Old-Growth Trees

The Pacific Northwest is an iconic place for tree lovers. On a recent visit I discovered the magic that is old-growth forests. Old-growth forests are over 150 years old, with some of these trees reaching 400 years in age. Western hemlocks, Sitka spruces and Douglas firs dominate the area, with some reaching 300 feet in height. These forests are not only great instagram photo ops, but also extremely beneficial to human and ecosystem well-being.

Walking around these forests is guaranteed to bring down stress levels and encourage deep breaths of fresh oxygen. These old-growth forests also absorb immense amounts of carbon because of their complex ecosystem of plants, animals and fungi. Studies are now showing that these tree networks are able to communicate and send nutrients or warnings through the extensive underground root and fungi system. Fun fact: The oldest trees (Mother Trees) supply nutrients and change their root structure to make room for new baby trees. These Mother Trees house memories that they share with the younger generation of trees so they can adapt to the current environment. Talk about amazing.

The picture above is a Sitka spruce, known as the Kalaloch Tree of Life. No one knows how this majestic beauty continues to stand without a significant soil structure underneath. But nature always finds a way to prevail.