What do I need to take along on the Trip?

Just take along you’re your personal belongings. Everything else is provided including towels, facecloths, bedding, toiletries etc.

What should I wear?

The weather on Woody Island is very similar to the weather on the rest of the Avalon Peninsula. Clothing that you would normally wear for an after dinner walk would be sufficient. Sneakers or walking shoes would be fine for walking around the island. If there is rain in the forecast we suggest you take along your rain gear. However, we do sell ponchos and umbrellas in the shop for less than $5.00

What if I am allergic to or don’t like the food you serve?

Most of our food is Newfoundland fare but unlike a restaurant, we cannot offer a number of different meals at one time. However, if after reading the menu you are allergic to or do not like some of our meals just let us know a few days before your departure date and we will arrange an alternative. For Example, chicken is our usual substitute for fish. We also ask that you mention your required meal substitution to the cook when you first arrive at Woody Island.

Can I take along my own liquor?

You can take along your own liquor. Unfortunately, Newfoundland Liquor Corporation rules state that it must be consumed in your own room. Drinking is not permitted in public areas. Bar services are provided and we sell beer from our store on the island. However, we do not have a lot of space on the boat to carry beer coolers etc.

Do you have ice?

We have ice for our bar and ice is also sold from the store on the island.

How much luggage can I take along?

Due to limited storage space we ask that you travel light. Given that most of your amenities are included, a small overnight bag will generally be sufficient.

Do you have a Souvenir Store on the Island?

Yes, we do have a Souvenir Store. We sells souvenirs including hats, sweat shirts, T-Shirts, etc. We also sell pop, beer, ice, chips, bars, etc.

What type of electrical power do you have?

Our power is supplied by a 110 Volt generator. The generator is not running all of the time. Rather, it is turned off and on periodically during the day and at night it is shut off about an hour after the last person goes to bed. (Usually at 1 or 2 AM) It is started again at approximately 7 AM. While you can use hair dryers, curling irons, etc. during your stay, we ask you to please be conservative. Our reasoning for this is the limited power source; if the generator becomes overloaded we may end up tripping a breaker. This is not a serious problem as we only have to reset the breaker, nevertheless, if we stagger the use of the guilty appliances this snag is easily avoided.

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Move your Classroom “Around the Bay”

Bring your textbook alive.

Make learning fun through educational games and hands-on experiences.

Woody Island Resort offers Educational Opportunities in..........

Newfoundland and Labrador Studies

What better way to help bring Newfoundland’s rich history and culture to life than an overnight trip to Woody Island! There, students can step back in time as they experience the environment of a small outport community. Learning activities are limited only by your imagination.

On a walking tour of Woody Island, students will be able to experience first-hand how the people of outport Newfoundland lived and observe the ruins of churches, schools, houses, and wharves. Explore the three small graveyards located there. Visit the Store Loft Museum. See how many of the over 100 artifacts and collectibles your students can identify. Discuss their use.

Chat with some of the local fishermen, many of whom once lived year-round on Woody Island. Play some of the games that were the main pastime for children growing up in outport Newfoundland. Participate in an Outport Relay Race, (coiling rope, casting nets, dory race, etc.) or a Scavenger Hunt (sand dollars, sea urchins, skates wings, etc.). Experience the past through traditional music, learn a traditional dance, try your hand at the spoons or the “ugly stick” and feel free to take along your own music.

You Choose - We Help it Happen

English Language Arts/ Writing

With natural and historic settings and experiences to stimulate students, creative thinking and writing activities during or following a trip to Woody Island Resort could include:

• bringing resettlement to life by writing/dramatizing conversations of family members as they discuss the pros and cons of leaving the island.
• finding perfect settings to present selected pieces of poetry or prose.
• perusing books and pictures depicting the history of communities around Placentia Bay and having students write a description of Woody Island before and after resettlement.
• visiting the Store Loft Museum and using the Newfoundland artifacts and collectibles to stimulate discussion and creative writing.
• writing a tall tale or a ghost story set on the island to be read later in the evening around the bonfire on the beach or in the comfort of the lodge.

Environmental Studies

A trip to Woody Island offers teachers the perfect opportunity to get their students out of the classroom and into the natural environment with various eco-systems, including:

Intertidal Marine - Sandy and rocky beaches provide samples of marine algae and other elements comprising acoastline profile. The occasional glimpse of an oil tanker in the distance stimulates lively discussion.

Bogs - Close to the lodge is an ideal place for students to do a bog field study, examining the microscopic community in a picture plant and in bog water.

Boreal Forests, Meadows and Streams - The walking paths that connected the original settlers of the island provide easy access to the best of the island’s natural habitats.

Ocean - On the boat trip to the island and the tour of the bay, students may see whales and sea birds or even a caribou swimming from one island to another.

Enterprise Education

Woody Island Resort is an example of an entrepreneurial vision come to fruition.

Following the resettlement of the island in the early 1970s, only seasonal fishermen and those with summer homes were able to return for extended visits.

The Resort began with an idea, followed some painstaking years later by the main lodge, and has grown to encompass four buildings, including meeting and dormitory facilities.

During the trip and back in the classroom, students can be challenged to consider the difficulties the owner may have encountered, to suggest ideas for improvement and expansion, to anticipate obstacles and devise marketing strategies.

Agenda

Day One:

Your adventure begins on Day One in Garden Cove, Placentia Bay. Board the 42-foot Coast Guard approved M.V. “Merasheen”. Take a seat in the heated cabins or catch the salt air on deck as the skipper navigates calm inland waters, past Sound Island where bald eagles nest.

At the Resort, you can wander sandy beaches and isolated coves…enjoy delicious meals…learn about the people who once lived there…explore old cemeteries…chat with visiting fishermen… participate in a nature scavenger hunt….enjoy an outport relay race….visit the “Store Loft Museum and try to identify over 100 artifacts.

In the evening cozy up around a bonfire or kick up your heels to some traditional or contemporary music.

Day Two:

After breakfast, the highlight of Day Two is a boat tour of beautiful Placentia Bay. If it’s the right time of year you may see whales, dolphins or bald eagles.

Step ashore on another abandoned island. Sit by the fire as you wait for the kettle to boil or follow the shoreline and explore the meadows and other remains of an abandoned community.

After this unforgettable day, it’s back aboard the Merasheen for the journey to Garden Cove.

HEAR IT FROM THE STUDENTS:

"Woody Island is the best experience I ever had! I loved everything from the food, to the boat ride, to the “museum” that was set up, but the most enjoyable was seeing what Newfoundland was like decades ago. I went with my class. I don’t think there was a person who didn’t like it. A wonderful experience for all ages.”
.. Gina

“Woody Island was the best field trip I ever went on. This was the most fun thing that ever happened to me. (Besides Disney World)."
.. Kayla

“I liked Woody Island because you feel good and get close to nature. I went to lots of beaches. We had a scavenger hunt and a relay race. Other kids should go there because they would have fun and would not be bored at all. You will have good memories for life.”
.. Laura