Cortes Children's Forest Trust

A Streamkeepers Training weekend was co-sponsored by the FTCCIS (Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society) and FOCI (Friends of Cortes Island) in October 2014. The participating youth and adults learned stream habitat assessment, basic stream data collection, fish identification, and conducted a simple stream invertebrate survey.

Seasoned fish biologist, Dave Clough, led the training. A highlight for some youth was catapulting over James Creek using the stream measuring staff.

The youth are regularly monitoring James Creek on their monthly forest walks, checking temperature & flow, and looking for fish.

CHILDREN’S FOREST FROLICS… continue into the greenest time of the year!!!

Join in! EVERYONE welcome!!!

Children 7 years and under need to be accompanied by an adult and ALL children will need to have their parent sign a waiver for their participation in activities offered by the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society (FTCCIS).

Please call our Youth Director, Ashe Biela, at 935-6734 to get signed in for Forest Frolics!

I. Speaking out for Species at Risk & Artist’s Journey Art Auction

Gorge Hall Christmas Bazaar table Saturday, December 6, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Lakehouse students honour the species at risk on Cortes Island with a special collection of felted animals – destined for Christmas stockings!!! Lino print cards & Forest Alphabet books will also be available for purchase from Cortes youth, and…

The Artist’s Journey Art Auction artworks will be on display, just next door, at Gorge Harbour Marina Gazebo and sealed bidding is open. Something for someone special this season of giving, that Imagines… a forest in trust to the children!

II. Nature Study Days in the Children’s Forest

Sunday, December 7, 10:00 am start at the Carrington Bay trailhead off Carrington Bay Road. Bring a lunch, a friend but leave the dog at home. We are heading into the northern wilds and will return before dark.

The first Sunday of every month has been dedicated as a Nature Study Day in the Children’s Forest. Led by Lakehouse students and Forest Trust staff, these walks explore the Children’s Forest in every season of the year. You never know what you might discover… chum salmon spawning in James Creek, lichens at their plumpest??

III. THE TREE – a Children’s Forest Variety Show & Solstice Celebration

featuring our newly created tribe of Forest Puppets, the Forest Alphabet Rap and the Mycorrhizal Network Song & Dance, plus soooooooo much more!!!

* Dress Rehearsal Saturday, December 13, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Gorge Hall

All youth are invited to join in; there is a role for everyone!

* The Tree – Variety Show Friday, December 19, doors open 6:30 pm with 7:00 pm show start. You won’t want to miss this Solstice celebration by Cortes youth!!!

The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society is actively pursuing the purchase of ~600 acres of forest lands immediately adjacent Carrington Bay Park – the Children’s Forest.

Sat. Nov. 15 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm & Sun. Nov. 16 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Imagine your favourite Children’s Forest character and bring that idea to the workshop, where Meinsje will teach you how to turn your character into a puppet! You will be working with papier mache, paints and cloth. The papier mache needs to dry overnight, so that is why you return Sunday – to paint and dress the puppets.

Photos from the workshop:

Mary-Lu Lorenson — Tree Sisters

The Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society (FTCCIS) is excited to announce that the Artist’s Journey Art Auction is once again open for sealed bidding! Only 10 pieces of artwork remain in our beautiful and diverse collection of original artwork donated in support of the Children’s Forest. Wood sculpture, watercolour & acrylic paintings, glass, monotype print and rattan original works of art are waiting to go under someone’s Christmas tree…

Artwork can be viewed online at the Artist’s Journey page, and sealed bids can be placed online here.

Artwork may be viewed in person and bids placed in person at the Gorge Harbour Marina gazebo, on Cortes Island, on Dec. 6, 2014 between 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Consider giving a gift of original artwork this holiday season, in support of the Children’s Forest. Imagine… a forest in trust to the children.

Sealed bidding is open online from this announcement on until 9:00 am Dec. 20, 2014.

Winning bids will be announced at 9:00 pm on Dec. 20 – just in time to get them wrapped and under the tree!

Questions?… need to view a piece of artwork and cannot make it on Dec. 6… call Sabina @ 250 935 6467 or e-mail slmense@telus.net

The FTCCIS issued its first donation receipt as a charitable organization on May 17 at Seafest. We caught up with the donor, Alex, at the Forest Alphabet book launch and got a photo of the him with receipt #1. Thank you Alex!

Zoe Miles presents a Forest Alphabet cake (baked by Trude) to youth artists

One hundred and thirty attendees squeezed into the Sunshine Room at the Linnaea Education Center on June 29th to celebrate the 33 Cortes youth featured in the new publication, ‘Forest Alphabet – Artistic Visions of a Forest in Trust to the Children of Cortes Island’.

The 33 original art pieces featured in the book and Forest Trust banners designed by Lisa Gibbons set the backdrop for the occasion.
The book launch was youth-inspired and youth-led. It was envisioned during an Event Planning Workshop for youth led by Eva Boucek and sponsored by the Forest Trust. Liam Baron Preston and Deva Braaten presided over the ceremony with finesse and flair. Selected readings from the book were given by Sancho Spencer, Nola McPhail, Julian Francis, Melanie Williams, and Bella Meredith-Drometer.

Youth artists read from Forest Alphabet

The audience was challenged to recognize ten forest sounds ingeniously offered by Ilo, Makawi and Kaleo Biela. The Children’s Forest Trust youth gifted three copies of ‘Forest Alphabet’ to the Klahoose Resource Library, the Cortes branch of VIRL, and the Cortes School. Trude created a spectacular cake for the children, topped with a perfect, edible reproduction of the book’s front cover.

A display of forest treasures and activities were looked after by Tosh Harvey, while two live cutthroat trout enchanted onlookers. ‘Forest Alphabet’ books, raffle tickets, and Forest Trust logo buttons were sold, making this event the first fundraiser for the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society (FTCCIS).

Hands-on nature exhibits and activities filled one end of the room

The FTCCIS Board of Directors extends their gratitude to all 33 artists and authors, and to the organizing youth, for a brilliant celebration! Specifically, thanks to: Deva Braaten, Tara Warkentin, Alma & Laara Huuskonen for organizing; Deva Braaten & Liam Baron Preston for officiating; Ella & Nola McPhail, Kai Harvey, Aislin Downey & Osha Dombroski for set-up; Marnie’s Bookstore, Russ’ Raw Community Chocolate, Cortes Creation’s, Arbutus Arts, Becca’s Beans, Natural Food COOP & Gathering Place for raffle basket contributions.

Copies of ‘Forest Alphabet’ are for sale ($20) locally at Marnie’s Books & the Cortes Museum, or they can be purchase online here. All proceeds from book sales go towards land purchase. The publication of the book has been funded by the sale of art pieces generously donated to the Forest Trust by local and visiting artists (check out The Artist’s Journey). Special thanks to Rachel Bevington for her outstanding contribution in preparing the print-ready digital file for the printing of forest alphabet!

Book signing

Final thanks goes to all the youth, families, and adults who came out to support Cortes children speaking out for protection of the Children’s Forest – “a place they call home in the rainforests of British Columbia”.

We have some big news. The book is finally here! Forest Alphabet: Artistic Visions of a Forest in Trust to the Children is a full-colour, 72-page book featuring the original artwork and voices of 33 bright-eyed and beautiful children from Cortes Island, speaking out for the protection, in perpetuity, of the Children’s Forest.

Their work is endorsed in dedicated contributions by renowned Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman, environmental activist, campaigner and writer Tzeporah Berman, and Canada’s iconic singer and playwright Ann Mortifee.

We would like to invite EVERYONE to a book launch organized by Cortes youth on Sunday, June 29th from 2-4 pm at the Tiber Bay Room in the Linnaea Education Center (where it all began!). There will be many fun activities, music, snacks, and of course, book signing done by the youth. It has taken a lot of time and effort to put this book together, so come help us celebrate!

Forest Alphabet books will be for sale; all proceeds go towards purchase of the Children’s Forest. For those not able to attend the book launch, Forest Alphabet can also be purchased online here.

Many thanks to the Artist’s Journey artists and purchasers whose generous contributions funded the printing of Forest Alphabet!

The FTCCIS Board is delighted to announce that as of May 15th, 2014, the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society is a CRA-registered charitable organization! This has taken many months of work, and is a major step toward our goal of being able to acquire and protect the Children’s Forest. Many thanks to all those who volunteered their time and expertise to help us complete this important task!

Videographer Rob Lowrie has created a beautiful three-part documentary of the Artists’ Journey to the Children’s Forest. This work is now viewable for the first time online.

The series follows visiting and Cortes artists as they experience ‘The Children’s Forest’, and as they begin creating works of art. The artists’ completed creations were donated to the Children’s Forest Trust and then auctioned online and at a series of  public events, successfully funding the printing of  the Forest Alphabet book.

Here is part 1 of the video series. All three sections can be viewed here, or on Rob’s Youtube page.

Many thanks to all of the Cortes youth who submitted logo designs for the Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island! Congratulations to Mira Braaten, whose submission of the photograph of hands holding a seedling was chosen by the Forest Trust’s youth advisers and the Forest Trust Board as the most suitable design. The photo will be reworked into a hand-drawn logo which will begin appearing on the Forest Trust’s correspondence, web site and other materials soon.

Below are all of the logos submitted.

By Marie Goulet, age 15 years

By Marie Goulet, age 15 years

By Mira Braaten, age 18 years

By Manuel Perdissa, age 9 years

By Mira Braaten, age 18 years

By Mira Braaten, age 18 years

By Tara Warkentin, age 14 years