Original post and event details below:

A Wildwood Ecoforestry Experience/Fundraiser

Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7
Noon – 4 pm at the Wildwood EcoForest and Homestead in Ladysmith, Southern Vancouver Island.

Join me for an incredible soul-charging weekend (or day program) guaranteed to leave you feeling lighter, happier and fully inspired.

Through laughter, movement, journaling, photography, collage and creative exploration, participants will enjoy a fun, deeply grounding and relaxing experience.
No art experience is required.

The incomparable beauty of Wildwood will form a stunning backdrop for this wonderful opportunity to unleash your creative genie, relax and have fun!
Be prepared to enjoy yourself!

Warning: Participation may cause euphoria!

Retreat Details

Surround yourself in the glory of a 77-acre private nature reserve and feel yourself uplifted by the fresh fragrance of a spring forest, light sparkling and dancing on a pristine lake surrounded by majestic trees swaying to the rhythm of nature, songbirds singing in delight, spring flowers emerging and emerald green mosses begging to be touched.

Let the worries and weight of the world go as you joyfully immerse yourself in these beautiful surroundings and experience soul charging at the deepest level. Enjoy relaxed time in nature and the opportunity to explore your creative genie through mixed media and collage, photography (phone or camera), journaling, connection and laughter led by Frances, a Wildwood forest lover and creativity expert.

Here’s your chance to immerse yourself in the beauty of Wildwood’s stunning surroundings and try new and fun approaches to expressing yourself through a variety of creative explorations and reflection.

No experience is required. The only prerequisite is an open mind and willingness to enjoy yourself. Each day will provide unique feel good experiences that will leave you both relaxed and recharged.

Indoor activities will take place in the property’s Homestead, a beautifully renovated log home filled with natural light in the middle of this private sanctuary.

Playshop Fee
$165 per day or special weekend pricing for both days $295
Supplies, snacks and beverages included.
Limited registration for a unique experience so be sure to book now!
A deluxe three night on-site accommodation package is available (see below).

Artist Statement

My intention is to provide a deeply satisfying soulfully enriching experience that brings joy and peace to each participant. This retreat is an opportunity to deepen or to begin the journey to reconnect to your innately whole inner self.
I believe everybody is creative at some level of their being. Given the opportunity to express it can be a wonderful journey of self-discovery. I can say this because I never knew I was creative until I explored art and photography in my twenties.
Ever since then, I have blossomed into the individual I was meant to be, not who I was brought up to be. I have been fortunate to make a 35-year career from my creativity and want to share it.  – Frances Litman
For my bio please click here.

About Wildwood

Wildwood is a 77-acre ecoforest nestled along the shores of Quennell Lake just north of Ladysmith, British Columbia.  It lies in the traditional territories of the Stz’uminus and Snuneymuxw Coast Salish First Nations.

A rare and unique working demonstration ecoforest, Wildwood is home to a good many old-growth Coastal Douglas-firs, representing a vanishing ecosystem once abundant on Vancouver Island.  These ancient trees stand among a profusion of western red-cedar, bigleaf maple, flowering dogwood and arbutus trees, and bring an amazing presence to the forest, stately in their towering height and size.

The trees of Wildwood have been selectively harvested since 1945 in a manner that respects the needs of the forest and its species.  Yet, Wildwood represents a fully functioning ecosystem that provides purified air, water filtration, carbon sequestration and other services in an ongoing cycle of life. There has never been a need to plant replacement trees for those that were harvested –  enough seed trees are always retained, and natural regeneration is another one of those free services offered by Mother Nature.

Wildwood also boasts a richness of wildlife, including a rare and protected colony of Little Brown Bats, giant anthills, banana slugs, eagles, osprey, pileated woodpeckers, great horned owls, great blue herons, wrens, warblers and towhees.  Many indigenous plants also enrich the forest, including coralroot and rattlesnake plantain orchids, wild roses, oceanspray, salal, Oregon-grape and salmonberry, along with myriad mosses, lichens and fungi.

Accommodation Booking Details

Get Fully Immersed
BOOK NOW! Only two on-site rooms available, one twin and one queen.
Enjoy the convenience of a three night stay at this incredible property.
Friday-Sunday, April 5-7, 2019
For information on this and nearby accommodation, please contact: info@ecoforestry.ca

About The Homestead Accommodation
The Homestead sleeps six in three themed bedrooms with premium mattresses and soft, organic bamboo sheets. In every room, you’ll experience a showcase of innovative design and value-added wood creations – from hand-built bed platforms using lumber milled on site, to live-edge headboards, arbutus branch legs on the kitchen island, an arbutus chandelier and tree slab table.
Check in: 4 pm Friday. Check out: 11 am Monday

Booking Fee
$400 per room for 3-night stay, includes full kitchen and cleaning fee.
Added bonus (optional): Morning and evening light yoga stretching time with Frances, plus shared evening meals.
(Bring your own food, beverages, journal and yoga mat.)

Click here to book now!

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I’m compiling photography and working on all kinds of creative new art to display this upcoming Saturday at the Township of Esquimalt Arts Festival in Memorial Park, on Esquimalt Road across from the municipal hall.

The event features more than 25 local artists and art making, live music, plus several carvers from the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations who will demonstrate their art and share stories from their people.

Free admission. Outdoors, rain or shine. Come and say hi!

The post Esquimalt Arts Festival 2017 appeared first on Frances Litman Multimedia Productions.

I’m delighted to support our community by producing the annual Creatively United for the Planet Earth Day Festival & Sustainability Showcase.

Did you know, that it’s been more than 100 years since electric vehicles were introduced to Victoria? On Earth Day, April 22nd, history will be made again with Vancouver Island’s largest Electric Vehicle Show and Sustainability Showcase to be held from 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday, April 22nd, both indoors and outside, at the Royal BC Museum 675 Belleville St.

In addition to free test rides and hands-on demonstrations, learn about innovative new technologies, see more than 34 displays, explore engaging topics and presentations by Order of Canada singer & storyteller Ann Mortifee; Emmy-nominated screenwriter & award-winning novelist Pauline Le Bel; one of Victoria’s leading high tech firms and green leaders, Tom Zaban of Reliable Controls; a panel of Net Zero Buildings, Saltspring creative up-cyclist Jaime Murdoch, and meet and write a letter with Franny and Rupert, who at age nine and 13 years are environmental rights advocates working with the Blue Dot movement.

Admission is free, with some ticketed talks and workshops. Check out www.creativelyunited.org to learn more.

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Saturday, April 15th was full on with 30 presenters, more than 75 exhibitors, live music, art and more than 1000 people.

The Earth Week festivities continue at the Royal BC Museum, with an inspired evening of revolutionary art and film with Franke James and Sarah Robertson this Friday, April 22, from 7-10 pm (Earth Day) and continuing Sat., April 23 from 1-5 pm with live music, art, and two incredible workshops suitable for all ages. Learn more here!

The post The First of Two Great Weekends appeared first on Frances Litman Multimedia Productions.

I love creative projects and this year marks the fifth year that I have coordinated and organized this giant community event with presenters coming from all over North America. We plan to have the website completely up-to-date with information about our many presenters by March 10th. Be sure to check it out!

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Although seriously jet-lagged after four flights and numerous time zones I couldn’t resist the opportunity to photograph David Suzuki’s Blue Dot Tour upon my return from hosting a trip to India.
This incredible evening featured a wide variety of entertainment and speakers, including singer/spoken word artist Kinnie Starr, Shane Koyzcan, Scrap Arts Music and Suzuki’s children and grandchildren who shared inspirational stories about how big changes can start with individuals.

The post Suzuki Blue Dot Tour appeared first on Frances Litman Multimedia Productions.

Always the school teacher, he quickly managed to round everyone up and keep our undivided attention while he shared his latest adventures, sketches and stories, plus shared his vast knowledge of the natural world.

What a gift it is to have someone like Robert Bateman in our community. Some of his past students from more than 40 years ago were even in attendance to say “hello” to their favourite teacher and hear yet another talk by him.

The post Always The School Teacher appeared first on Frances Litman Multimedia Productions.

Check out the upcoming Third Annual Creatively United for the Planet Festival, April 25+26 at St. Ann’s Academy, 835 Humboldt St. This passion project celebrates where we live, eat, play, study and work.

The line-up of speakers, exhibitors and entertainers is incredible and the support of the community is fantastic! More than 5000 people attended last year’s event.

For more details, please visit the Creatively United website

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