A jewel tucked away in Glen Valley is the Blaauw Eco Forest, donated to Trinity Western University in 2013 by the Blaauw family in memory of Thomas Blaauw, a local farmer who passed away in 2012.
On Saturday, an event celebrating two years of preserving the forest combined poetry readings, biology, music, dance, and environment.
Another highlight of the day was the Han Shan poetry exhibit, in which poems will hang from the trees with string.
An original donation of $2.5 million by the Blaauw family in 2013 allowed Trinity Western to buy a 25-acre parcel known locally as Grey Pit.
The late Thomas Blaauw built a poultry and cranberry farming business in Langley starting in the 1960s.
He had long admired the forested plot of land in North Langley.
After he passed, his family decided to purchase and preserve the land in partnership with TWU.
The university uses the land for environmental research, education, and recreational purposes.
The entrance to the forest is off 257A Street, just north of 84th Avenue.