At the end of the day, conservation is about people. It is only by connecting the earth to the people who walk it that we can protect the land that supports us all.

Filmmaker Dianne Whelan understands this fundamental connection between the planet and the humans who need it to survive. CPAWS Saskatchewan is proud to be supporting her as she nears the conclusion of her current project: 500 Days in the Wild.

From Dianne’s website:

“Feature film 500 Days in the Wild is an unfolding story that ebbs and flows between documentary and adventure film, taking us into the realm of myth and legend. Indie filmmaker, Dianne Whelan is on a 5-year ecological and reconciliation pilgrimage along the longest trail in the world – the 24,000 km Great Trail (the Trans Canada Trail). 

“500 Days combines stories of the land, the people and the communities she passes through. From pushing 150-pounds of bike and packs over rocks, to hiking through flooded bogs, paddling the largest lake in the world, snowshoeing through dense coniferous forests, skiing across wind-blown plains, the trail beckons. Dianne travels the ‘Old Way’, the slow way of the turtle,seeking wisdom from those that live close to the land, asking the questions “what have we forgotten?” “What do we need to know?”

“500 Days is the continuation of an old story – the artist dropping out of society and reconnecting to nature – but it is also a new story, a realization that we will not survive traveling solo. 500 Days is symbolic of the 500 years settlers have been on this land. This film will challenge us to revisit our past, our connection to the land and its people, to find our inclusive story that will carry us into the future.”

Watch this video to learn more about Dianne and the motives behind this incredibly vast project, and check back here often to learn more about how CPAWS is collaborating with Dianne to keep Canada wild and free.