Here in B.C. we have an abundance of large, gorgeous trees.
But some are so big and beautiful that we can't get them out of our heads (who could forget Big Lonely Doug?). For those, the University of British Columbia has relaunched the BC Big Tree Registry.
Newly acquired by the university's Faculty of Forestry, the database keeps track of our province's biggest and brightest trees. The registry is now online so that people can use interactive maps to search for big trees in their areas. Users can also nominate big trees for verification by an expert.
B.C. is home to 50 different tree species, according to Sally Aitken, a UBC professor of forest and conservation sciences.
Big trees "are the largest organisms that we can see, touch and feel," she said in a UBC interview. "We have trees that were around before our parents or great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents were born. These massive and beautiful organisms represent a biological legacy."
So if you ever needed an excuse to explore more of this great province of ours, here it is. Give the trees a hug for us!
Here are some of B.C.'s most gorgeous and gigantic:
B.C.'s Big Trees
