On Tuesday, March 25, 2024, Squamish carver, John Spence, and his son, Koda, arrived in Champlain Heights to begin the process of carving cedars into a healing circle in the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden, South Vancouver.
This carving project is part of our Healing Forest Project, with the intention of creating a space of reconciliation and healing in the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden.
Vancouver Urban Forestry Department supported this project by felling three standing dead snags, each about 18 feet in height, several days prior on March 22.
On March 25, John & Koda were able to come with a chainsaw to carefully cut the three cedar snags into 6 pieces of wood that will eventually form the healing circle of seating in the garden.
Happily, we also were able to recruit three Free the Fern directors, Jeannine, Genevieve, and Barbara, and Executive Director, Grace, to help. As, after the wood was cut, mucle power was needed, to move the wood down the trails. Volunteers and carvers all helped to roll the logs down Fir Trail. Turned right down Red Alder trail and finally arriving in the garden. It was an exercise in persistance. Many laughs were had, as we frequently rolled the logs off the paved trails and into adjacent shrubs. But, eventually, we were able to successfully move all six cedar logs and place them in a circle in the garden.
John and Koda will be back in two weeks to begin the process of transforming the cedar logs into seating. We look forward to seeing the beautiful carvings that they will create.
We hope to use the space for gathering at events and walks. Knolwedge-sharers will be able to sit in the centre against a 150 year old Douglas Fir Tree, while participants sit in a circle around.