Women+ in Climate: Leading with Light

July 16 - 20, 2025

The path forward requires both resilience and community.

Women+ in Climate is a space to gather in truth, strategy, and renewal. We come not only to rest, but to listen, grieve, organize, and build the connective tissue needed to meet the challenges ahead.

This is not a retreat from the world, but a return to what is most essential.

The gathering aims to offer a sanctuary for women+ in the climate and environmental movement to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the Earth. The emphasis is on nurturing resilience and solidarity to face climate, biodiversity, and political challenges together. Together we will tap into a collective energy and creativity that emerges when women gather.

This 5-day gathering will take place at Hollyhock Retreat Centre, Cortes Island, BC
Traditional ancestral unceded territories of the Klahoose, Tla’amin, and Homalco Nations

Speakers

Rebecca Solnit

Author & Independent Writer

Not Too Late

Rev. angel Kyodo williams Roshi

CEO, Founder, Author, Trainer

Transformative Change

Sheila Watt-Cloutier

Citizen Advocate on Environmental, Cultural and Human Rights

Siila - Author and Speaker

Xiye Bastida

Founder and Executive Director

Re-Earth Initiative

Meet Your Team

Meet your 2025 co-hosts and planning team

Nikki Silvestri

CEO and Founder

Soil and Shadow

Tzeporah Berman

International Program Director, Stand.Earth

Chair, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative

Osprey Orielle Lake

Founder & Executive Director

Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)

Pat Mitchell

Co-founder and Managing Partner

Project Dandelion

Zainab Salbi

Co-Founder

Daughters for Earth

Orane Cheung

Operations Lead

Hollyhock Leadership Institute

Laurel Dault

Director

Hollyhock Leadership Institute

Heather Deeth

Interim CEO

Hollyhock

Program Outcomes

Program outcomes focus on strategic recalibration, community building, and personal rejuvination within the climate space.

The gathering will support women and gender-diverse leaders to:

Adapt strategically in response to the current political, ecological, and social moment
Cultivate emotional and energetic resilience to sustain long-term leadership
Share tools, strategies, and insights across sectors and geographies
Build cross-movement alliances and shared frameworks
Envision and begin to co-create bold collective responses to overlapping crises

This gathering is ultimately intended to inspire and equip women and gender-diverse leaders to return to their climate work with renewed vision, strength, and an interconnected approach that goes beyond conventional strategy, embracing collective wisdom and action.

Pricing

Tuition: $1200 CAD

Meals & Accommodation:

Campus stay rates are in addition to tuition, and range from $750-2000 depending on your accommodation choice. Campus rates include:
- Accommodation
- 3 gourmet meals a day
- Unlimited coffee & tea
- Daily movement activities
- Hot tubs, sauna, and campus facilities

Embrace Ease in your Journey to Hollyhock

Take the stress out of travel and ride the Women+ in Climate Participant Charter. For your convenience, Hollyhock organizes a charter to take you directly to Cortes Island with pickups in Vancouver and Nanaimo. Enjoy comfortable air conditioning, and an extra opportunity to connect with your fellow participants on board. Top your trip off with a 30-minute boat ride across the Salish Sea, keeping an eye out for whales, seals, and eagles!

Limited seats available, reserve your spot here.

If you’d prefer to organise your own travel to and from Hollyhock, check out our Travel Itinerary for suggested options and costs.

Scholarships:

Hollyhock recognizes that economic opportunity is not currently equal. Our scholarship program is one of our key strategies to expand program access to underrepresented and marginalized communities. A limited number of scholarships are available with awards ranging from partial to full tuition
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
Scholarship Applications are now closed for Women+ in Climate. We encourage you to explore other program opportunities, including Activate.

Accessibility Information

Check out this information to support your physical and cultural needs while at Hollyhock.
Contact us at [email protected] for any support or further information.