Elkington Forest is a 1000 acre forest, 35 minutes north of Victoria, BC. A full 850 acres is conserved as Forest Stewardship Council certified eco-forestry or outright conservation with limited or restricted access. On the remaining 150 acres, half of the land is in food production, and half is developed as three attractive residential Hamlets with a total of 77 homes and 15 eco-businesses.
The trails through the forest, around the ponds, and alongside the agricultural lands are just waiting to be explored. Bring your horse, bike or hiking boots. Miles of trails are right at your back door. And you've got to see these views!
The Living Forest social enterprise is a partnership between the founding charity, the Trust for Sustainable Forestry, and the for-profit corporation, Living Forest Communities. This partnership informs all that we do; from the first vision statement, through the ecologically sensitive design process, to the use of the last dollar earned.
1/3 AC. BUILDING LOTS IN THE FOREST, from $250,000, or
LOT and ECOLOGICALLY DESIGNED COTTAGE, from $350,000
Courtesy to Realtors.
Contact us now at 250 386 6600 or online for more information.
We are in the process of updating our Disclosure Statement and will be submitting a revised Disclosure Statement to the Superintendent of Real Estate. We would be happy to take offers to purchase, but only after we have re-submitted the new Disclosure Statement.
Reflections on Creatively United for the Planet
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08 May 2012
It has been almost three weeks since the first annual Creatively United for the Planet Festival wrapped up, and we are still buzzing from all of the amazing people we met and connections that were made. With over 4,000 attendees over the course of the three day festival, and gorgeous weather to boot, Creatively United for the Planet was a huge success. For a festival in it's first year, it certainly seemed to live up to the expectations of Creatively United founder, Frances Litman. Upon realizing that less than 4% of charitable donations were going to environmental organizations, Frances Litman took it upon her self to increase this percentage, hoping to bring it close to par with the 80% of charitable donations that disease organizations receive. Thus, the brainchild for Creatively United for the Planet was born.
Over countless volunteer work hours, Frances and her team of organizers and 
event volunteers hosted an amazing event that really emphasized how important the environment is for so many people. Some of the highlights of the festival included a Disco Mardi Gras Dance Party, Eco Fashion Show, Art Auction with art donated by Art School Victoria, keynote speech by Robert Bateman, fun kids (and adult) activities, and the plethora of environmentally conscious groups with display booths.
One of the highlights for many people was was watching Ann Mortifee and Paul Horn perform with the Gettin' Higher Choir. The photo to the right is of Ann Mortifee singing at Creatively United, showing the vibrant energy she brings to all of her projects (Photo Credit: Andrzej Kielbowicz of goingdigital.ca). In her keynote address Ann spoke of her connection to Elkington Forest and role as co-founder of The Trust for Sustainable Forestry (TSF). For the full story on the origins of TSF click here.
Due to Ann Moritfee's connection with the Living Forest Communities-TSF social enterprise, it seemed natural for Living Forest Communities to share a booth with Ann Mortifee and Paul Horn at Creatively United for the Planet. While people were lining up to view Ann Mortifee and Paul Horn's assortment of cd's and books, they were also able to learn more about Ann's involvement with Living Forest Communities and the Elkington Forest development. So many people were intrigued and impressed by the Living Forest Community model for development, and could not wait to get up to the Elkington Forest site to see it for themselves. Elkington Forest site tours have been happening every weekend since Creatively United, and will continue throughout the spring, summer, and fall months (the next site tours are May 12th and May 26th - email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more info).
One of the main fundraising activities that was ongoing throughout the festival was the sale of raffle tickets for some excellent prizes. There were 27 general raffle prizes, and 16 eco-charity raffle prizes. Hollyhock, a wellness and lifelong learning centre on Cortes Island, generously donated a 2 night stay at Hollyhock for TSF to raffle off. We are happy to announce that the winner of this coveted prize is Cheryl Bevan-Gellor. Cheryl came to pick-up her prize at our office last week, and is pictured below with Living Forest Communities President, Doug Makaroff.
For a festival in its first year, Creatively United for the Planet was a huge success. Over $5000.00 was raised for 16 under-funded environmental charities. Through rigorous composting and recycling efforts only 2 bags of garbage were sent to the landfill. Creatively United was a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Week, and unite people with a passion for the environment. We are delighted to have been a part of the first annual Creatively United for the Planet Festival, and cannot wait to participate again next year. A huge thanks to Frances Litman and all of the Creatively United volunteers for their hard work!
