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This trip is an external partner program. Headwaters is serving as the outfitter and guide.

The Art of Belonging

Eco-Expressive Arts Canoe Trip

In partnership with:

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Forest Bathing Club

Dates: August 1-4 (4 days)

Ages:​ 18 and up

Group size: 4 to 10 participants, 2 program facilitators, and 2 wilderness guides

Program cost: $1,200

Canoe tripping experience necessary: None. This trip is slow paced with no experience required

Includes: 12 Expressive Arts Therapy hours

Spots available: Yes

Trip Description​​

In a world that often disconnects us from ourselves, each other, and the living earth, how do we reclaim a sense of belonging? How do we soften the barriers – within and around us – that keep us from remembering our place in the greater web of life? Set in the vast and storied wilderness of Algonquin Provincial Park, this 4-day canoe trip is designed as a rites-of-passage ritual for those seeking personal healing, ecological connection, and a deeper understanding of their place in the world. By weaving together the practice of expressive arts and nature and forest therapy, we will explore and expand our relationship with the more-than-human world. This is decolonial work. This is activism. What to Expect: This 4-day journey is designed to nourish the whole self – body, mind, heart, and spirit. You can expect a blend of guided and self-directed experiences, gently paced to support inner reflection and connection with the land. On Day 1, we’ll paddle together into the heart of Algonquin Park and set up camp at our base site. Days 2 and 3 will be spent settling into the rhythms of the land – immersed in creative and contemplative practices without needing to pack up or move. On Day 4, we’ll paddle out, carrying with us the insights and connections we’ve gathered. The retreat includes: - 12 Expressive Arts Therapy hours, spread-out in sessions both before and during the trip - Group circles and facilitated sharing - Forest Bathing and nature-connection practices - Expressive arts activities for creative exploration - Solo time for rest, reflection, and wandering - Evenings by the fire, swimming in the lake, and sleeping under the stars No prior camping or canoeing experience is needed – this retreat is beginner-friendly and inclusive. All gear will be provided, and experienced guides will support your comfort and safety throughout. Spaces are limited to keep the group small and intimate.

Forest Bathing Club

Your Facilitators

This retreat is co-facilitated by two passionate and experienced guides who bring heart, creativity, and deep care to their work. Together, Emily and Anto hold space with intention, curiosity, and gentleness – guiding participants through a journey of self-discovery, creative expression, and deepening relationship with the more-than-human world.

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Emily Pleasance

Emily is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, trained in Expressive Arts Therapy, and a practicing visual artist. Her work focuses on fostering ecological connection and emotional resilience through the senses, the arts, and the wisdom of the natural world.

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Anto Chan

Anto is a spoken word performance artist, writer, and Expressive Arts facilitator. With a background in storytelling and poetic expression, Anto invites play, presence, and authentic connection through the power of voice and vulnerability.

Further Details

Departure and Return Information

Departure: Friday August 1 between 10:00am-10:30am at Algonquin Provincial Park Access Point #1, Kawawaymog (Round) Lake Park Office

Return/Ending: Monday August 4 between 3:00pm-3:30pm at the same location as the departure

Address: Algonquin Provincial Park Access Point #1, Kawawaymog (Round) Lake Park Office, Unorganized South Nipissing District, ON P0H 1Z0

Google Maps link:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Kawawaymog+(Round)+Lake+Park+Office/@45.9230608,-79.1875144,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x4d29ec83b928cb97:0xc0288c86618747ac!8m2!3d45.9230571!4d-79.1849395!16s%2Fg%2F11c5wpf_yd?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQyMC4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNjQwSAFQAw%3D%3D

What's included

We provide:​

  • Canoe trip leaders who are as good as it gets: expert guides, master naturalists, certified teachers, and teachers of teachers, our staff are second to none. All professional educators, their work is to facilitate experiences that connect us to the wilderness and that teach confidence, compassion, teamwork, care, and joy. Most importantly, they are deeply thoughtful and caring people, masters beyond all else in embodying the values Headwaters seeks to teach

  • All food and group gear: canoes, paddles, tents, cooking supplies, and everything else the group will need to live well with the wilderness

  • We are very intentional about our gear, only using that which enhances the authentic experience of the canoe voyage, rather than impedes it

You bring:

  • Personal clothing, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat (a detailed packing list will be sent upon registration)

  • A PFD/lifejacket (we can provide a PFD upon request, but we recommend you bring your own to ensure that it is well-fitting and comfortable)

  • An eagerness to explore, have fun, and travel with the wilderness!

Headwaters Highlights

An experience of living in community

  • A sense of belonging and purpose toward the larger group, beyond oneself. In addition to developing both leadership and teamwork capacities, knowing what it is to live in a community who rely on you and on whom you rely is a profound experience, and a rare gift

A meaningful relationship with the natural world​​

  • Unique to Headwaters, we intentionally weave environmental philosophy, naturalist knowledge, and eco-social history into everything we do, developing a relationship with nature far more meaningful than simply "enjoying the outdoors"

Time away from cellphones

  • With no cell phones or other electronic devices permitted on our trips, it is a gloriously rare opportunity to unplug and re-connect​

Traditional travel

  • We travel by canoe and wooden paddle, we portage on foot. We cook on an open fire that we made ourselves, preparing each meal communally. Our food consists of homemade recipes long perfected for the canoe voyage, with fresh baking savoured when we please. We sleep in tents. We awake when our bodies are rested, rather than by the clock. We gather blueberries from the land and our water from the lake. We travel as according to how the weather dictates. We take rest days whenever we find a good spot. We live without haste, for the trip itself is the point.

Spots available: Yes

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