Discover Cortes: Nature Adventures (August)

With Bill Ophoff

August 24 - 28, 2022

Date and Time Details:
Starts with dinner on August 24
Ends with lunch on August 28
Sample program schedule

Location: Cortes Island

Tuition: $575 CAD

Campus Rates: Campus rates include accommodations, meals, Hollyhock activities, use of hot tubs and campus facilities (does not include tuition). Click here for details.

Scholarships: We believe that everyone should have equitable access to Hollyhock program experiences, and that our diverse community should be reflected in all that we do. We are committed to identifying and removing barriers to access through our scholarship program. While we strive to be accessible and inclusive to all, a limited number of scholarships are available ranging from 25%-90% of costs.

We encourage applicants from those whose identities intersect with, but are not limited to: Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, newcomers, youth, and elders.

Please apply for a scholarship within your program registration form. We ask for a 5% refundable deposit to apply. Please contact us directly if you are unable to pay this deposit.

Health & Safety: Learn more about our Covid-19 policies and procedures here.

  • Single w/ensuite Oceanfront – CAD $2,423.00
  • Single w/ensuite – CAD $2,263.00
  • Single w/shared bathroom – CAD $1,923.00
  • Couple w/ensuite Oceanfront – CAD $3,714.00
  • Couple w/ensuite – CAD $3,398.00
  • Couple w/shared bathroom – CAD $3,082.00
  • Twin w/ensuite oceanfront – CAD $1,329.00
  • Twin w/ensuite – CAD $1,699.00
  • Twin w/shared bathroom – CAD $1,539.00
  • Three-share w/shared bathroom – CAD $1,375.00
  • Women Dorm – CAD $1,179.00
  • Male Dorm – CAD $1,179.00
  • Mixed Dorm – CAD $1,179.00
  • Tent Site Single – CAD $1,159.00
  • Tent Site Couple – CAD $2,118.00
  • Commuter – CAD $1,019.00
    • (All prices include CAD $919.00 base amount)

The natural world is your classroom as you hike, kayak, and sail amid the wild beauty of Cortes Island. Discover the flora and fauna of both land and sea along with local history and geological phenomena as you adventure forth with Hollyhock’s knowledgeable, fun-loving naturalist. Explore ancient forests, sandy beaches, colourful tide pools, windswept bluffs, and a mysterious bog. Our lush temperate rain forest is home to a variety of wildlife including deer, raven, and eagles.

Discover the magic of this island jewel as you:

  • Board 43-foot schooner Misty Isles for a half-day sail. Watch for orcas, humpback whales, seals, sea lions, porpoises, and dolphins while learning about the area’s history. Land on awe-inspiring Mitlenatch Island, home of the largest seabird colony in the Salish Sea and known by naturalists as “the Galapagos of the Georgia Strait.” Follow trails through the early-summer wildflowers to the wildlife blinds, an opportunity to watch the nesting birds up close.
  • Kayak into the sunset with bald eagles and seals or paddle under the stars amidst the ‘fairydust’ of bioluminescence.
  • Join in Hollyhock’s famous oyster barbecue on the beach.

We welcome a variety of fitness levels and experience. You can expect easy to moderate hiking terrain, kayaking, and walking on uneven, rocky shorelines.

Only 12 spots available in this program. Book now to secure your space!

Bill has exceptional knowledge and I would love to take the class again sometime in the future. He managed to relay the information in a way to help us start looking at the natural world with a more open mind and use our observation skills to take in all the diversity in the forest, on the rocks and in the water. – Past participant, 2019

Schedule

Your program schedule.

Terms & Conditions

You may find our terms & conditions here.

Health & Safety

Learn more about Hollyhock’s current health and safety policies here.

About the Presenter

Bill Ophoff

Bill Ophoff has a background in geography and biology, is a naturalist world traveler, and has been Hollyhock’s resident naturalist for 25 years. Hollyhock guests often rave about our naturalist excursions, and more often than not, they are talking about Bill and his quirky sense of humour. Bill landed on Cortes Island on “May 3, 1993 […]

Learn more about Bill Ophoff

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