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SCFF April 2026 News Update
We are back in action following our winter adventures, enthusiastic for this year to come and we are so grateful for your support and encouragement in what we’re building and creating at SCFF.
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To begin our update, here are a few photos from winter travels: Victoria to the UK and Lanzarote to see family, both of us together to Prague and finally Peter to Japan.
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Looking back at Summer 2025 |
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As we plan our 2026 programming, here is a summary of last year's events that reflects our energized and growing programs that we hope will inspire you to participate in our community. Even more details and photos can be found on our website.
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Self-nurturing: Transformation in Nature |
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The August women's retreat brought Sine Andersen from Denmark to co-host with Victoria. |
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Bookbinding |
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July included two bookbinding weekends exploring new formats and experimental content. These took place at our satellite location in Hartington closer to Kingston allowing access to onsite bookbinding presses and other tools. Boxmaking and Experimental Artist's Books had us constructing, collaging images and managing 7-foot blueprints on Japanese paper.
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Natural Inventions: Staging in the landscape |
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In early September, five of us gathered for a weekend of photographic interactions with the natural environments of the farm and forest.
DIscussion of the Zone System advanced Andy's black and white skills, while all of us found ways to find or stage images. Sunday was a fun day of printing cyanotypes outdoors in the bright sunshine. |
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This spring, we will be tackling restructuring the internal staircase to the loft, to make it safer and easier to manoeuvre. This will include reversing the staircase to make it less steep, and upgrading the entry, for a more welcoming, more bright & light feeling.
As our time allows we’ll start on a back veranda and gradually create a beautiful, wide screened-in porch facing the valley, in the shade of the giant willow tree that Peter’s dad planted.
By last November, Scott Russell had completed the barn siding, enclosing and protecting the second floor from the elements. This year we’ll continue to develop the upper level as a yoga platform, and a place to hang out in hammocks, enjoying the view, the birds and the quiet. |
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Next up: Our Spring Bird Count starts at 8:00am on Saturday May 9th (the day before Mother’s Day) and will culminate in a hearty pot-luck breakfast for all.
You can see what we’ve listed on ebird in the past: https://ebird.org/tripreport/375178
We look forward to hearing and seeing our winged friends that have chosen SCFF as their natural habitat and home.
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Outdoor forest grooming will start up again shortly and we welcome volunteers who would love to join us in pruning, trimming and clearing after the wild and windy winter. So if you’ve got some pent up energy that you’d love to release...
Please email me: victoria@victoriahirst.com
The weekends we’d love some extra helping hands are:
May 9-10, May 16-17 and May 23-24.
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Painting Sunflowers
Join us this spring at Shibagau Creek Forest Farmstead for creative fun, dates to be confirmed!
We’ll gather to transform our cherished caravan into a vibrant Sunflower Scape and we need your artistic spark.
This has been Victoria’s long-held dream since we first brought our caravan home, and 2026 is the year she comes alive with color! We’re inviting you to bring your creative self, your energy, your vision, and your skillset to help us paint her into a living work of art.
We’ll provide: the paint and brushes as well as connection, laughter, and the beautiful outdoors.
You bring: Your enthusiasm and creative spirit - all levels welcome, whether you’re a beginner or profesh. Leave your mark at SCFF, not just with paint, but with lasting memories and creativity woven into the heart of our community.
Interested? Let us know you’d like to join: email Victoria directly: victoria@victoriahirst.com
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Forest Bathing with Victoria: Monthly Invitations to Pause and Recharge
This summer, join Victoria for monthly Forest Bathing experiences at Shibagau Creek Forest Farmstead. This is an invitation to gently slow down and soak in the beauty that surrounds us. Whether you’re seeking deep rest, an immune boost, fresh inspiration, or meaningful connection with nature, these guided sessions provide a nurturing space to notice, reflect, and simply be.
Sessions are 2:00-5:00pm, one Sunday per month, May through September.
Interested? Please email Victoria directly for reservations and bookings:victoria@victoriahirst.com
Make it a mini-retreat! Combine your forest bathing session with a weekend stay at the farm, and treat yourself to a full experience of peace and renewal.
No experience needed, just curiosity and comfortable shoes. Disconnect from the rush, reconnect with wonder, and let nature work its quiet magic.
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Bookbinding and Photography
Continuing annual art workshops, Peter will be hosting another summer series for both experienced and beginning creators:
Bookbinding Weekends are scheduled for July 11-12 and July 25-26. Details to come.
There will be a Photography: Master Class with Peter on August 28-30 for those who wish to share and develop their photography.
Let him know you are interested to help with planning: peter@scff.ca |
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Details and Registration links
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This year, we’re excited to announce an Open Call for workshops, retreats, and gatherings at Shibagau Creek Forest Farmstead!
Whether you’re…
- a nature lover with a vision for a “forest bathing & journaling circle,”
- someone who’s always dreamed of hosting a landscape photography day,
- an off-grid enthusiast eager to teach solar know-how or how to create an organic pond,
- an artist inspired to guide painting retreats among the trees,
- or simply someone longing for an unplugged, meaningful community— SCFF is your canvas!
I mean the sky’s the limit - in other words: anything is possible:
- Monthly “Books & Boots” Club: Walk the trails and discuss nature-inspired reads
- Nature foraging & Weaving Retreats: “Create with the Earth”
- Music Gatherings: BYOI (Bring Your Own Instrument) for jam sessions and picnics in nature
- Off-Grid Living/D.I.Y. Weekend: Share your skills—solar, composting, water collection, and more
- Stargazing & Night Photography Workshops: Experience the awe of our dark skies
- Farm-to-Table Potlucks or Cooking Circles: Celebrate local food grown by nature, prepared together
- Family Nature Camps: Outdoor fun, nature games, and hands-on discoveries for all ages
- Wild Edibles & Herbal Wisdom Walks: Foragers and herbology fans unite!
- Pedals & Picnics: Bike the Local Roads, lunch Under the Willow”
- Or Victoria’s specialty; “Forest Mindfulness” Retreats: forest bathing, meditation, and visioning the life you’d love to call in among the trees
How to Get Involved:
If you have a dream for a gathering, big or small, get in touch! We provide the space, the fresh air, and the welcoming spirit. You bring your vision. Together, let’s make magic happen at SCFF.
So whether you’ve wanted to create a reunion with family, connect with like-minded friends on a themed weekend or simply want some time out of the city: please check out our schedule on Airbnb and get in touch.
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This season we are looking to recruit a Farmstead Caretaker & Hospitality Coordinator |
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Are you someone who feels truly at home outdoors, you love hearing the birds overhead, you keep your camera handy in your pocket for capturing magic moments, and you have a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature?
Do you delight in bringing spaces to life, both in-person and online,
and do you love the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of your work create smiles for others?
If so, we’d love to invite you to apply to be our Farmstead Caretaker and Hospitality Coordinator at Shibagau Creek Forest Farmstead
Here at Shibagau Creek Forest Farmstead we recognize the impact of nature and the simple beauty of peace and quiet in creating memorable guest experiences. This new role is the heartbeat of our 2026 operations, where outdoor stewardship meets hospitality, and every task is an act of love for the land, our guests and their memories.
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This month’s loyalty offer to those of you receiving our newsletter (and reading this far :-) we’re currently offering a discount on a weekend’s stay. Please check that the dates are available on Airbnb and then email Peter peter@scff.ca directly and we’ll book you in with a 20% discount.
And as always, if our events at SCFF are not for you, please forward this newsletter and our events to someone else who may love it and who may be so grateful for the opportunity.
I often think back to my Toronto days, when weekend after weekend I stayed in the city because I left it too late to sign up for something to do out of town. We’re creating things that we love and we know there are others out there that would love it too.
Please forward and share with others, they will thank you for the opportunity.
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