History of Ancient Forest Exploration and Research

Each hour, approximately one square kilometer of Ontario's remaining pristine forested landscape is lost. For example, over a century of logging which continues to this day, has left less than one percent of Ontario's old-growth white pine forest for present and future generations. Ancient Forest Exploration & Research (AFER) was created by Dr. Peter Quinby and a small board of directors in 1992 as a non-profit, charitable organization expressly to address this loss of Provincial forest heritage through the execution of research and the education of the Ontario public.

The concept of Ancient Forest Exploration & Research can be traced back to the Temagami Wilderness Society's "Tall Pines Project" which began in 1988 and was directed by Dr. Peter Quinby until early 1991 when the Temagami Wilderness Society ceased its operations. The objective of the Tall Pines Project was to locate and study old-growth white and red pine forests, particularly in the Temagami region of Ontario.

In order to continue studies of ancient pine forests in Temagami following the closing of the Temagami Wilderness Society, the Ancient Forest Project was created as a program of the Algonquin Wildlands League in the spring of 1991. This project operat ed until January of 1992 when AFER was created, eventually becoming incorporated in March of 1992.

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