Big Lonely Doug

Big Lonely Doug is a large Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) tree located in the Gordon River Valley of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is the second largest Douglas-fir tree in Canada after the Red Creek Fir in nearby San Juan Valley.[1]

Big Lonely Doug
SpeciesCoast Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii)
LocationVancouver Island
British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates48.64626°N 124.45063°W / 48.64626; -124.45063
Height70.2 m (230 ft)[1]
Girth11.91 m (39.1 ft)[1]
Diameter3.91 m (12.8 ft)[1]
Date seeded~1000 CE

History

The tree was seeded sometime around 1000 CE.[1]

In 2011, logger Dennis Cronin discovered the enormous tree while surveying a patch of forest that was to be logged for timber. He wrapped a ribbon around the tree and wrote "Leave Tree" on the ribbon, saving it from being felled. In 2014, photographer and activist T.J. Watt happened upon the tree and named it "Big Lonely Doug", a play on the tree's species name and its relative isolation amid the clearcut. The tree has since become a symbol of nature conservation in Canada.[2][3]

Dimensions

These measurements were made by forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon on behalf of the Ancient Forest Alliance and University of British Columbia on 18 April 2014. The results were published the following week on 24 April 2014.[1]

Height above base[1] 70.2 m 230.3 ft
Circumference 1.3 m (4.27 ft) above height point on ground[1] 11.91 m 39.1 ft
Diameter 1.3 m (4.27 ft) above height point on ground[1] 3.91 m 12.8 ft
Average crown spread[1] 18.33 m 60.1 ft

See also
  • Boole - a giant sequoia whose immediate surroundings were also clearcut

References
  1. "Big Lonely Doug Officially Measured and Confirmed as Canada's 2nd Largest Douglas-fir Tree". Ancient Forest Alliance. 2014-04-24. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  2. Rustad, Harley (2016-09-19). "Big Lonely Doug". The Walrus. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
  3. "Big Lonely Doug: Canada's 2nd Largest Douglas-Fir - Arborist Now". www.arboristnow.com. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
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