The Wild West Coast

Nature and wildlife photographer Adrian Dorst captures the enduring spirit of Vancouver Island’s west coast, reflecting on the history of resilience that has helped preserve Clayoquot Sound’s rich and wild ecosystems.

Over fifty years ago, Adrian Dorst fell in love with the West Coast. He has wandered its windswept shores, sheltered streams and ancient forests with camera in hand ever since. The Wild West Coast puts this rugged region on display, with over 150 photographs of the plants, wildlife and landscapes of Clayoquot Sound—one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world. From the quiet charm of a fish-focused black bear to the cedar and spruce giants that shelter the forest floor, from misty lakes and valleys to a school of playful dolphins, Dorst’s photographs explore the secluded and storm-tossed environments that make up the Vancouver Island coast. Each chapter focuses on a distinct aspect of Clayoquot’s ecosystems and the wildlife that resides there, including the birds, mammals, and intertidal life that call the rainforests, shoreline, and remote lakes and valleys home. 

Alongside this visual narrative, Dorst reflects on the 1980s grassroots movement dubbed “The War In the Woods”—a fight to keep Clayoquot wild in the face of exploitative old-growth logging practices. Led by the Ahousaht, Hesquiaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht Nations, this movement transformed the conservation landscape in BC and fought to preserve much of the region’s old-growth forests. Acknowledging both the sound’s natural beauty and the monumental efforts that have kept it that way, The Wild West Coast celebrates the landscapes and life in Clayoquot Sound—and reminds readers of what it takes to protect them.