The old growth coastal temperate
rainforest of Gwaii Haanas National Park is like no other
forest. This forest receives 500 to 800 cm (16 to 26
feet) of rainfall annually on the western slopes, less on
the protected east side. Most of this rain comes during
the winter when there can be fierce storms and it is not
uncommon to have many weeks of rain without a break. The
summer has less rain and more sun and the ocean moderates
the temperature. The forest is typically a mix of Sitka
Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Western Redcedar. There is
also lodgepole pine, Yellow Cedar, Mountain Hemlock and
Red Alder. These forests have huge trees up to almost 100
meters (300 feet) in height and the ground and trees and
anything not moving is covered in a thick carpet of moss.
It can be difficult to find animals in these forests
because the vegetation is so thick and the trees so tall
but they are a great place to take a quiet walk and enjoy
the peaceful solitude of the wilderness.
The rainfall not only supports
the lush vegetation but it also, in combination with the
steep topography, results in large numbers of creeks and
rivers. In the late summer the salmon return to spawn in
these creeks providing abundant food for bears and
others. You can sometimes find evidence of this by the
fish bones resting on a carpet of moss some distance from
a creek. There are very few trails in this wilderness and
the vegetation and downed trees can make it difficult to
walk. Following a creek is often an easier way to
navigate and will also keep you in the area with the most
abundant wildlife. Small songbirds are more often heard
then seen and there are plenty of places for small
mammals to hide.
There is
another kind of forest that is not as obvious but is no
less important. Great forests of Kelp can be found along
the shore below the intertidal zone. Kelp is attached to
the ocean floor and their long flexible stems reach all
the way to the surface. Beneath this canopy of kelp live
hundreds of species of fish and other animals.
The old growth coastal temperate
rainforest of Gwaii Haanas National Park is like no other
forest. This forest receives 500 to 800 cm (16 to 26
feet) of rainfall annually on the western slopes, less on
the protected east side. Most of this rain comes during
the winter when there can be fierce storms and it is not
uncommon to have many weeks of rain without a break. The
summer has less rain and more sun and the ocean moderates
the temperature. The forest is typically a mix of Sitka
Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Western Redcedar. There is
also lodgepole pine, Yellow Cedar, Mountain Hemlock and
Red Alder. These forests have huge trees up to almost 100
meters (300 feet) in height and the ground and trees and
anything not moving is covered in a thick carpet of moss.
It can be difficult to find animals in these forests
because the vegetation is so thick and the trees so tall
but they are a great place to take a quiet walk and enjoy
the peaceful solitude of the wilderness. 
The rainfall not only supports
the lush vegetation but it also, in combination with the
steep topography, results in large numbers of creeks and
rivers. In the late summer the salmon return to spawn in
these creeks providing abundant food for bears and
others. You can sometimes find evidence of this by the
fish bones resting on a carpet of moss some distance from
a creek. There are very few trails in this wilderness and
the vegetation and downed trees can make it difficult to
walk. Following a creek is often an easier way to
navigate and will also keep you in the area with the most
abundant wildlife. Small songbirds are more often heard
then seen and there are plenty of places for small
mammals to hide. 
There is
another kind of forest that is not as obvious but is no
less important. Great forests of Kelp can be found along
the shore below the intertidal zone. Kelp is attached to
the ocean floor and their long flexible stems reach all
the way to the surface. Beneath this canopy of kelp live
hundreds of species of fish and other animals.