Offering teachings about nature, spirituality and humble living.

Redtail Nature Awareness is a nature retreat and experiential education centre located in a beautiful semi-wilderness region of northern Nova Scotia, Canada. It offers nature education and Earth based spirituality experiences for youth and adults throughout the year. Redtail was founded in 1991 by Billy MacDonald. Since 2000, Redtail has been co-lead by Billy’s wife and his partner Nova Poirier. Both Billy and Nova offer programs in the direction of their own interests and talent. We are located on 120 acres of beautiful semi-wilderness and reclaimed farm land. It is hilly terrain with remnant stands of old growth forests and fresh upland streams throughout. The base camp area encompasses a majestic stand of old growth hemlock. Many special moments are to be had under the shelter of its canopy. Redtail is designed with simplicity in mind, with no running water, electricity or “modern” amenities. The facilities consist of a 24 by 30 foot pole barn which serves as its summer camping facility and a similar size enclosed cabin with a sleeping loft for year round programs. Participants can sleep in the lodge, pitch a tent or sleep under the stars in the beautiful hemlock grove. The camp also encompasses an outdoor sweat house. Traditional saunas are held as a special closure on the final night of most camps.



I am a self-taught environmental educator and youth mentor. My motivation for founding the camp came from witnessing the environmental degradation of land I knew and loved as a boy. My work has been influenced by my experience working in Inuit communities, studies with tracker and spiritual teacher, Thom Brown Jr. and the teachings of deep ecology. I believe that nature should not be viewed as a resource. I want to help people build and sustain non-exploitative relationships with wild nature and form an enduring connection to place.



I am deeply connected to nature and in particular to the element of Earth. I consider it my sacred contract to help people deeply connect with the Earth Mother and to the sacred that is in all nature. I practice Earth medicine ways and am trained in indigenous healing practices through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. I also have a background in psychology and psychosynthesis. I believe that a spiritual reconnection to the web of life is necessary if we are to begin to find our way out of the social and environmental crisis that confronts us today.

Redtail Nature Awareness
400 MacBeth Road, RR#2 Scotsburn, Nova Scotia, Canada, B0K 1R0

(902) 485.4688
email: info@redtailnatureawareness.ca