First day arrival!
With my bags all packed I began my journey transitioning from the skytrain to the bus loop to the ferry. At the ferry I met up with two amazing ladies who I will be experiencing this adventure with, Janika and Madeline. We then drove onto the ferry in Janika’s car and it was smooth sailing to the island.
By car we drove through Victoria on a beautiful sunny day and took a very scenic route to the Ecovillage, stopping at a magnificent viewpoint (shown below).
We arrived to the Ecovillage with excitement as we were warmly welcomed by Brandy Gallagher. Timing could not have been more perfect because we got to witness the process of stripping bark off Cedar trees to be used for basket weaving!
The workers began explaining to us the process of bark stripping as we watched in amazement at the skill and technique. This was my first time witnessing the stripping of a tree’s bark and it enhanced my excitement for being here!
Here is what I learned about bark stripping:
Collecting cedar bark was a very spiritual process, where the removal of bark is achieved through careful touch and analysis of the tree and thus is associated with aboriginal spirituality. One must carefully inspect the tree before stripping and only obtain bark from trees that are about 40 cm in diameter. Only a portion of the bark is allowed to be taken, for if you stripped the entire trunk of the tree the tree would not be able to survive. Sections of the tree that have very little twisting and branches in the bark are what is taken. There is also a limited time period that bark can be stripped, and this is during the harvest season in late spring when sap is abundant. This allows the bark to be removed more easily because the sap increases the temperature of the tree. The goal is to have single long strips taken in one pull. To do this, a side cut is created at the base of the tree and the bark is slightly pried away from the tree until it is able to be pulled in one long strip. The incredible piece of information shared was that the tree’s bark will slowly reform from both sides of the cut out section and mould together to cover the cut section. The tree’s bark is an incredible living thing!
In order for the bark to be useful, the outer bark has to be removed. Since we arrived early we got the privilege to both watch an expert at their craft and experience removing the bark ourselves! We used a variety of sharp knives and tools to separate the outer layer and used our hands to pull the bark off. My mind was so at ease as I focused on the task at hand and I felt so calm and peaceful. This feeling was extroidinary, especially after the whirlwind of a travel day in the city. I knew from this moment forward that these next few weeks would become a life enhancing experience.
One this is complete, we were told that the bark needs to dry for about a year before it can be used. It is then taken apart into tiny strips, which are rolled up and set aside to be used to create many things such as baskets and hats.
After this amazing and fun activity we settled our bags in the house and said hello to the rest of the team! What an extraordinary sense of community this place has! Everyone is so friendly, kind, helpful and supportive!
As we got a quick tour the dinner bell rang and we organized ourselves into a gratitude circle before eating. We all held hands and in a counter clockwise fashion, the way of the land, we each said what we were grateful for. Gratitude comments ranged from being grateful for the sun, nature, and oatmeal. I was grateful for having this amazing opportunity to be with such great people, and I noticed as I said it I was waving my arms back and forth in happiness. One must put a stone in a bowl to represent how many people have eaten that day. Dinner was UNBELIEVABLY DELICIOUS! The food is SO fresh and you can really taste both the quality in the foods and the heart that went into making the meal. We sat in the sun, surrounded by nature and good people, as we shared our personal stories to get to know everyone here. During this time we began to discuss some interesting things we could do at the village and ideas that came up where kamboucha making sessions and soap making sessions. The Ecovillage requires biodegradable products with no sulphates or harsh chemicals because the water system is reused for the gardens and drinking water. To learn more about the harsh side effects of sulphates we discussed integrating the creation of lesson plans that include research of commonly used body products, and the ingredients in these products. What a fabulous and important lesson concept!
There was a grade 8 class at the Ecovillage from St. Michael’s, a private school in Victoria, and so we began our teaching experience in the field, surrounded by grazing goats and a cow, with some ice breaker games. I started us off with a quick name game where everyone said their name and a word that described them, that started with the same letter their name started with (ie. Magnificent Melissa). We then played Chuck the Chicken (soccer ball style) and even learned another game from the team at the village! Learning and teaching alongside others, I Love it! During Chuck the Chicken I ran into some stinging nettle and it was quite itchy. I had approached Brandy to ask if she knew of any natural ways of healing the itch and she suggested rubbing fern leaves onto my feet. The oils supposedly help reduce the swelling and itch! Well, it worked and I am so excited to learn about this holistic remedy! Not a single bump can be seen on my feet and I feel great! This is one reason why I wanted to be here, to learn how to incorporate nature into my life in ways I never knew before!
Later on in the night we mingled with the students and played ping pong and cards with them. We also sang karaoke and played a dance-a-thon using technology of a computer, microphone and lyrics/music from youtube videos of xbox karaoke. It was an incredibly fun time and we sang the night away until it was time to sleep. Cannot wait for what happens next!!