Healing Hemlocks: Maritimes Exploration

April 8-13, 2025
Application closed

Maritimes Explorations are based in Nova Scotia. Throughout the program, we will travel through the traditional territories of the Mi’kmaq People.

Healing Hemlocks is a 6-day Howl Exploration developed by Howl in partnership with Ulnooweg Education Centre. Open to youth aged 17 to 35, Healing Hemlocks is a journey of community-led conservation and land-based learning, offering a unique experience to work alongside Indigenous knowledge holders, researchers, and community members to participate in an Indigenous-led treatment of one of the last remaining old-growth Hemlock forests in Nova Scotia, which is under threat due to the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. 

In a cohort of eighteen, your exploration will begin at Asitu’lisk (ah-see-dew-lisk), a lodge and gathering place surrounded by 200-acres of ancient forest and waterways, located in Mi’kma’ki on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. The exploration will also include a visit to trails and pristine beaches of Kejimkujik National Park Seaside, just an hour down the road.

What you’ll experience

With an approach rooted in the Mi’kmaw concept of Etuaptmumk, or “two-eyed seeing”, you’ll deliver life-saving treatments to the Hemlocks, while also learning about the land and taking part in ceremony guided by local Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders. Though you’ll be sleeping inside, the majority of this program will take place outside, around the campfire, on the lake and in the forest, offering the perfect opportunity to slow down, step out of your routines, and reconnect with land and self.

Itinerary (2025)

Day 1: Afternoon arrival to Asitu’lisk - First supper and opening circle
Day 2: Exploring Kejimkujik Seaside / Intro to HWA
Day 3: Healing Hemlock Treatment Day 1
Day 4: Healing Hemlock Treatment Day 2
Day 5: On-site cultural activity @ Asitu’lisk / Closing circle / Celebration
Day 6: Morning departure after breakfast

This program is intentionally filled with opportunities to build community, connect with the land and water, and develop your creativity and leadership. Please note that the itinerary of this program is not set in stone; it will continue to evolve based on contributions from local community members, the shifting seasons, and the input of participants. That’s the beauty of community-based learning!

Where you’ll be staying

Accommodations during the program will be shared and rustic. At Asitu’lisk, you’ll sleep in small communal suites in the main lodge of Asitu’lisk, situated in a beautiful natural setting where you’ll have access to rivers, a lake, and old growth forest trails. 

No gear? No problem. We will work with you to make sure you’ve got everything you need to participate in the program. No outdoor skills or experience are required to participate in this program. Meals provided throughout the program will be mostly vegetarian with a strong focus on local, seasonal ingredients. Most dietary restrictions and preferences can be accommodated.

Learn more about our venue here: Asitu’lisk

Program Cost:
$500-$1500

Valued at over $2,300 per participant, Healing Hemlocks is priced at a sliding scale for participants between the ages of 17 and 35, based on self-declared financial need and access to resources. Organizations, businesses and communities are also invited to sponsor participants at a set fee.

Note that there are 10 fully funded spots on this program, 7 of which are reserved for Indigenous youth based in Mi’kma’ki (NS, NB, PEI, Newfoundland, Gaspé peninsula). All other applicants may access the option that best suits their needs.

  • $500-$1,500 | Applicants will be guided through a sliding scale fee selection process to determine a tuition fee within the above range that feels right and equitable to them.

  • $1,000 | Charities, non-profits and community groups

  • $1,500 | Employers, schools and individuals receiving financial support

Once you've applied, we will follow up with more information on our fee structure as well as a few questions about your financial situation and the support you may need. Even if cost is a barrier, we strongly encourage you to apply! Howl and Asitu’lisk are actively pursuing funding that could offer additional subsidies to participants for this program. 

Please note: While travel subsidies are available for Indigenous youth from Mi’kma’ki, other applicants are be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Halifax from their home community.

“The Howl experience evokes something deep within all of us – an awareness of our interconnectedness, the understanding that we can make a difference to the lives of all our relations and the recognition of our individual and collective voices. I can say with certainty that it brings newfound understanding of our place in this world, a stronger connection to self, and a heightened sense of belonging within our communities, a deeper appreciation for the environment and how we walk on this earth.”


Ahlena, Maritimes Exploration (2024)

Meet the Program Leaders.

  • Howl Programmer by day, Singer Songwriter by night, Partner and Father 24/7. George Woodhouse (he/him) is happiest when his worlds are colliding in the form of sing-alongs in the woods. He comes to Howl from a decade of public service with Parks Canada where he helped form the Agency’s first youth engagement team. George has since worked with hundreds of families and newcomers to Canada as a Learn-to Camp coordinator in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. In 2019, he expanded his horizons and became the Visitor Experience Coordinator for Sable Island National Park Reserve where he witnessed the wild power of a shapeshifting sandbar, helping people from around the world connect with its stories, ecology and general magic. In 2023, George joined the Howl team to co-design and co-deliver transformative experiences for youth in Atlantic Canada. He approaches his work, music and relationships with the belief that when we allow ourselves to create, we inspire, we heal, we connect. Full disclosure, he wrote this bio in the third person, and he wants you to know that he would love to hear from you! Drop him a line anytime at george@experiencehowl.com

  • Nukumi Marilyn Francis is an L’nu grandmother and mother from Wasoqopa’q. She was a lobster fisherwoman for 15 years under her inherent rights and also worked with the late Nora Bernard in community outreach and residential school survivor support. Currently she is the Nukumi cultural support worker at Nova Scotia Community College where she shares her traditional knowledge and skills in making ribbon skirts, beaded jewelry and leather work. As an artist, activist, and leader, Nukumi Marilyn presents and hosts cultural workshops, youth groups, and land-based teachings where she introduces participants to the Mi’kmaw culture, ceremonies, and ways of life of our ancestors.

  • Leah Morris hails from Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland) and proudly embraces her Mi’kmaw and Inuit heritage. She currently resides in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia), where she serves as the Site Coordinator at Asitu'lisk. In this role, Leah applies her diverse skills and deep cultural knowledge to her work.

    Leah’s journey is marked by a profound commitment to community and heritage. For years, she was one of the few active Indigenous Doulas in the Kjipuktuk (Halifax) region, where she supported families and contributed to the community with her expertise. Alongside her doula work, Leah volunteered extensively and used her spare time to enhance her practical skills and deepen her understanding of traditional Mi’kmaw customs.

    Leah is passionate about foraging, traditional cooking, and saving the hemlocks. These interests not only enrich her personal life but also reflect her commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. As a mother of two wonderful daughters, she balances her professional and family life with grace and dedication.

    Today, Leah is deeply invested in imparting wisdom and fostering learning among youth and communities throughout Mi’kma’ki. Her work and interests converge to support and uplift her community, blending cultural heritage with practical skills and a forward-thinking approach.

  • Youth Educator

    Kaylyn (she/her) is a born and raised Nova Scotian, while also having family roots in Newfoundland, spreading her roots across Mi'kma'ki. First and foremost, Kaylyn is a mother to a busy young boy. She allows her love of her Mi'kmaq culture, exploration, and her empathetic nature to flow through her parenting style, and how she interacts with her peers. Kaylyn is also passionate about mental health, holistic care, youth advocacy, nature and animals. Kaylyn uses her diploma in Counselling skills and Social/Human services, paired with her intense love of the natural world to lead her way in the vast "helping field.” With a drive to pursue new experiences, Kaylyn dove into her first Howl Maritimes experience. She quickly knew it was a place for individuals to thrive, to harvest a connection to self and community. Through previous volunteer experience, Asitu'lisk has found a place in Kaylyn's heart; healing the hemlocks, and in turn healing her spirit. 

  • Megan Caplin is a Mi’kmaq woman from Listuguj First Nation located in Gespe’gewa’gi (“The Last Land”), the seventh and largest district of Mi’kma’ki. She currently resides in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and works as the Program Coordinator for Asitu’lisk, a site owned and operated by Ulnooweg Education Centre.

    Megan came into her role at Asitu’lisk in November 2023, after working as Volunteer Program Coordinator for the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) hosted in Kjipuktuk in the summer of 2023. During her time at NAIG, Megan helped develop and support culturally responsive programs for Indigenous youth, which furthered her passion and commitment to uplifting Indigenous voices, talents, and potential. In her current role, Megan is helping lead and develop engagement and use of Asitu’lisk as a site for learning, healing, and ceremony for all peoples.

    In her free time, Megan enjoys reading, video games, and exercising. She is also the cat mom to a mischievous kitten named Blue who is the unofficial mascot for Asitu’lisk.

    Leah’s journey is marked by a profound commitment to community and heritage. For years, she was one of the few active Indigenous Doulas in the Kjipuktuk (Halifax) region, where she supported families and contributed to the community with her expertise. Alongside her doula work, Leah volunteered extensively and used her spare time to enhance her practical skills and deepen her understanding of traditional Mi’kmaw customs.

    Leah is passionate about foraging, traditional cooking, and saving the hemlocks. These interests not only enrich her personal life but also reflect her commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. As a mother of two wonderful daughters, she balances her professional and family life with grace and dedication.

    Today, Leah is deeply invested in imparting wisdom and fostering learning among youth and communities throughout Mi’kma’ki. Her work and interests converge to support and uplift her community, blending cultural heritage with practical skills and a forward-thinking approach.