The Wolf in a larger map



The islands off Victoria are in Songhees First Nation territory. The band gave the animal on Discovery Island the name Staqeya, which means wolf in Lekwungen.


The wolf has also been seen on Trial Island, perhaps in a bid to return to the wild. But there are a few kilometers of danger before the edge of the forest begins, and the wolf returned to Discovery Island.







Wolf is an important symbol in Coast Salish culture, and has been for eons. Many stories are told about this amazing forest creature that coexisted peacefully with the people.

Historical 60 ft Wolf Head Canoe

The most important wooden canoe design in Coast Salish territory is known as the Wolf Head Canoe.



These giant ocean going vessels are carved from huge old growth cedars more than 300 feet high. Such trees are becoming increasingly difficult for native canoe builders to find today.



Nuu Chah Nulth legend believes that the Killer Whale will come to the rescue of the Sea-Wolf when in trouble, and therefore the wolf is the figurehead on their canoes.

The design (by bands on the rough outer coast of the island) proved so seaworthy that it gained acceptance and use throughout the Salish Sea area.

That wolves can still exist on Vancouver Island after 150 years of European contact and exploitation is good news. Top predators, like wolves, are a necessary part of the ecosystem on the south coast, and are a direct link to eons of Coast Salish history.

Staqeya is reportedly lean and healthy, and could conceivably stay on the island indefinitely. She has been eating a varied diet including seals, bird, clams, crabs, and possibly river otters.

The Songhees would like to see the wolf stay. Fish and Wildlife however, has already tried to trap the animal with no success, and may try again.


But wolves, being very smart creatures, are wary of anything smelling of certain humans. I'm cheering for the wolf, and the wilderness it requires and helps maintain.

Winter Storms Pound Local Beaches

On Florencia Bay, Tofino, driftwood is strewn across the upper beach

Recent strong winds across the region canceled 75 ferry sailings, knocked power out, and gave spectacular displays of tree-tossing turmoil on local beaches.

Florencia Bay, Tofino

Often giant pieces and whole trees were high on the beach, seemingly beyond the water's reach. When I first started visiting the west coast of Vancouver Island, I marveled at the tumble of drift logs on most beaches.

Having visited only in the summer time, I wondered how the logs could get so far from the placid water. When I moved here I witnessed coastal winter storms for myself, and discovered the awesome power of wind, water, and waves. Any drift wood caught in such a storm doesn't stand a chance.

Huge white-foamy waves cover wilderness beaches and toss old growth drift trees like rubber ducks in a turbulent tub. Logs bob in the surf and are driven up against the beach, eventually coming to rest along the edge of the rain forest.

Big waves toss big logs over the beach on Ross Bay in Victoria, BC during a recent storm

In the city, waves drive logs over concrete embattlements and into the street. After strong south-easterly storms, heavy equipment must be brought it to clear large chunks of drift wood debris.

Summers on the coast are nice with calm weather and stretches of drought, but to witness the full fury and power of the Pacific, you have to do some winter storm watching.

Watch out for rogue waves. 

Largest Tree In Victoria, BC Is A Giant Sequoia

 Giant sequoia at Moss and Richardson St.,Victoria, BC. Is this Victoria's largest tree?

Image credit: Myles Green

Southern Vancouver Island enjoys mild coastal weather in a sub-Mediterranean climate. This encourages the growth of some very large Giant sequoias, relatively speaking.

With all the largest native big trees removed long ago, a Giant sequoia import is the largest tree in the Victoria area. Not bad for a species more used to growing farther south in California, where the really big ones live.

One of the big California sequoias. This massive specimen, the President Tree, is the second-most-massive tree
known on Earth. Here it is being measured by Steve Sillett and his team. 
(Image credit: Michael Nichols/National Geographic)

The President is one of the oldest (3,200 years) giant sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park, California. It's the second-largest tree on Earth, according to Steve Sillett of Humboldt State University. He should know - he climbed it recently and measured it himself.


You can read more about this and other impressive sequoia trees in their native range at National Geographic. The article I linked to has great photos, and mentions Sillett's research finding that some species of trees, including Giant sequoias, grow more rapidly as they age. Trees thousands of years old are not only viable, but are adding new wood faster than ever.


How The President Measures Up

Base of the President Tree

Height above base                                      75.0 m 245.0 ft
Circumference at ground 28.4         93.0
Diameter 1.5 m above base                          7.1           23.1
Diameter 18 m (60') above base 5.2           16.9
Diameter 55 m (180') above base 3.55         11.6
Diameter of largest branch                          2.43         8.0
Height of first large branch above the base 37.1         122.0
Estimated bole volume (m³.ft³) 1,278.0    45,148.0
Age                                                            3,200 years (at least)


The Largest Tree In Victoria, BC 

"One would expect that the native trees such as Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, or Western Red Cedar would be the largest trees in Victoria, B.C. But no, these giants were logged out long ago. 

The largest trees in Victoria are gifts from the state of California where they have preserved some of the largest trees on earth for their citizens and the citizens of the world. 

Tracts of Sequoia and Coastal Redwoods were set aside in the last century and the century before by enlightened Californians whose population is almost as large as Canada's, but whose zest for preserving their natural heritage far exceeds our own.

The Sequoia pictured in the front yard of the home at Moss and Richardson [see photo at top of page] was a seedling given to the people of Victoria in 1858 by the state of California - for many years this was considered the largest tree in Victoria. 

A reputable arborist now considers the large Sequoia in James Bay's Irving Park as the largest tree in Victoria." 

- Myles Green

It looks like Victoria's transplants from the southern sequoia forest will retain the "largest tree in town" designation far into the future. Especially if they grow faster as they age. I will be checking out the James Bay sequoia soon for a future post.

The magnificent Giant sequoias around the Victoria region should be not only a sign of our ties to our southern neighbours, but also a call to action to do the right thing and preserve our remaining old growth natural heritage just as Californians protected theirs so many years ago.

Refugee Tree: Largest Red Cedar In The CRD

The multi-topped Refugee Tree, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Washington's Olympic Range can be
seen from the gravel pullout along Highway 14

A recent big tree quest saw us cruising West Coast Road/Highway 14 west of Sooke on a stunning fall day. Our mission? To seek out the largest red cedar in Victoria's Capital Region District.

For enthusiasts, a journey like this is a pilgrimage, but instead of searching out a temple, the goal is a living shrine.

Some of these shrines are older than those of the more visited religious variety. Several are older than the establishment of the religions themselves.

Call me a druid, but I think that these old growth shrines, like the CRD's Refugee Tree, have as much or more moral and spiritual significance than a lock of hair or scrap of hem from someones garment.

You can't live for an eon or more and not exude a certain aura of experience, wisdom, and patience.

The Refugee Tree is 13.72 meters in circumference (45 ft) 

Comparing these places to shrines is only one spiritual similarity. When surrounded by the giant column-like boles in an old growth forest, many people feel like they are in a cathedral. Indeed, that is exactly how Port Alberni's Cathedral Grove got its name.

The lofty heights take ones eye upwards to the canopy high overhead. Light filters through like beams through stained glass. The magnificence of the trees, plus the stillness and quiet, elicit a sense of humility in all gentle supplicants that enter here.

What we should be asking for is forgiveness, for the bulk of this cathedral has been desecrated and razed to the ground.

The Refugee Tree is surrounded by other older cedars and younger forest of Western Hemlock

The hike to the Refugee Tree is a short, but occasionally steep fifteen minutes from the Highway 14 pullout. The trail is marked with some flagging on some bush. Once you have found the trail, just follow the flagging right to the tree. The trail is overgrown in spots, and the trail is easy to miss if you are not paying attention. Always keep the next flag in sight before proceeding.

Away from the road the highway noise begins to fade and you can hear the distant roar of waves below. There are a few big hemlocks along the trail, but these are small compared to the Refugee and several other smaller, yet still impressive, red cedars in the area.

With the sound of the ocean below, and the fresh air surrounding you, it is soon apparent that a visit to the Refugee Tree is a worthwhile quest. Big trees and ancient forests have an amazing capacity to instill a sense of awe, as well as calm.

This is a special place, and if you are still and quiet, all questions are answered.

The adventurer returns, like after all successful pilgrimages, a renewed person with more respect and appreciation for the larger world.

There are other nice old growth trees around the Refugee Tree

Getting There

Directions from Victoria, BC – approx. 1 hour

1. Take West Coast Road/Hwy #14 through Sooke towards Port Renfrew.
2. Set your tripometer at Jordan River; you will drive approximately 17 km more before hitting the roadside turn out
3. The turn out is at a corner which you can recognize by its cement barrier that runs along the left hand side of the road and the steep cliff face that runs along the right. Loss Creek is about 2 km past the turn out, so if you make it to the creek you can turn around and go back.
4. Stop at the corner pull out on the ocean side, and park. From here y
   ou should be able to see out over the Juan de Fuca, and you can see the many spires on the top of the Refugee Tree.
5. Walk along the road barrier toward Victoria while keeping an eye out for a bit of flagging in the bush to your right.
6. Enter the forest by the flagging, and follow the faint trail. Before long you will come to a short steep section that requires caution. 
7. After descending the small shelf you can follow the flagging and the trail to the tree.
8. At the beginning of the trail notice the huge cedar stump on the left hand side. Many areas along this stretch of coast were clear cut logged 30 or 40 years ago. For reasons unknown, the odd huge cedar, including the CRD's largest, were left standing.
9. Loss Creek, two km past the Refugee Tree, has areas of protected old growth Sitka Spruce forest. There are no services or established trails, just a nice creek and some great trees.

Status

The Refugee Tree is currently unprotected as it grows on forestry land. The Juan de Fuca Trail, which passes by below, could be extended to include the tree and other bits of remnant old growth that are close by in the steep ravines.

Community Concern Saves Oakland's St. Albans Sequoia

View St. Albans Sequoia To Be Saved in a larger map

Whether we are in the back country, or in urban areas, there is rarely good news when it comes to saving significant trees in British Columbia. Here, in Canada's most treed province, the value of our woody wonders has perhaps been diluted by the sheer volume of them.

Occasionally though, dentritic defenders win a battle, if not the war. Such is the case of the St. Albans Giant sequoia in the Victoria neighbourhood of Oaklands. It has been under threat since the property on which it grows was sold to developers.

Giant sequoia have a very long association with Victoria, even though the huge trees are native to California. That the trees exist here shows early Victoria's connection to the American state.

Some of the trees were brought as saplings by Californians moving north, and sequoia seeds were advertised in Victoria as early as 1860. Local nurseries also raised sequoias for sale locally. Many must have been planted by displaced Californians that missed their unique state tree.

Today, Victoria's Giant sequoias have become landmarks, and their conical tops tower above everything around them. The tallest sequoia, which may be the tallest tree in Victoria, is 52 meters (170 ft) tall. But let's get back to the sequoia on the St. Albans property.

Earlier this summer, Cindy, an Oaklands resident, contacted me to see if I might be able to offer some suggestions for saving several Garry oaks, and one sequoia. I responded with some ideas, and waited to hear of the fate of this landmark tree.

Recently I received a follow up email from Cindy. In it she says:

"Many people came out to the Community Association Land Use forum to speak out in favour of protecting the Sequoia tree. This resulted in these wishes being considered in the report drafted for recommendations associated with the approval of variance application being put forth by the developer. 

Over a month has passed and this morning, the application went before the Planning and Land Use Standing Committee.  I have good news!!  The committee approved staff recommendations that a restrictive covenant be registered on the Sequoia prior to a public hearing that will also take place! 

 In case you are interested, here is the report that the Committee considered, and upon which made its decision:

Planning and Land Use Standing Committee Report

Thank-you again for taking the time to help provide us with guidance.  This helped contribute to what looks like a happy ending!"

Loggers long ago removed the largest Western red-cedar and Douglas-fir from the Victoria area. With the native big tree competition gone, the biggest trees in town are Giant sequoias. All the old, huge sequoias have heritage value and deserve to be protected.

Congratulations to Cindy and the Oaklands neighbourhood for taking action on behalf of their neighbourhood giant, and saving it from becoming yet another victim of the relentless development that has been taking place here since the 1850s.

I am happy to have been a small part of the effort to successfully save what is probably the neighbourhood's oldest planted tree.

Are you trying to save a significant Vancouver Island big tree? Let us know in a comment, or contact us (see info on side bar). We are happy to help in any way we can.

Goldstream Park: Accessible Old Growth

Accessible old growth forest just 30 minutes from downtown Victoria, 
Goldstream Park (day use area)

There is nowhere else in the Victoria region that I know of that a person can as easily access as many big trees as in Goldstream Park. It is unfortunate that this amazing, small bit of remnant old growth is split by the busy Trans Canada Highway, but don't let the road noise stop you from enjoying this living museum.

In comments on past posts here, VIBT reader and big tree guy, Samuel Bednarski, has noted the champions among the 800 year old trees in Goldstream Park.

"Goldstream still holds the crown for Victoria area big trees at 80+ meters. There are cedars that reach 72 meters, and the tallest Douglas-fir is 82 meters. There are many 70+ meter tall trees, especially off the highway."

"A few hundred metres south of where the Trans-Canada Highway meets Finlayson Arm Road, there is a grove of trees on the east side of the road that I have not measured, and are about 80 metres tall." 

Those are some pretty impressive numbers. Are these the tallest trees in the CRD? Samuel thinks so, and he should know - he has a laser device for easy and accurate measurement of trees, and has used it here.

Looking up the trunk of a Goldstream Park old growth Douglas-fir

The day use part of Goldstream contains many huge trees that one can drive or walk right by, and there are several trails for hiking. The primeval forest still dominates here, and is populated by gigantic, ancient Western red-cedar, Douglas-fir, Bigleaf maple, Grand fir, and Black cottonwood.

Broken Western red-cedar surrounded by Bigleaf maple along Goldstream River

This is part of the 1% of the old growth Coastal Douglas-fir forest that remains after 150 years of depletion. 99% of the trees outside of parks have not been so lucky. Goldstream Park and places like it exist to remind us of what we have lost. Hopefully they also provide the inspiration and motivation to  stop the continued destruction of the tiny bit of old growth that remains.

Day use area parking lot - big tree drive through

There remains a lot to be discovered in this island of old growth. Check it out - spend a day in a temperate rain forest with trees that were already large when Europeans were living in walled cities, and errant knights in shining armour roamed the countryside.

For more information see here.

St. Albans Sequoia Needs Divine Intervention

Image shows St. Albans property with the church, behind which lives a Giant sequoia (the tallest tree) currently on death row. Slated to be cut for development, it may be the oldest planted tree in the Oaklands neighbourhood.  View Larger Map of St. Albans, Oaklands, Victoria, BC

Canadians are generally tree-defending people that consider significant trees to be community assets to be shared and enjoyed by all. We don't talk so much about "your" trees or "my" trees as much as "the community's" trees, since we all benefit from their presence. However, not everyone sees it that way.

Where some see history and beauty to be protected, others see distracting impediments to their plans. This often leads to clashes over trees and green space with a preservation-oriented public, and pro-development governments and business people taking sides in adversarial standoffs.

Such is the case in the community of Oaklands, where what may be the oldest planted tree in the neighbourhood is under threat of the chain saw. The sale of St. Albans, a former Anglican church property, is threatening the magnificent, and much loved, Giant sequoia as well as valuable green space with several Garry oaks. It looks like divine intervention might be needed to save the trees.

A concerned tree-loving citizen of the community contacted me via email shortly before a public forum (Thursday, July 19, 2012) took place to discuss the developer's plans, and the community's wishes. The email states:

"I am a resident of the Oaklands community (adjacent to Fernwood).  At the site of the St.Albans property (former Anglican church property, recently sold to a developer) there is a Giant Sequoia that is currently under threat of being taken down to accommodate the developers plans.  There is a public forum on Thursday at our Community Centre to discuss the variance application being put forward and it is believed that it will be argued that the Sequoia must come down (I understand that the developer will be bringing her arborist to the meeting).   

There are many in the community that feel very strongly about that property in general (and in fact an attempt by the community to acquire it was made in the spring) and the Greenways/trees that run along the front of the property in particular.

One of my neighbours believes very strongly that the tree, 'has /had a Heritage Tree Certificate.  But I have not seen it in recent years; it was presumably kept with other parish records which are now either lost or at the diocesan archives.'

I have sent a message to someone to make inquiries with the Anglican Church and I have also had it confirmed by the City Parks dept. that there is no covenant on the tree, but I wonder if there is somewhere else I should be looking to confirm this? Do you have any ideas on how we might argue that the tree must stay?  How do we convince the City that the developers plans must preserve this tree?"

Of course, the best protection for trees is education, but when a tree is about to come down, urgent action is required. Victoria has a tree protection bylaw (see an overview here), so the city is the first place I would start. Other avenues of action could include checking to see:

• if removal defies your municipality's urban forest (or other) plan.
• whether removal contravenes your municipality's tree bylaw.
• checking to see if the permit for removal, if issued, considered all mitigating factors.
• checking if the tree is a 'heritage tree'.
• if all alternatives have been considered.
• if removal makes aboricultural (tree) sense.
• if anyone has talked directly with the developer/landowner to see if mitigation is possible.

If all negotiations fail, and the municipality will not intervene or rescind the permit to cut the tree, and you feel that there are still alternatives to be considered, further actions could include:

• contacting the local media about the story, and being available for an on-site interview.
• contacting a lawyer to ascertain your right to ask for a stop work order until the issue is resolved.

It is surprising that the sequoia is not already protected under Victoria's tree bylaw, since it has both heritage and landmark value. It could be over 100 years old, and may have been planted around the same time as many other sequoias that early settlers from California brought with them in the late 1800s. This one may have originally been planted on a farm as the Oaklands area was farmland from Victoria's inception right up until the 1920s when the last farmer's field was subdivided for residential development.

Also, any tree on private property over 80 cm in trunk diameter is protected by the bylaws. The community has expressed the importance of the trees on the property, both the giant sequoia and the Garry oak, a threatened species in the Coastal Douglas-fir eco-zone.

I see no reason why all these trees can not be incorporated into the new development. Indeed, they would make anything built there even more attractive to potential new neighbours.

Good luck to the community of Oaklands - you have taken on a difficult, but worthy struggle. It would be sad to see these trees taken down. The sequoia could live for 3000 more years!

Contact us at VIBT (see sidebar) if you have any ideas or skills that could be useful toward helping in this opportunity for citizen action, and tree preservation.

Garry Oak Habitat Threatened

Garry oak habitat, Saanich, BC

Garry oaks (Quercus garryana) are large deciduous trees with lobed leaves, grey bark, and a twisted, gnarly branching pattern that gives the trees a stately, ancient look. They are the only native oak species in British Columbia, and their showy flowering habitat is one of the most threatened in the province.

Garry oak habitat covers a tiny area found within the Coastal Douglas-fir zone covering southeast Vancouver Island, part of the Gulf Islands, and a tiny bit of the mainland. The land on which the city of Victoria was built was almost all Garry oak meadows in pre-contact times.

The grassy meadows contain relatively open forests of oak trees. These rich areas are important to the area's original inhabitants who have long collected Camas bulbs as an important food staple. The spectacular blue wildflower grows from bulbs that were cooked in pits and eaten, or dried for trade or storage.

The oak trees are surrounded by grasses that are dotted with delicate wildflowers during a 3-4 month flowering period. Companion trees in this eco-zone are Douglas-fir, Arbutus, and Shore pine.

Garry Oak Meadow Flowers

The Coastal Douglas-fir zone is one of British Columbia's smallest, covering about 4% of the province. Garry oak habitat is a smaller area within that, so has always been extremely rare.

Already, 95% of this spectacular ecosystem has been altered. They are constantly under threat of being developed since their habitat overlaps with the most populated areas of Vancouver Island.

Little studied, we may never know what we have lost in this biologically diverse area. Garry oak habitat contains more plant species than any other terrestrial ecosystem in Canada. Many of the residents can not live anywhere else, including the mighty oaks.

However, beautiful meadows endure, and remain a place where garter snakes and alligator lizards bask on sunny rock outcrops. A rich assortment of wildflowers, including Camas, flower every spring over several scented months.

The Garry oak meadows that are left can be found in the Victoria area, Duncan, Nanaimo, Comox, and most southern Gulf Islands.

To learn more about Garry Oak Preservation, see here.

Grand Fir Trail - Francis/King Regional Park

Francis/King's Grand Fir Trail on a winter day

In Vancouver Island's temperate rain forest there are a number of species of trees that can grow very large and tall. The Grand fir (Abies grandis) is one such tree. Along with scattered Western red-cedar, Grand fir can be found with its companion tree, the Douglas-fir, in the dryer forests of eastern Vancouver Island. Francis/King Regional Park, 20 minutes from downtown Victoria, BC, is one such place.

The genus Abies includes 48 or more species of firs. Grand fir are the tallest species, and some of the loftiest can be found on Vancouver Island. Historically these trees grew to 90 meters (295 ft) (Tudge, 2006), with trunks up to 2-4 meters (6-12 ft) in diameter. They are the shortest-lived of all the conifers in the coastal rain forest, living for 'only' about 250 years, and up to 500 years in extreme cases.

What the Grand fir lacks in longevity it makes up for in rapid growth. In some settings, such as open areas along rivers, it is the fastest growing tree in the forest (1.2m/4ft per yr). Grand fir like all the other firs, grows in a classic conic 'Christmas tree' shape. They have thin, grey plate-like bark when older, and are climax trees in the forest.

Grand fir in the Upper Chilliwack River Ecological Reserve

Grand fir foilage smells like
citrus when crushed

The tallest known Grand fir, listed in British Columbia's Big Tree Registry, is 75 m (247 ft) tall. It is growing in Ecological Reserve #98 of the Upper Chilliwack River on the mainland near Vancouver.

Although none of the Abies grandis along Francis/King Park's Grand Fir Trail are record breakers, there are still some impressive neck-straining specimens.

A route along this beautiful, fern-covered hike takes the tree enthusiast through a rain forest setting that feels far from civilization. It is green and grey, rainy and dripping, misty and wonderful. This is a special zone that contains some of the biggest trees in the region.

The best way to start the hike is to carefully cross Munn Road and descend into the impressive Heritage Grove. Here there are 500 year old massive Douglas-firs, one that tops 75 meters (245 ft), and another with an arm-stretching 9.5 meter (31 ft) circumference.

Ancient Douglas-fir along the trail with debris pile building up around it

There are several routes that one can take, so consult with the park map before you start your hike. Grand Fir Trail creates a pleasant and level loop that roughly parallels Munn Road on either side. There is signage along the way to assist with route-finding.

Watch for the grey-barked Grand fir trees as you hike. They are mostly smaller than the larger Douglas-fir that they share the forest with, although a couple are massive. Douglas-fir bark is much more deeply furrowed, and is darker in colour.

Along with the old growth trees you will also experience the variety of life that is part of this forest ecosystem. Here you can discover Pacific tree frogs, Garter snakes, Great Horned Owls, Steller's Jays and Winter Wrens, as well as plants such as Shooting star and White fawn lily, Indian plum, Oregon grape, and Salal. Other trees in this forest include Big leaf maple, Garry oak, Arbutus, Red alder, and Western red-cedar.

This Grand fir in Francis/King Regional Park is, well, rather grand

Getting There

To get to Francis/King Park follow the Trans-Canada Highway from Victoria, and take the Helmcken Road exit. Turn left on Burnside Road West, then right on Prospect Lake Road. Turn left on Munn Road, which leads to the park entrance on the right. Allow approximately 20 minutes driving time from Victoria.

The park has parking, wheelchair accessible Elsie King Trail, toilets, Nature House, picnic tables, and giant trees. Enjoy.

There is plenty of hiking to do in the park - Heritage Grove has the biggest Douglas-fir
while Grand Fir Trail passes by some of the tallest, largest Grand Fir.

Urban Exotics: Victoria's Giant Sequoias

Giant sequoia dominate their surroundings at The Rise and Montrose, Victoria

One thing I enjoy about the Victoria region is that in addition to beautiful native tree species, there are also many introduced species that grow well here. Because of this, Victoria has an amazingly diverse urban forest. The urban exotics include two huge sequoia at the residential intersection of Montrose and The Rise (see map below).

Sequoia - big and tall

The trees are very tall and can be seen from a distance on the side of Smith's Hill while approaching from the south on Cook Street.



There are also many nice native species in this well-treed neighbourhood. Garry oak and Douglas-fir grow on the rocky hillside, interspersed with Arbutus.

Just down the street is this classic beauty - huge for its young age

Sequoias have a pyramidal shape, but when older can take on more individual characteristics. The trees have reddish-brown furrowed bark, and drooping branches with feathery needles. Giant sequoia wood is more brittle than that of the Coast redwoods, and therefore not as sought after. Sequoia are among the longest living trees and can thrive for thousands of years.

Massive trunk with branches as big as large trees

These fantastic Giant sequoias are probably no older than about 100 years or so, and already they have reached massive proportions. The trees at Montrose and The Rise are just getting started - they do not yet rival their monumental relatives growing in California. Maybe in 3000 more years.

Without taking a two day trip down south you can still get a hint of the majesty of Giant sequoia right here in Victoria, BC.

Getting There

Zoom in the map below to locate these trees.


View Urban Exotics: Giant sequoia at Montrose and The Rise in a larger map

Beacon Hill Park Black Cottonwood Grove

Large buttressed trunk of an old Black cottonwood in Beacon Hill Park

There is a Black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera trichocarpa) grove in Beacon Hill Park that drew me in during a walk through the park this spring. The fragrance was strong even hundreds of meters away. Entranced, I followed my nose until I stood at the base of some very impressive, old trees that form a beautiful grove.


Some of the larger trees are buttressed at the base forming a broad trunk of deeply furrowed grey bark.

Furrowed, aged trunk

The grove is filled with long grass with wild flowers scattered through it. This area is wetter than others in the park, as the cottonwoods enjoy soils that are occasionally partially waterlogged.











Not only are these these trees large at the base, but they are very tall as well. The large canopies filter the light that reaches the grassy meadow below.

The grove's large trees are tall as well as fat

Another interesting feature is more difficult to see. Way up high in the canopy of one of these giant deciduous trees is an eagle nest. There is no such thing as a small eagle nest.

Eagle nest in one of the grove's cottonwoods, photo by Friends of Beacon Hill Park

Eagles are large birds, and their nests must be large to raise the young. Nests can often weigh over a ton. Such a home requires a large, sturdy tree. The cottonwoods provide such a scaffold for these majestic birds homes.

Wet, grassy area good for the thirsty cottonwoods

Getting There

Beacon Hill Park is conveniently located south of downtown Victoria. The Black cottonwood grove is south of Goodacre Lake along Douglas Street.


View Beacon Hill Park Black Cottonwood Grove in a larger map