CFS researchers have the best “office” views in Canada

I was standing in a patch of old-growth forest near Victoria, British Columbia, and I was suddenly struck by a sense of responsibility and stewardship for the forest surrounding me. Even though I work with forest data daily, being in the presence of these ancient giants — some of them hundreds of years old — brings a whole new level of appreciation of nature and our role in it. — Piotr Tompalski, Research Scientist

Sunlight shines through a vibrant green leaf, showing its network of tiny veins that carry water and nutrients. As the leaf makes food through photosynthesis, it also absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, helping slow climate change. — Andrew Dyk, Manager, Land Use Change Monitoring

When visiting the Rockies in the beginning of fall 2019, I was lucky enough to get a camping spot at Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park. Every hike we did in that area was stunning, but the one around Lake O’Hara was just beyond words. What made it truly magical was seeing the larch trees. They’re the only Canadian deciduous conifers, which means that they lose their needles every autumn. And the needles get this beautiful golden colour before falling, which made the hike all the more magical. This moment is etched in my memory. — Anne Cotton-Gagnon, Forestry Research Officer

This photo of a bison herd was taken in August 2024 along the Mackenzie Highway in the Northwest Territories (NWT). It was while our Reclamation Lab field crew was travelling to Hay River from Yellowknife as part of our collaborative fieldwork with the Government of NWT. We’d been hearing from several people that bison herds were roaming this area prior to driving out, so it was exciting to see them in person and appreciate the sheer size of these incredible creatures as we passed slowly by in the field truck. This summer was the first time a lot of the members of our field crew had ever visited that far up north, including myself, and it was special to see some of the wildlife that shape the natural landscape and get the opportunity to get a shot of them while passing through a part of the country I’d never been to before. — Brooke Bourbeau, Reclamation Technologist

This photo was taken while we were lying down on the Trans-Taiga road, near our camp, after midnight, during an evening forest inventory trip north of the 53rd parallel in Quebec. Our team was fascinated by the dancing aurora borealis in the sky. It was my first encounter with the aurora, a spectacle I wish everyone could experience at least once in their lives. The photo represents an incredible moment after working in the forest for 12 days, where I was lucky enough to discover so many new things! — Moonwere Uddin, Development Assistant

This photo was taken on Anticosti Island, Quebec, on May 28, 2024, seven months after Anticosti was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. This rainbow was our reward after a hard day of field work in the rain. We had just installed insect traps in forests previously sampled 30 years before in the wake of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This study, also carried out in the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, aims to measure the impact of climate change on insects in the context of biodiversity decline. — Christian Hébert, PhD, Research Scientist

This day marks the last fieldwork excursion for my master’s degree, after two years of long weeks in the summer spent camping in the alpine, bushwacking and collecting vegetation surveys and tree-ring cores. We are crouched with our packs, waiting to be picked up by our helicopter when we notice a slope of Whitebark pine trees we had sampled earlier. This will likely be our last look at these trees and this remote valley in Glacier National Park. — Natalie Maslowski, MSc, Fire Research Analyst

Long story short, I was in the Grands Jardins National Park doing some ground plots for a forest inventory project in 2021, and I noticed that the morning dew looked like diamonds from a distance, so I took a picture of this plant (Kalmia angustifolia, Sheep Laurel) with these special "diamonds". I think this was one of those moments where you appreciate the beauty of the environment you are working in more than the harshness of the fieldwork. Just observing the beauty of nature can give you great rewards in the field. — Ioan Nicolae, Regional Liaison officer

I took this photo of windswept Garry oaks during a visit with my friend Doug Ruth on his beautiful property in Metchosin, B.C., in 2023. I worked with Doug on seed and cone insects during my post-doc at the Pacific Forestry Centre back in 1987–89. I liked the dramatic curve in the line of trees — like a scene from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. In Canada, Garry oaks are found almost exclusively along the southeast rain shadow of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The Garry Oak ecosystem is considered at-risk in Canada. — Jon Sweeney, Research Scientist

This photo was taken while hiking in Quebec's Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier. The Escarpment trail, some 11 km long and with a 350 m vertical drop, offers an exceptional experience for outdoor enthusiasts. The view from the top of the trail is nothing short of spectacular. It's virtually impossible not to capture the view of this magnificent scene and the steep mountains that form the valley. The forest and its rich green tones make for a unique landscape! — Véronique Maltais, Knowledge exchange and Indigenous engagement officer

This photo was taken when Canadian Forest Service staff visited 2 Billion Trees planting sites in and around Edmonton, Alberta, to start monitoring the success of the new plantings. Planting at this scale takes time, but by restoring nature and giving seedlings like this space to grow, the work can have a lasting impact. — Andrew Dyk, Manager, Land Use Change Monitoring

I was in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, in Forestville to be exact, participating in a pest sampling survey. I had just seen two Canada lynx kittens in the forest, and as I was finishing my sampling and heading back to the pickup, I saw this beautiful image and said to myself that I could use a photo of this special moment. This image of the boreal forest, combined with the beauty of the sky and the mystery of the lake, was a great reward for a regular day in the field. — Ioan Nicolae, Regional Liaison officer