Port Alberni in Nanaimo, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)
Forests: Our Future
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 5, 2026
1. Forests: Our Future Marker
This ancient forest is not just a grove of spectacular giant trees, but a rich ecosystem of hundred of different kinds of interdependent animals, plants, fungi, and microscopic organisms. It forms a self-sustaining system in which nutrients are recycled to nurture new generations of living things. Each member plays a role in the continuing cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Forests recycle rain, create oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, hold soil in place and control the flow of water to our rivers. They provide a secure habitat for a myriad of lifeforms. Directly or indirectly they give us the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Quite simply, forests are critical to life on the planet.
Here in MacMillan Provincial Park you have experienced the most spectacular of our old growth Douglas-fir forests. Remember its significance and come and visit us again.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Horticulture & Forestry.
Location. 49° 17.465′ N, 124° 39.751′ W. Marker is in Port Alberni, British Columbia, in Nanaimo. It can be reached from
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on Vancouver Island. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.
Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 13 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: David Douglas (1799-1834) (a few steps from this marker); Cathedral Trail (a few steps from this marker); Nature’s Cathedral (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Trees for Tomorrow (about 120 meters away); The Big Tree (about 120 meters away); Forest Industry in British Columbia / L’Industrie Forestiere en Colombie-Britannique (approx. 12.8 kilometers away); Bicentennial of the Spanish Expeditions to the Northwest Coasts of America (approx. 12.8 kilometers away).
More about this marker.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 5, 2026
2. Forests: Our Future Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 5, 2026
3. Forests: Our Future Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 5, 2026
4. Cathedral Trail
Credits. This page was last revised on September 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 17, 2026, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 17, 2026, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
