Nova Scotia only has a tiny fraction of old-growth forest left. But thanks to research completed this summer, the province can lay claim to having the oldest tree on record in the Maritimes. It’s a 532-year-old eastern hemlock … forest researchers with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables took core samples of roughly 100 trees in a small old-growth stand. … the [record-holding] tree likely spent most of its life in the shade of larger trees, leading to the slow growth and resilience. It is sometimes why old trees are not the largest in any stand. As a research manager at the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, Peter Bush is certainly sold on continuing to protect this particular stand. “It’s a unique area. It’s a unique forest stand and we will try to keep this tree in good health.”