Ideas·IDEAS AFTERNOON

Walking among the Ancients: Honouring a rare old-growth forest

Soaring, ancient trees above, rolling ground underfoot and astounding biodiversity all around. IDEAS explores the rare, ancient beauty — and endangered reality — of an old-growth forest in Nova Scotia, to learn of its many wonders.

The Wabanaki-Acadian old-growth forest of Eastern North America is endangered with only 1 per cent left

Mary Lynk · Posted: Jun 11, 2024 6:11 PM EDT | Last Updated: September 9

Naturalist Peter Romkey standing in front of approximately 300 year-old Yellow Birch hardwood tree — Naturalist Peter Romkey stands in front of an estimated 300-year-old Yellow Birch hardwood tree in Nova Scotia. As indicated by its large, octopus-like roots above the ground, it probably grew out on an old rotting, ancient fallen log. The tree is covered by mosses and lichens. (Mary Lynk/CBC)

Ideas53:59Walking Among the Ancients: The Rare Wabanaki-Acadian Old-Growth Forest

*Originally published on June 11, 2024.

The intricate complexity and beauty of old-growth forests continue to puzzle and fascinate scientists and researchers.

Generations of untouched deep thick ground cover, ancient trees and astounding biodiversity contain an interconnected world.

"When you look up and the canopy is so high above you get this feeling like you're in a cathedral in one of the old cities in Europe," naturalist Peter Romkey told IDEAS producer Mary Lynk on their tour of the Wabanaki-Acadian old-growth forest stand.

This forest is mostly second or third-generation trees now from clear-cutting and logging. The Wabanaki-Acadian forest stretches from parts of the Maritimes and Southern Quebec down into several New England states.

N.S. adds 'policy protection' to old-growth forests on Crown land

The World Wildlife Fund lists the Wabanaki-Acadian old-growth forest as endangered — with only one percent remaining.

It is very rare to come across an old-growth forest stand, and Peter Romkey took Mary to a secret location which was in pristine condition with trees more than 300 years old, and a rolling thick forest floor of mosses and fungi.

Here are some photos of Mary and Peter's clandestine walk through the ancient forest.

Yellow Birch and Hemlock tree intertwined roots — The roots of a Yellow Birch and Hemlock tree intertwined — an embrace for generations, holding each other up. Trees can communicate with each other through fungi networks — sharing chemical warnings of bug infestations and nutrients to survive. ( Peter Romkey)

A woman stands in front of a tree in an old-growth forest — Ursula Johnson, an internationally-renowned artist and National Parks Mi’kmaw relations advisor took Mary for a walk amongst the ancient trees in Kejimkujik National Park. (Mary Lynk/CBC)

Fallen Log in an old-growth forest — Critical to an old-growth forest is its rich forest floor. Logs that fell a century ago provide nutrients, moisture and shelter for plants and animals. Often tree seedlings grow out of these logs to become ancients themselves. (Mary Lynk/CBC)

Person standing in a forest with tree roots surrounding her — IDEAS producer Mary Lynk (and a trillion black flies) in front of an ancient Hemlock. Its trunk measures a metre (3 ft. 4 in.) in diameter. Peter Romkey estimates the tree is 300-plus years old. The large rotting tree trunk to the left of Mary is needed to ensure the rich biodiversity of old-growth forests. (Peter Romkey)

A Lady Slipper in an old-growth forest — A white Lady Slipper in Kejimkujik National Park. It’s a rare orchid of the genus Cypripedium, and it thrives in the deep shade of old-growth forests. Some species are threatened, such as the Pine Marten and the lungless Salamander because of the loss of old-growth forests. (Mary Lynk/CBC)

The high canopy of an old-growth forest, with no limbs on the lower tree stems. The temperature drops several degrees and humidity increases in this type of woods. Some of the ancient trees are more than 300 years old and 130 feet high. (Peter Romkey)

Listen to this episode by downloading the IDEAS podcast from your favourite app.

Guests in this episode:

Peter Romkey is a naturalist, forest ranger and former executive director of the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre at Acadia University. He is retired and living on the south shore of Nova Scotia.

Joan Maloof is an ecologist, and professor emeritus at Salisbury University. She is also the founder of the Old-Growth Forest Network, which works to preserve, protect, and promote America's few remaining stands of old-growth forests. Maloof is the author of several books, including: Nature's Temples: A Natural History of Old-Growth Forests, Teaching the Trees: Lessons From the Forest and Among the Ancients: Adventures in the Eastern Old-Growth Forests. She lives in Maryland.

Ursula Johnson is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist. She won the 2017 Sobey Art Award. She descends from a long line of Mi'kmaw Artists, including her late Great-Grandmother, Caroline Gould, from whom she learned basket making. Ursula is a member of the Eskasoni Mi'kmaw Nation on Cape Breton Island (Unama'ki in Mi'kmaq). Johnson also works for Parks Canada as the Mi'kmaq Relations Advisor for the mainland Nova Scotia field unit. She lives in southwestern Nova Scotia.

*This episode was produced by Mary Lynk.

Walking among the Ancients: Honouring a rare old-growth forest

The Wabanaki-Acadian old-growth forest of Eastern North America is endangered with only 1 per cent left

Social Sharing

Related Stories