Dean M. Chriss
Photography
Enchanted Woodlands, Old Growth Forest, Washington
(Click image to enlarge)
Walking through a Pacific old growth forest is like no other experience in the world.
Trees of all varieties grow to unimaginable sizes. Their crowns reach 200 to
380 feet (61 to 116 m) high and their trunks can grow to over 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter.
Seedlings grow beside them and trunks of their ancestors that fell 600 years ago lay
rotting on the forest floor, supplying water and nutrients to the younger trees.
The entire lifecycle of the forest is plainly visible in every glance. This land of 1000
year old giants feels like an enchanted place, but more than 94% of these
forests are already gone. Contrary to popular belief they are
not renewable. To find out why check out this essay.