Reflections Over Shared Brewed Cedar & Hemlock Tea

by Allison Geleynse, Operation Wild Program Coordinator

In one of our most recent Operation Wild sessions, participants from a local supportive housing agency joined us at Cedar Haven for a guided identification walk through the forest, with some stops to learn a few bird calls along the way. We ended the session around a campfire, where we brewed our own cedar and hemlock tea and shared stories of gratitude and new bits of information we’d learned that day. Even though it was a cold day, participants made it known how grateful they were to be out of the city, and spend time in such a quiet, peaceful place for the afternoon. The experience brought up many memories and stories of meaningful times spent in nature with loved ones in their past. It was such a great reminder for us as A Rocha staff that our access to this land and our ability to interact with creation so freely is a gift and a privilege.

Operation Wild is about making these experiences accessible to a population who quite frankly are rarely involved in this specific call we have. Our hope is that through their experiences at Operation Wild, our participants will fall in love with the natural world around them, and join us in our care of it.

This year we are pleased to say that we are gearing up to provide more of these opportunities for more individuals living with disabilities.  Stay tuned for more ways you can get involved.

Operation Wild is in partnership with the Ontario Trillium Foundation.