Clayoquot Sound, B.C.

Wolf tracks along west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Bald eagle above a foggy forest.

Carcass of juvenile humpback whale on beach of island in Clayoquot Sound

Racoon foraging for sand flees on beach of island in Sound

Black-tailed deer feeding on seaweed on island in Clayoquot Sound.

River otter scent marking on seaweed as tide goes out.

Black bear foraging for invertebrates in the intertidal zone by rolling rocks.

Large Sitka spruce in ancient forest on island in the Sound.

 A gray wolf trots along the beach early in the morning with ravens in the background.
West Coast, Vancouver Island

Tofino Inlet, Clayoquot Sound.

Harbor seals lounging at low tide.

Despite decades of conservation efforts, Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve,  faces numerous severe threats to its ecological integrity including clear cut logging of roadless old growth forests, industrial Atlantic salmon fish farms, and proposed open-pit copper mining. Learn more about the region and how you can support conservation in the region at the following websites:

Friends of Clayoquot Sound

Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve

First Nations Environmental Network

Atlantic salmon fish farm in Clayoquot Sound with uncut forest in background. Several rivers with no clearcuts or roads in them are seeing massive declines in salmon numbers due to sea lice and other issues associated with fish farming in the Sound. The smell is overwhelming, far worse than a dairy farm and totally shocking in such a wild setting.

Active clearcut logging in Clayquot Sound. Top of the photo is uncut oldgrowth. Bottom is regrowth from a previous clearcut.

Growth rings: over 200. Destination: ?

Huge western red ceder stump set amidst second growth forest of planted Douglas firs. Note that the original nurse log that the ceder tree started growing on in still under the stump, attesting to the volume of biomass in the previous ancient forest and the literally centuries it took to create the structural diversity so important to many Old growth obligate species.

WILDLIFE

 

 Western heather vole (Phenacomys intermedius).

Olympic National Park, Washington.

Winter Wren with insects in its mouth bound for hungry young.
Western Washington.

Black bear.
Olympic National Park, Washington

American Pika

feeding on just sprouting larch needles

Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, North Cascades, Washington

Male Blue grouse

North Cascades, Washington

Townsend's vole

feeding on grass

Snoqualmie Valley, Washington

Black-tailed Deer Buck
Klamath Mountains
Northwestern California

Western Grey Squirrel
feeding on acorns in an oak tree
Klamath Mountains
Southwestern Oregon

Western Jumping Mouse
Selkirk Mountains, southeastern British Columbia

Grizzly Bear on Elk carcass
North Fork Flathead River, northwestern Montan

Bull Moose
Northeast Washington

Mountain goats in mist
Goat Rocks Wilderness
Washington Cascades

Bighorn Sheep Ram
Clemens Mountain
East slope Washington Cascades

Great Egret
Bolinas Lagoon
Northern California