7 of the Oldest Forests in the World

Compared to Earth Day and Easter, Arbor Day gets little recognition each April. If you lack the resources to plant a tree this year, why not visit one of the oldest forests in the world? These seven are all beautiful reminders to protect our trees. © Filipe Frazao | Dreamstime.com

In Australia, the Tarkine Forest houses 3,000-year-old pine trees along with some Tasmanian devils. The temperate rainforest, the second-largest on earth, looks like a step back in time, more suitable for dinosaurs than adventurous travelers. © Houani | Dreamstime.com

© Jerry Murphy | Dreamstime.com

The Pando Aspen Grove in Utah is unique because it behaves like a single organism. Scientists guess the forest — all interconnected via one root system — is up to 1 million years old. © Clifton Smith | Dreamstime.com

Kakamega Forest in Kenya was at one time the largest old-growth forest in the world, at a whopping 2 million years old. Unfortunately, this rainforest diminished greatly over the last few decades. Now it covers a mere 90 square miles. © Ivkuzmin | Dreamstime.com

Similarly, the Borneo Lowland Rainforest, approximately 140 million years old, is shrinking quickly due to climate change and deforestation. Residents include endangered orangutans and the world’s smallest squirrels. © Fabio Lamanna | Dreamstime.com

Flooded trees in the Amazon Rainforest close to Santarem, Brazil

Scientists consider the Daintree Rainforest the oldest in the world, dating to prehistoric eras and home to thousands of rare species, including more than 10,000 insect species. It is the largest stand of tropical rainforest on the continent. © Jon Meegan | Dreamstime.com