CHAPTER I ANCIENT FOREST
Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks ‐ Banff National Park, Canada
The Canadian Rockies stretch 1500km from Southern Alberta to the Yukon Border. The region is rich in wildlife and blessed with towering snow‐capped peaks, forests and turquoise lakes ‐ so coloured by glacial silt that absorbs all colours of light except those in the blue‐green spectrum. The pinnacle of the Rockies is Moraine Lake with its spectacular scenery and great hiking opportunities in the form of short walks along the lake, to Consolation Lake, or day hikes through places such as Paradise Valley ‐ its name says it all. Moraine Lake is 13 km from Lake Louise Village, which provides an un‐ spoilt stay for those fond of the great outdoors. The other main lake in the region, Lake Louise is definitely worth a visit but is much more crowded and somewhat spoilt by the oversized Chateau Lake Louise.
4560000000 the number of years that the earth has been in existence
200000 the number of years since the origin of the modern day human
35 the number of years it has taken the human species to destroy 27% of the world’s natural resources (1970‐2005)
Sundance Canyon Trail and Bow River ‐ Banff National Park Banff Townsite (Banff) is the ‘capital’ of the Canadian Rockies and can be found on all the main tourist routes. However other than having natural springs and providing a nice array of restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops, there is not a lot else to do in Banff. The cliental says it all, only 1% of Banff’s tourist’s stray more than 1km from the road. There are some nice shorts walks around Banff, in particular the Marsh Loop Trail (2km) and Sundance Canyon Trail (3.7km) that start at the Cave and Basin Centennial Centre, and provide good opportunities to see grazing herds of elk. The latter trail provides a paved walking and cycling route along the Bow River and can be extended to include a loop that takes you through the impressive Sundance Canyon.
Earth’s ancient forests are diverse
Rainforest Tropical Mangrove Boreal Temperate Coniferous Broadleaf
2/3 of the world’s land based plants & animals live in ancient forest
Lake Minnewanka in winter Banff National Park Lake Minnewanka means ‘Lake of the Water Spirit’. It is the largest body of water in Banff National Park and the only lake that allows boat trips. In the summer herds of Bighorn Sheep frequent the area, but they are not the only locals who visit the lake. As the summer advances the mighty Grizzly Bear descends from the high alpine regions to feed on the ripe berries that surround the lake. During such times it is not unusual to find some of the trails around the lake closed.
The forests are the lungs of the earth converting toxic carbon dioxide into oxygen, a process that regulates the earth’s climate ‐ rainforests absorb almost a 1/5 of the worlds man‐made CO2 emissions each year 35,000 the number of plant species that we depend upon for our medicines Tree roots stabilise soil preventing erosion, flooding and landslides 1,200,000 a conservative estimate of the number of indigenous people living in Ancient Forest
Coyote, Bow Valley Parkway. Banff National Park The Bow Valley Parkway was the main road that connected Banff Townsite to Lake Louise Village prior to the construction of the highway. Many good hiking trials start from the Parkway, the most notable of the short trails being the Johnston Canyon Trail, and the best day hike is the spectacular Cory Pass Trail, which can be combined with the Edith Pass Trail to make a loop. The Parkway is also a good spot for wildlife viewing and even in the winter it is not unusual to see animals such as this Coyote patrolling the road. Wildlife is abundant in the Canadian Rockies, the best way of finding out where and how to view the wildlife is by asking the rangers in the Park Centres.
Tropical rainforests
are paramount to the regulation of the global ecosystem and to the well‐being of man
are restricted to the small land area between the latitudes 22.5 degrees North and South of the Equator ‐ 1/3 of the rainforests are in Brazil ‐ 20% are in Indonesia and the Congo Basin
Cover less than 2% of the Earth’s surface but house 50% of all life on the planet
A single hectare (2.5 acres) of rainforest contains up to ‐ 480 tree species ‐100 mammal and 300 bird species ‐ 70 reptile species
A single bush in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the entire British Isles
Yoho Valley, Yoho National Park Yoho National Park, established in 1886, was originally used by the Cree to hide their woman and children while the men crossed the mountains into Alberta to trade and hunt Buffalo. The park is broadly split into two main areas. The first is Yoho Valley & Emerald Lake, which offer some great sights and are more accessible for the casual visitor. The second area, Lake O’Hara, lies at the eastern edge of the park and is for the purists. Here a central lodge and campground offer unparalleled access to some awesome backcountry. In order to protect the mountain flora and fauna access to the Lake O’Hara area is restricted by way of a limited bus service, which needs to be booked some time before your journey in order to ensure a trip to this region.
The roots of deforestation Logging for timber and paper, unsustainable and often illegal ‐ in some parts of South East Asia, Africa and Latin America up to 80% of all trees are cut down illegally Clearance for conversion to cattle pasture, speculation on rising land prices and plantations such as soy and palm oil ‐ the UK imports 2 million tonnes of soy a year in order that our animals can be bred to grow fast Urbanisation and construction homes, roads and dams
Takakkaw Falls and Rainbows, Yoho Valley The name ‘Takakkaw’ is derived from the Cree and means ‘it is wonderful’. The falls have a drop of 254 metres and are easily accessed from the falls parking area, which is only 14 km off the Trans‐Canada Highway. Accommodation in this region is limited and the area tends to be un‐crowded. Yoho National Park has good access to the Kicking Horse River, which offers the best white‐water rafting in the region.
4/5 of the earth’s ancient forests have already been destroyed by man
20 the percentage of the Amazon cleared since 1970
75 the percentage of Indonesia’s forests that have been destroyed over half of what is left is under threat ‐ conversion of forest to palm oil plantations has increased six‐fold since 1985
91 the percentage of Orang‐utans lost ‐ their home is the Indonesian Ancient Forest
The African forests of the Great Apes used to stretch from Senegal to Uganda 85 the percentage of this habitat that is lost forever
Twin Falls in Yoho Valley Most trails in the Yoho Valley area start from the Takakkaw Falls campground and car park. The trail to Twin Falls is 8.5 km one way. There are six backcountry campgrounds in Yoho National Park Backcountry reservations are recommended and can be made at the park centre in Field.
2 seconds the time it is taking man to destroy an area of ancient forest the size of a football pitch. An area of natural forest larger than England is being destroyed every year
Just a few thousand years ago, tropical rainforests covered as much as 12% of the earths land surface, today less than 5% is covered with these forests. On current estimates soy farming and cattle ranging will destroy 40% of the Amazon Basin by 2050 causing the extinction of 4,500 species
10 the percentage of the earth’s remaining ancient forest that is protected
Peyto Lake Lookout, Icefields Parkway The Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is a 230km road from Lake Louise to Jasper, which cuts through the heart of the Rockies, and ranks high amongst the most scenic drives in the world. The Parkway is best known for the Colombia Icefield, which in my opinion is best viewed from a distance as organised trips to the Icefield are everything that Canada is not – busy and over commercialised. One of the many places that must be visited along the Parkway is Peyto Lake, which lies only 40km north of Lake Louise. A short walk from the well sign‐posted car park takes you through a vibrant wildflower meadow to the lookout with stunning views of the lake and ragged Mistaya River Valley beyond.
The developed world has already lost most of what it had 30 the number of countries in Europe with no remaining ancient forest
Russia is home to ¼ of the world’s forests. It is being logged unsustainably ‐ 35 percent of its logging is illegal
1 the percentage of the original Caledonian Forest that remains in Scotland
94 the percentage of ancient forests that have been destroyed in the USA
Parker Ridge, Icefields Parkway Two of the best trials on the Icefields Parkway can be found close to its midpoint. The first is the Parker Ridge trail, a 2.4km one‐way hike offering fantastic views of the Saskatchewan Glacier. The other is the Wilcox Pass Trial, a 4km one‐way hike that takes you through forest to a ridge with beautiful vistas of the Parkway, and access to alpine meadow beyond.
Zoonosis
a disease that is transmitted from animal to man
There are 1415 known human infections 61 the percentage that are zoonoses
AIDS SARS BIRD FLU
The number of new zoonoses is increasing The cause ‐ closer human contact with wildlife, resulting from encroachment into ancient forest
Athabasca Falls, Icefields Parkway These impressive falls are found only 30km from Jasper. Accommodation along the Icefields Parkway consists of 5 youth hostels, 12 park campgrounds and a handful of hotels, which tends to get booked up early.
Our remaining forests can be protected ‐ the Brazilian government has recently committed to significant reductions in deforestation and aims to do more by raising $20 billion in donations from industrialised countries
Logging can be sustainable
FSC ‐ Forest Stewardship Council a label on all wood products derived from sustainable, managed forests ‐ 1 million hectares of forest in China are now certified under FSC
We can be less wasteful 70 the percentage of logged wood that is unusable sawdust
Pyramid Mountain and Morning Mist, Jasper National Park Jasper National Park has a much wilder feel to it. The town of Jasper is much more laid back and less commercialised than Banff, and the parks backcountry is more extensive with 111 backcountry campgrounds, permits for which can be picked up at the Columbia Icefield or at the Park Information Centre in Jasper. Within close proximity to Jasper area, Lake Edith and Lake Annette have nice beach areas and are warm enough for swimming. An easy bike ride will take you to Patricia and Pyramid Lakes, two picturesque lakes that offer opportunities for canoeing, sailing windsurfing and horse riding.
Not logging can bring extra benefits to local populations £600 the income from logging one hectare of rainforest £4210 the income derived from the same hectare farmed for fruit, rubber, medicine and developed for ecotourism $60 billion the value of medicinal plants per year
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park The main regions to explore around Jasper are Maligne Lake, Miette Hot Springs with its natural springs, and the Sulphur Skyline Trail (4 km one way). It is also worth a trip up the Mount Edith Carvell Road that leads to the Carvell Meadows trails and views of the Angel Glacier and Mount Edith Carvell. The road to Maligne Lake is rich in wildlife and the trial around Maligne Lake is a good place to see Moose. Other activities close to the lake include the Opal Hills trial (8.2km round trip), and a gentle introduction to white water rafting on the Maligne River.
Although multinational corporations such as Asia Pulp and Paper are responsible for much destruction, the fate of the remaining Ancient Forests rests heavily upon the people of the developed world The developed world continue to import illegal wood from the Amazonian & Indonesian Rainforest for use as timber and paper ‐ not enough of us buy FSC wood products We continue to purchase palm oil and soy from poorly managed forest 15,000 the number of hectares of ancient Russian forest that Europe consumes each year The average US person consumes 15 times more wood than the average person in China 4,000,000,000,000 the number of tonnes of wood the paper industry will use annually by 2020
Mount Revelstoke National Park There are numerous other national parks in the Canadian Rockies such as Kootenay, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke. The latter is the smallest and most southerly national park in the region. Often over looked by many travellers, Mount Revelstoke has glorious displays of wildflowers that reach there peak in July and August. Ten official trails give excellent hiking opportunities but don’t forget your insect repellent.
137 the number of plant and animal species made extinct every day in the Amazon
50 the percentage of the Amazon rainforest that will be damaged or destroyed within 20 years if deforestation, forest fires, and climate trends continue