Guides
Our Mission
At our Gros Morne retreat in Newfoundland, we empower individuals to take charge of their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being by deepening their connection with nature. Nestled in the heart of Gros Morne National Park, our seasonal retreats offer a unique and transformative experience, highlighting the unparalleled beauty of this sacred place. We believe that experiencing bliss and living a life of health and wellness is a basic human right. Whether you’re seeking a mindfulness or meditation retreat in Canada, a relaxing getaway, or a unique travel experience, our intimate and small group retreats provide a sanctuary for renewal and self-discovery. Join us and leave transformed, ready to share the ripple effect of your transformation with the world.
Tara Kroes
Guide / Co-founder
Tara came to Gros Morne National Park for a visit 11 years ago and never left. Originally from Toronto, she traded the CN Tower for the Tablelands and has never been happier. Tara has travelled to over 35 countries and has never found a place as beautiful or as compelling as Gros Morne. Considered a vagabond, a gypsy, and a rolling stone no one (including Tara) ever thought she would stay permanently in one place. The raw, rare, healing and what can only be described as magical essence of Gros Morne weaved its spell on her and she now has a passion to share that magic with you.
With 27 years in the hospitality industry, Tara has a deep desire to make each guest’s experience unique and unforgettable. It was this desire that led Tara to her training to be a certified life coach (TAC), and NLP Master Practioner (AIP). This means that she can talk to your unconscious mind and help you release any unwanted habits, beliefs and conditions that are holding you back from achieving your goals and living the life you deserve. Tara is also a certified Forest Therapy Guide (ANFT). Her approach to getting clients to transform their lives and reach their goals is to first get them away from technology and into nature. There is something special about connecting with the outdoors, humans have a deep, ingrained appreciation of nature. It brings a sense of peace that you can rarely find anywhere else. There is a great deal of scientific evidence emerging on the healing elements that being connected to nature provides to us.
Tara is also currently completing her Masters of Counselling Psychology. She has been guiding tours in Gros Morne National Park for the past eight years. There is a renewing and healing energy found here that is unlike any other place on the planet. The raw, natural beauty of Gros Morne can only be rivaled by the natural beauty of the people who live here. Tara cannot wait to introduce you to the people, the nature and the experience of Transformation waiting for you at Transform Gros Morne.
Lauralee Ledrew
Owner Upper Humber Settlement / Guide
Lauralee started a homesteading journey with her husband Mark in 2015 working towards food security and self-sufficient initiatives. While travelling abroad in New Zealand she lived with a family and experienced a zero-waste management project, permaculture, organic herbal greenhouse operations and more. This experience had a major impact on her homestead development and future plans. Lauralee is proud of that experience and would love the opportunity to travel worldwide to learn and see more permaculture in action. The Homestead is a 6 acre plot nestled in the forest of a small farming community. In 2020, Lauralee implemented a new way forward following no-dig methods, perma-culture techniques and integrating water harvesting systems. Composting and reusing as many resources as possible is an essential design principle on the property and you are invited to participate while staying on the property. Lauralee is very passionate about her roots and reviving the traditional way of our pass generations. She is proud of her heritage and have adopted a way of life that has been handed downto her through generations. Lauralee is very excited to share these traditions and teachings by welcoming you to Upper Humber Settlement where you will be staying for half of your retreat.
Maurice Nzoyamara R.Ac
Acupuncturist/Naturopath/Nurse/
Oriental Medicine Practitioner
Maurice Nzoyamara R.Ac. is a board certified Acupuncturist with Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals (NLCHP) and the College of Traditional Chinses Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Newfoundland and Labrador (CTCMPANL). Maurice Nzoyamara is also a member of Academy of Naturopaths and Naturotherapists of Canada (ANNC). He is the owner and founder of ACUPUNCTURE BODY & MIND CARE CLINIC. Maurice Nzoyamara has studied nursing science in Québec City. Then he went to study the Oriental Medicine in Alberta, Canada. After successfully passing all board exams, he started right away to offer acupuncture treatments to his patients in Edmonton and Sherwood Park, Alberta. His deep knowledge in both Western and Eastern medicines help him to provide an individualized care to his patients based on the diagnosis. He speaks French, English, and Kirundi. Maurice Nzoyamara is originally from Burundi, Africa. He is now a Canadian citizen. Maurice Nzoyamara was also an Acupuncture instructor at the college of Acupuncture in Edmonton before relocating his practice from Alberta to Springdale, Baie Verte, Deer Lake and Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. Maurice Nzoyamara is a public speaker. He has been offering presentations on health and food to people in Deer Lake, Corner Brook, and Québec City. Maurice Nzoyamara was asked to talk about health and Lifestyle on the radio/Voice of America.
Dawn & Lee
In 2012, our journey carried us across the island from the hustle and bustle of the East Coast to the quaint embrace of Cormack, a serene farming haven nestled on Newfoundland’s captivating West Coast.
Under the wise guidance of Ross Traverse, we cultivated a canvas of 500 Raspberry plants, a vibrant testament to our commitment. As the seasons unfurled, a new mission took hold – to pollinate our thriving raspberry haven. This is where the Honey bee’s come in. In the pursuit of pollination, something remarkable took root within us: the enchanting world of beekeeping became an inseparable part of our very essence.Fast-forward to the sunlit days of June 2017, a milestone etched in memory – the day we welcomed our inaugural nucleus colony.As if orchestrated by fate, government entities recognized the indispensable role of bees in pollination, kindling a resurgence of interest in commercial beekeeping.
And thus, Cormack Bee Company emerged. Dawn and I (Lee) took a leap of faith into the world of beekeeping. What enterprise could be more gratifying than crafting wholesome, nature-derived treasures for all to relish.
Helena Butler
Yoga Teacher
Helena is a certified Yoga Therapist, a continuing education provider with Yoga Alliance and Co-founder of Find Your Flow Yoga Teacher Training.
Rebecca Brushett
With over 15 years of experience, Rebecca holds a Masters of Arts in Environmental Policy and a B.Ed. in secondary sciences from MUN. She also has a B.Sc. in marine biology from Dalhousie University. She created AHOI in 2019 to inspire a change that will look after our ocean and coastal communities together.
Rebecca’s experience is diverse and ranges from studying grey whales, zooplankton and redfish off Flores Island, BC, studying zooplankton in Bonne Bay, teaching 7-12 sciences, creating marine spatial plans with community members in Gros Morne and helping tourism operations move towards a more sustainable circular economic model. More recently, she has worked at the National and International level to advocate for sustainable fisheries and ways to reduce plastic pollution in Canada.
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world”- Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi’s inspirational words have guided Rebecca to be where she is today working with coastal communities, and Parks Canada to ensure Gros Morne National Park and our oceans stay healthy for generations to come.
Donna & Sophie
Owner/Chef –
The Rooms at Woody Point
Sophie Bélanger
The Rooms at Woody Point
Sophie began her life of adventure when she was a foreign exchange student in the US. That’s where her love of the outdoors began to bloom. She graduated with her Recreation degree stateside and moved to locations that offered her the best experiences she could find from mountain biking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, and hiking.
Her love of animals steered her towards several ranches where she has trained horses, mules, and donkeys and ensured their happy existence. Sophie’s passion for dogs trumps them all though and her understanding of dog behaviour makes her an excellent trainer and rehabilitator of rescue dogs.
She has worked in several health foods stores and made a study of medicinal plants and their application. Recently, her studies led her to the benefits of cacao and became a ceremonial cacao facilitator.
It was in 2018 that Sophie discovered Gros Morne and Newfoundland. She came on motorcycle to visit her sister and essentially never left. In truth she left a few times but she keeps coming back as she found a good home here. Plans are in the works for permanent residence! It is in Bonne Bay where she learned to cook and became a vegan chef and baker. She loves to cook delicious healthy food and has brought this to us by cooking for several Inns and Galliot Studios.
June Farnsworth
Artist
Originally from Nova Scotia, I grew up surrounded by the Bay of Fundy and St. Mary’s Bay. My love of the ocean, nature, and animals led me to pursue my education and career in the field of Fish & Wildlife, and the Arts. As anavid hiker and naturalist, I fell in love with Nova Scotia & Newfoundland’s rugged beauty, geology, wildlife, and history.
I am a self-taught artist, capturing images through the lens of my camera of the history and culture of a place and its people and the environment they live in through different mediums of art. A living art story that creates an emotional attachment to a people and a place infused with a brilliant colour palette, line work and movement with poetry in story form.
I am certified as a therapeutic arts practitioner by Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy and updated my Profession Development in 2024 with Navigating Neurodiversity, Autism and ADHD. I am in the process of taking Somatic Sound Therapy Practitioner Course online with Mind, Body Music Center with Andrea J. Cortez, MM, MT-BC Music Therapist.
