In times of turmoil, the long view offers great comfort. Whether we examine ancient structures and ecosystems or simply observe the torpid progression of geological time, we know that this era, too, shall pass. A visit to an old-growth forest demonstrates this phenomenon by offering solace and wonder to the traveller who makes the effort to make the voyage. In Old-Growth Forest Walks: 26 Hikes in Ontario’s Greenbelt, photographer Michael Henry provides a mixture of stunning visuals, intriguing lessons in biology, and historical musings.
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Before the reader can get to the hikes promised in the subtitle, however, there are several chapters of important context to understand. In this fascinating overview, the author explains how greenbelts originate, how they survive, and how they impact human society. The Ontario Greenbelt in particular is a fine example of several interlinked factors, including the current role of greenbelts in containing urbanization and suburban sprawl and the continuing consequences of geology on our present landscape. Henry traces the history of the area from primeval oceans through glacial periods to today’s forests.
For those who think of a greenbelt as something that has existed as long as the forest itself, Henry offers a social history of the concept. “Ontario’s Greenbelt is said to be the largest of its kind in the world,” claims the author, “part of a global movement 100 years in the making.”
The Ontario Greenbelt’s formal existence began with the Bruce Trail, developed with the intention of creating an “Appalachian Trail of Ontario”. Today, it surrounds the northwestern side of Lake Ontario in an integrated arc, with the Bruce Trail traveling through the great Niagara Escarpment, stretching north to Georgian Bay in Lake Huron. Henry also compares this Greenbelt, and the threats to its continued existence, with those in other countries. The author provides an excellent summary of how difficult it is to define an “old-growth forest,” and comes to a surprising conclusion. In the conclusion of this section of the book, would-be hikers can find general tips for hiking in the Ontario Greenbelt, many of which apply around the world.
From this point onwards, the book is organized in the style of a travel guide, with each hike presented in turn, roughly in geographical proximity to each other. There are helpful hints – “What you’ll like”, “How to get there”, and “What to do” – but the heart of each hike is the marvellous “Learn more” piece.
These “Learn more” essays, which form the bulk of the book, describe the situation and history of specific parts of the forest and even individual trees, often wandering off course to examine a particular point that the author found curious. In many cases, the author writes about the trees as if they were residents of an area, with individual names and histories: “One of the most obvious oaks is found behind the Recreation Trail between the Ricardo Street parking lot and the Niagara River, which Kershner named the Paradise Savannah Black Oak. It’s 1.7 metres in diameter and 230-years-old; you can recognize it by a massive burl at ground level on one side, and a huge branch jutting out horizontally. This and other large oaks in this meadow grove were once part of a larger oak savannah community connected to Paradise Grove.”
But he introduces the people behind the history, as well. Indeed, in the first paragraph of the book, he states, “When I set out to visit the old-growth forests of the Greenbelt, I expected to be wowed by the trees … what I didn’t anticipate was being so fascinated by the human history that happened alongside the trees.”
Henry is a photographer by origin, and it shows in the beautiful photos of trees, forest scenes, and even hikers. Trees can be tricky subjects: although they are excellent at standing still (at least on a calm day), they require effort to photograph from any position but at their feet. The wonderful variety of these photos is by itself a testament to the photographer’s expertise. Several detailed maps support the narratives.
The book’s “Learn more” essays also provide entertaining descriptions of specific incidents in history. Many begin with a “witness tree”, the name given to a tree that was present during a critical historical moment such as a battle. Some of the trees identified as such in this book still bear the scars, in the form of musket balls or cannon fire that struck them during the War of 1812 or other conflicts. Occasionally, the author will give a comprehensive account of what happened to the key characters in the conflict, such as the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38, where one rebel was hanged and another exiled to Tasmania, from where he escaped and fled to Iowa. The presence and impact of indigenous people and communities appears on many of the hikes, both in the past and today.
On other hikes, the reader meets current residents of the forests: birds and wildlife, who appear in these pages as delightful features of the landscape. Ornithologists stop by in these pages to offer fun facts. Salmon swim through the creeks, and invasive species compete with native species for dominance.
This book would be a fine addition to the shelf of an Ontario resident or tourist, and an excellent companion for any hiker who wants to take the plunge and visit the forests themselves – equipped with information about bench locations, ferry schedules, and the best month to visit. There is even a hike starting from a subway stop, for the city-dwellers of Toronto itself.
But it also contains many fascinating insights for those outside the region, and the author also has an enormous wealth of knowledge about the subject and is an engaging writer. For this reason, the reader is sometimes left with the feeling that this book could have been so much more: perhaps an expansion on the introductory chapters and the “Learn More” essays, meant to introduce this fascinating part of the world to a broader audience. This might help avoid the occasional repetition of interesting facts that apply to more than one hike.
At its core, Old Growth Forest Walks is presented as a fun, educational guide for a hiker interested in the immediate area. For the right reader, it could be the basis of a wonderful year-long project: take one of these hikes every other weekend with this book in hand to enhance the experience. But it is also a gift for the reader who curls up on a winter night with the aim simply to escape from the drear and enjoy a journey of the mind.
Old Growth Forest Walks: 26 Hikes in Ontario’s Greenbelt
Michael Henry
2024, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 280pp
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