Clayoquot: On the Wild Side

Hans B. Neumann is a history lecturer at Scarborough College, University
of Toronto.

Robert Bateman, who wrote the introduction to this absolutely
magnificent portfolio-sized hardcover book, concludes by stating: “As
an artist I pray to live long enough to find that my work is one
celebration and not obituary.” This goal Bateman shares with Dorst and
Young. Their book clearly aims to prevent most of Vancouver Island (save
for some limited park areas) from looking like the pictures of clear-cut
hillsides contained in its pages. A two-page spread of a satellite shot
of Vancouver Island further reinforces the impact of logging on the
island. Such scenes make a powerful impression; even with replanting,
these areas will never again become the old-growth forests that still
exist on the island.

The book’s title refers to the Clayoquot Sound Area, about halfway up
the island’s west side, between Nootka Island and Pacific Rim National
Park. This area—the still relatively “wild” (i.e., relatively
unlogged) west side of the island—contains one of the largest stands
of remaining old-growth, temperate rainforest left on Vancouver Island.
This book aims to publicize this area in order to preserve it as much as
possible in its current state.

What exists of our natural heritage in the Clayoquot Sound area is
masterfully presented through Dorst’s color photographs, which
deservedly dominate the book. From marine life to plants to birds to
landscapes (but above all the moss-draped giants of the forest), Dorst
has assembled an overwhelmingly beautiful array of pictures that
chronicle the unique flora and fauna of this magnificent region.
Young’s text is well organized into the various compartments of the
Clayoquot Sound ecosystem, and also provides a thorough discussion of
the region’s historical background. The text is well researched and
extremely informative at all levels of the discussion. Young displays a
thorough understanding of the ecological issues involved and discusses
the dimensions of the problems facing the area in a hard-nosed,
realistic manner.

This sophisticated yet gorgeous book not only celebrates the beauty of
a unique part of our natural legacy but also forces us to confront the
reality of what we must do to preserve this priceless legacy. Printed on
Swedish dioxin-free paper—a type of paper that, according to the
authors, is currently unavailable in Canada—this book well deserves
the widest possible audience.