This area in Southwestern New Brunswick is near and dear to me. Every summer, my mum would send me to her parents house for 6 weeks. It was every child’s dream. Swimming, hiking, bicycling, fishing, camping and four wheeling in an area way of the beaten path are memories I will cherish forever. My grandmother was born in this very rural community. Her mother married into the Wood Family and my great grandfather ran a logging company where there is a good chance the men used to cut and replant trees in this area where my land is located. My grandfather fell in love with this area as soon as my grandmother brought him home to visit her family.

My grandfather and his brother (who also fell in love with the area) went and purchased this 1.5 acre plot. His brother would keep his trailer parked here and so one summer they decided to build a shed next to said trailer. Now, his brother could not pick up the right end of a hammer and 10 year old me thought this was just adult sized legos so I ended up helping my grampy build it. After some time, that brother passed and gave it to my mum. Each year she would update the property with electricity, an outhouse and a drilled well. Well then in 2015, a house down the road was up for sale for next to nothing so she purchased that and has given me this land. Ten-year old Jared could not have seen this coming. Since 2015, I have been clearing brush and making updates to the shed to transform it into a cabin.

Fast-forward to March of 2020 - on the last day of my traveling medical lab scientist assignment, we received the first covid swab into the lab for analysis. They begged me to stay and extend though something in my gut said to go to the cabin, just till this covid thing blows over. Well two weeks turned into six months and as I watched the world burn both literally and figuratively - the seed for Heart of the Woods was planted. Up until this point, I had been on two yoga retreats to Suryalila in southern Spain and Xinalani on the western coast of Mexico. Both were incredible, life-altering experiences where I could finally picture myself doing one thing for the rest of my life; curate a place to hold space for people - to steward land - and raise human consciousness. I have been blessed with this piece of land and I want to give it back.

When I said “yes” to this - the Universe must have said finally. Friends, family and random acquaintances came to me seeing what they could do to help. I had to come up with a name. I was reading a book at the time about the first explorers to the region we now know as Quebec. These French settlers became close with the Native American/First Nation people. They knew the woods and soon became known as les coureur de bois. I looked at the words and knew that la coeur means “heart” and le bois means “woods” hence this idea that these men were known as the heart of the woods really struck me. This place is certainly “in the heart of the woods,” my grandmothers family are Woods and this vision of having heart and offering it to people, nature and Spirit nailed in the name of the place.

So here we are - it is 2024 and I live half the year in the cabin and the place has grown to include outside garage nestled back in the woods, a 5th wheel trailer that was gifted to me and a wood fired hot tub or cold plunge tank. There is space to park vehicles, rigs and RVs, places to pitch tents and the idea is to build small cabins for weary travelers, people looking to unplug and get into Nature and those looking for a deeper healing experience.

Thanks for reading,

Jared