the story of
two mountain writers
living a century apart
Wildflowers blends backcountry adventure with historical research to explore identity and life transitions through the stories of two mountain writers living a century apart: Mary Schäffer Warren (1861-1939) and RCGS Fellow, Meghan J. Ward.
By exploring the common threads between two kindred souls living a century apart, Wildflowers aims to shine a light on the impacts of Schäffer’s legacy, give a voice to an underrepresented segment of the outdoor community, and inspire people of all ages to explore their own wild spirits.
in the footsteps of a trailblazer…
Mary Schäffer Warren (1861 - 1939) was 43 years old and recently widowed when she bucked Victorian-era conventions and reinvented herself as a mountain explorer, writer, and photographer.
Over a century later, outdoor writer and historian Meghan J. Ward is entering her forties with new questions about her identity and her relationship with adventure and the natural world.
Captivated by the mystery of this woman she can’t meet in person, Ward dives into Schäffer’s story to find both inspiration and answers.
[Mary Schaffer with horse] V527 / PS 1 - 151 WMCR
“…there are some secrets you will never learn, there are some joys you will never feel, there are heart thrills you can never experience, till, with your horse you leave the world, your recognized world, and plunge into the vast unknown.”
- Mary T.S. Schäffer, Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies (1911); republished in 1980 by the Whye Museum of the Canadian Rockies in a compilation titled A Hunter of Peace.
presented by
with
support from
and
Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Goldilocks Goods, Pure Outdoors, Banff Hospitality Collective,
Banff Airporter, GemTrek Maps, FATMAP, Paul Zizka Photography, Dry Peaks
Learn more about Sponsorship opportunities.
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth, we honour and acknowledge that Wildflowers is filmed and produced on Treaties 6, 7 and 8 Territory, the traditional and sacred lands of Indigenous peoples, including the Niitsitapi from the Blackfoot Confederacy (including the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani First Nations); the Îyârhe Nakoda of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations; the Tsuut’ina First Nation; the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III within the historical Northwest Métis Homeland; the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc First Nations; the Mountain Cree clan of Chief Peechee; and the Dene of the far north and far south. It is with gratitude that we visit these landscapes.
Archival images used with permission of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Top photo: [Camp at Maligne Lake] V527 / PS 1 - 69 WMCR]
Filmed on location and with the permission of the Parks Canada Agency, at Jasper National Park and Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, as well as with permission of the Town of Banff.