Starting on her bike ride this month, Angella will be travelling through one of Canada’s smaller ecozones. This region, called the Pacific Maritime ecozone, covers approximately 196 000 km2, approximately the size of the country of Senegal. It spans the whole length of British Columbia’s western edge, which also includes Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands. The close proximity to the Pacific Ocean means that winters are mild with temperatures ranging from 4°C to 6°C, while summers are cooler with an average temperature of 12°C to 18°C.

The Pacific Maritime region is mountainous, and by the end of the week Angella will have travelled 369 kilometres over land, but also, more than 750 metres (2470 feet) up. Her climb in elevation between Victoria and Princeton will be equal to climbing almost to the top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, at 2700 feet.

As Angella passes through this region, she’ll notice that the Pacific Maritime ecozone is home to the tallest trees in Canada. These trees are found in the forests that occupy 45% of the region’s land mass and cover approximately 10 million hectares. Five different forests make up this region: the Western Hemlock forest, Mountain Hemlock forest, Douglas fir forest, Arbutus and Garry Oak forest, and the famous Temperate Rainforest. Each one consists of various coniferous trees.

Angella may see a large diversity of wildlife on her ride. Woodland animals are common throughout the region, and include Black and Grizzly Bears, Moose, and Cougar. Much less common, and unique to this ecozone, is the Vancouver Island Marmot, a highly endangered animal found only on Vancouver Island.