Dates: Friday, May 29th to Sunday, May 31st, 2026 (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon)
Location: Camp Wenonah, 1324 Bird Lake Rd, Bracebridge, ON
Spots Available: 40
Open to: All educators
Location details: Camp Wenonah is located in the stunning Muskoka area, just east of Bracebridge. It is approximately 2 hours from Toronto or 4 hours from Ottawa by car. The Camp is uniquely situated on 100 acres between two beautiful lakes – Saw and Clear.
We are very thankful to be gathering on the traditional territory of the Ojibway, the Chippewa, the Algonquin and the Odawa, land which has also been walked on by the Huron-Wendat and the Haudenosaunee. This land is covered by the Williams Treaty of 1923, the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 and the J. Collins land purchase of 1785. This region is home to the Wáhta Mohawks First Nations, Moose Deer Point First Nation and Moon River Métis. We want to express our deepest gratitude for their ongoing care for this land and the opportunity to gather here.
Accommodation details: Accommodations will be shared with 5-8 other adults in small cabins with bunk beds. Each person will have a whole top and bottom bunk bed to themselves. There will be an option to stay in a single gender or mixed gender cabin, depending on your preference. The cabins can be heated as needed. Participants have the option to bring whichever bedding they prefer- a sleeping bag or twin sheet set and a comforter.
Washroom and Facilities: All gender group washrooms are available throughout Camp Wenonah. Kindly note, there are no washrooms inside the cabins themselves. Both the washrooms and shower house facilities are a short walk away from the cabins.
Food: Camp Wenonah will provide delicious food throughout the weekend and can accommodate a wide range of dietary needs. We will send out the weekend’s menu 2 weeks prior to the Retreat. Meals included are: Friday dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner; Sunday breakfast and lunch. Water, coffee, tea, fruit and granola bars will be available between meal times. Please note: Camp Wenonah is a nut-free facility.
Accessibility: Camp Wenonah is a rugged outdoor setting which operates as a camp for children throughout the summer. There are roots on the walking trails, and only some of Camp Wenonah’s newer buildings include ramps. They do have golf carts available that Camp staff can use to help transport people with limited mobility to further locations. This can be arranged ahead of the Retreat weekend. Most buildings (cabins, washrooms, etc.) have 2 – 5 steps at their entrance.
Suggested Packing List: Click here for our suggested packing list of what you might want to bring to the Retreat! If you would like support in acquiring or borrowing any of these items, please email us at info@takemeoutside.ca.
What to Expect: This document will also be emailed to everyone who registers and will cover all the details for the Retreat, including directions, community guidelines, wifi access/cell service, etc.
Note: There will be a small school with 30 students at Camp Wenonah the same weekend. We will make an effort to stagger meal times. As such, no alcohol or smoking will be permitted on-site over the weekend.
Partners: We’re very thankful to be partnering with our friends at the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (COEO) for this Retreat! Two COEO members who are experienced in outdoor learning will generously provide additional support throughout the weekend. COEO is a wonderful volunteer-based, non-profit and a community of outdoor educators. They offer retreat-style conferences in the fall and winter, a monthly newsletter, the Ontario Wilderness Leadership (OWL) Symposium, Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education and more offerings and resources for educators. You can learn more about the COEO community and membership here.
Are we missing anything? Please feel free to email us at info@takemeoutside.ca if you have any questions or requests for support!
The Sample Schedule below shows an example of what the Retreat schedule could look like. The exact Retreat schedule is currently being confirmed and will be shared soon. Participants will have a chance to build their own customized, spacious schedule before the Retreat weekend by choosing which morning and afternoon sessions they would like to participate in each day.
One optional add on will be a massage, which participants will have the opportunity to book directly with an on-site massage therapist for an additional fee.
Registration opens Wednesday, February 4th at 10am ET. At that time, links to the registration form will be found on this page.
Registration cost will be $535 (including tax). This registration fee includes accommodations, all meals, and all facilitated sessions.
We are committed to supporting educators from underserved or underrepresented communities to attend our retreats. If you face financial barriers and/or identify as Black, Indigenous, a Person Of Colour, have lived experience with a disability, are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community or a member of another marginalized group, please feel free to reach out to info@takemeoutside.ca for the potential of a subsidized registration or to request other types of support to attend this Retreat.
Cancellation Policy: Please notify us as soon as possible at info@takemeoutside.ca if you need to cancel your registration. Cancellations made at least 30 days before the date of the Retreat are fully refundable. In the case that Take Me Outside had to cancel an Educator Wellness Retreat, every effort would be made to notify participants at least 30 days before the event and all registration fees would be fully refunded.
