Embarking on the Journey: The Birth of Hawthorn Eco Retreat
Written by: Nic Etheridge Calder
Introduction
Have you ever stood at the edge of a metaphorical cliff in your life, poised to jump into the unknown? That's precisely where we found ourselves multiple times in 2023. Amidst the rollercoaster of life's challenges, this year has been profoundly formative for us. While we've shared glimpses of our journey through videos and stories with our community over the summer, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the transformative adventure of developing Hawthorn Eco Retreat.
A Vision Unfolding
People often inquire about our end goal, but the beauty of a vision is its unpredictable evolution. Our certainty lies in the understanding that what we imagine won't unfold exactly as planned; rather, it takes on a life of its own. As we grow into this journey, we're not merely executing a vision; we're co-creating it with the land.
With that being said our imagination has been sparked. We see eight off-grid structures (sleeping accommodations), permaculture food forests teeming with biodiverse plants, riverside tent sites, a sauna, cold plunge tub, outdoor showers, kitchen, and washrooms (very practical and also important). A main building, large enough for groups of 15, will serve as a hub for retreat offerings hosted by us and others. People may come and book individual space, or groups may join together. Beyond these structures, our deeper hope is about creating a space for connection—with ourselves and the world around us. We aspire for Hawthorn Eco Retreat to be a haven where people rejuvenate amidst the natural surroundings, fostering a sense of aliveness, regulation, connection, and resilience.
The Unfolding Journey
Pre-2023
Though the vision has already begun to materialize in small ways, the project is far from completion. In 2022, we took a decisive step toward integrating our hosting experience with permaculture and land management. With a piece of land in Cape Breton passed down to me (Nic) by my mom and grandparents, the journey found its starting point.
Unama'kik, the Mi'kmaq word for Cape Breton Island, translates to the Land of Fog, a place that called to us during a summer visit in 2022. We decided to move forward, marking the initial phase of this transformative project.
Early-2023
Leading up to May 2023 we worked on researching structures for the land, speaking with locals from afar about the land development process and putting plans into place to step away from the regular rhythms of our life to be fully immersed in this project.
Spring-2023
In the spring of 2023 we went through the process of buying our first truck, trailer, and swiftly found our second truck, selling the first (sadly, it couldn’t tow our trailer). After we sorted our truck woes, we took off driving across the country - the route took us through several US states. During our second night we met a lovely couple, Judy and Rob. They helped us quickly learn how to back the trailer in very tight conditions. Over the course of our drive and nightly stops - we met great people through an app called Harvest Hosts.
Upon arriving in Cape Breton we initially stayed at an unserviced campground called Live Life InTents (like intense, get it?). We landed there because we knew these folks were rad and wanted to see what they were up to. In an effort to get closer to the land we moved over to Browns Cottages. Another lovely place to find yourself. We would walk or bike to the land until we had level gravel down to park the trailer.
Late June & July-2023
We finally landed at Hawthorn in June. One of our first visitors was Syma and Mark, who joined us for a few days. We had deep and lively conversations, played games, Syma cooked some amazing food and Mark helped boost our confidence with building. We went to work constructing our solar panel frames together. And then started our summer long process of tearing down and reclaiming wood from the old horse stables. From the initial components of reclaimed wood, we made a garbage box and composting container.
Exploring the land, making pathways and understanding the flow of water was a huge feature of this time. We also wanted to soak in the experience of being by and in the river, embracing the rhythm of life at Hawthorn. We also explored parts of the island and visited our friends at Live Life in Tents and made new connections.
During this time we sourced a shipping container, had it delivered and set up our storage. We also had screw piles installed for the first bunkie - they would make the initial part of the foundation for the structure. We started assembling our gazebo late June and completed this early August when a missing part finally arrived.
Late July the Bunkie kits landed. There were 4 kits, 2 Rockwood Bunkies, 1 Haven Ultra and a Bathroom bunkie. We highly recommend working with Bunkie life – if you reach out to them, let them know we (Sam & Nic) sent you.
August-2023
Our friend Joline joined us for a couple weeks in August. Perfect timing as we were now able to start assembling our first Bunkie. Joline arrived with my (Nic’s) parents and we all spent a few days together. We made several great meals and memories.
We started work on the bunkie and after initially struggling to ensure the base was squared, we were off and the building quickly went up. The three of us worked well together and had a lot of fun, especially considering it was the first time any of us had attempted such an endeavor. Our belief in our own abilities was bolstered by this experience. While Joline was with us we also continued pulling apart the stables, making pathways and exploring the land. Once the bunkie was up, the work wasn’t done - we needed to insulate, install the flooring, stain and put some furnishing touches on the space.
Joline and I (Nic) left Sam on the property and went back to Calgary on the same flight. I had to be back to teach a university block course (few weeks before the start of the semester). During his time alone Sam had many adventures and took his building skills to the next level. He made a sectional, farm table, bench, coffee and end table. All of this outdoor furniture brought new life and vitality to what used to belong to the stables. These budding skills were also a confidence booster for Sam, opening up new possibilities.
October-2023
We hit the ground running when we returned in October. I (Nic) landed a few days before Sam and my mom (Pam) and I went up to the property with some furniture for the bunkie. During a couple days there we set up the furniture as a surprise for Sam, who would be arriving on his birthday.
When Sam and I returned we got right to work the following day starting the builds for the remaining bunkies. We built a Rockwood, Haven Ultra (lofted unit), and Bathroom bunkie in 4 days. We felt so accomplished by the end of that week and we were thankful for the help of Stewart and Jody, otherwise we could not have finished it so quickly. It was just in time – rain hit hard the next day.
To close off our season of development we had visitors. My mom and aunt (Lennie) stayed in our trailer and we made our home in the bunkie. Despite not yet having a heater we found it fairly comfortable. We were also delighted to host our new friends from Pennsylvania, who we met in North Dakota (Judy and Rob).
We named each of our Bunkies based on the surrounding plants. We have Lupine, Spruce and Goldenrod. The bathroom bunkie is just called the Betty Loo.
Lessons Learned
Community is Everything: The realization that we couldn't embark on this journey alone was profound. Relationships with various individuals (both locally and our Calgary community) played a pivotal role in shaping the dream and seeing it come to reality.
Self-Imposed Limits: Our journey shattered preconceived notions about our capabilities. We learned that our limits are often self-imposed, and embracing the unknown can lead to newfound skills and possibilities. It’s scary, of course, as good things often are.
Impact on the Ecosystem: Our perception of our impact on the ecosystem evolved. We recognized that, as humans, we can positively influence our surroundings by understanding and working within our relationship with the land.
Shifting our Relationship with Land: Seeing ourselves as an integral part of the ecosystem changed our perspective and approach.
Resource Investment: Acknowledging the holistic nature of resources, we learned to overestimate the financial and time investment required for projects of this scale. We also expanded how we looked at resources taking into account the 8 forms of capital.
As it is said… Wherever You Go, There You Are: Moving off-grid onto the land doesn't solve everything; it's an ongoing process of self-discovery and adaptation. We bring with us our own complexity as individuals and as a couple. But new surroundings highlighted our habits in a different way, one that allowed us to more mindfully acknowledge and work with these tendencies.
Consumption and Waste: Living off-grid highlighted our connection to consumption and waste, prompting a shift in behaviour and attitudes towards sustainable and regenerative practices.
Connected in Many Ways: The term "off-grid" doesn't fully encapsulate our connectedness; we're intertwined with people and systems around us, emphasizing the interconnected nature of our existence.
In sharing our journey, we hope to inspire others (and ourselves) to embrace the unknown, cultivate meaningful connections, and contribute positively to the world around them. Hawthorn Eco Retreat is more than a project, it is life unfolding. We look forward to welcoming you there!
