HISTORY OF THE MAP

After my sister’s sudden death at the age of 41 in 2017, I spent countless hours in Copeland, drawn to its beauty and calm. It became a safe, tranquil place for me to begin healing and trying to process what had happened. I memorized every trail, tree, and rock—the map lived in my head.

During that time, I began to think about transferring my “mind map” to paper. In 2017, there were no publicly available detailed maps of Copeland Forest. Creating one gave me purpose and offered a much-needed break from the grief I faced. As I focused on retracing every trail, the process gave me a pause from the pain—and slowly, the map I carried in my head began to take shape on paper. It brought me joy and peace, and gave me the chance to spend quality time with friends who joined me to explore and verify the trails.

Vicki would have loved the creation of this map and the vision behind it. And with her death came an unexpected silver lining—a connection with the owners of land backing onto Copeland Forest, which would become our family’s exciting new home and business: Vicki Tree Wellness. I had mistakenly thought this piece of land was part of Copeland’s trail system. That small error set everything in motion. As I revised my map to reflect the correction, I eventually discovered the land was for sale.

When my family purchased it, we did so with a vision: to create Vicki Tree’s new home—a space of healing, hope, and calm. It felt as though I had come full circle.

In 2025, I also lost my father. In the grief of his passing, I felt called to revisit the map and create a second version—this time in his honour. My father believed the forest was for everyone and should always be shared.

Thank you for supporting this map with your donation to wellness. My hope is that it will be used by others who may also need Copeland as a place to escape, to grow, and to find the peace they are looking for.

Yours in forest feels, 

Virginia