A forest stream in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

© Robert Postma/plainpicture

A forest stream in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

Wet ocean air cools the lush, moss-covered terrain of Haida Gwaii, making this remote Canadian island chain seem even more like a trip back in time when pristine nature dominated the landscape. For more than 200 years, this archipelago was called the Queen Charlotte Islands. But in 2010, the Canadian government restored some of the islands’ identity by renaming it Haida Gwaii after the Haida people who make up approximately half of its population. This southern part of the island chain is preserved as Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a stretch of land and marine areas jointly managed by the Haida Nation and the Government of Canada.