Ecosphere Permaculture

05/23/2026

🦉 HOOT HOOT! Yesterday, a schoolyard right in Niagara Falls was transformed into a giant storybook! ✨
I had the joy of leading an outdoor adventure for groups of kindergarteners. We went on a mission to investigate a secret local neighbor: the Grand-duc d’Amérique (Great Horned Owl) who visits their school at night!
Equipped with exploration kits (binoculars and magnifying glasses), the kids practiced their « owl vision » to explore the surrounding landscape. They did an amazing job exploring using only their new « hibou » skills and their « wings. » The imagination was so high that some mini-detectives even spotted insects, rabbits, and snakes! 🐍🐇
The kids marched back to class with new knowledge about owls, a new nature perspective, and still flapping their wings—proof that deep nature connection can happen right in your own schoolyard. 🎒🦉

05/23/2026

Not the best weather for our Level 1 kayaking course today, but we still had fun! 🌧️🥶🌊 On the bright side, the lake water actually felt warm compared to the air temperature. Sorry, no pics of or me capsizing in the kayak! Probably tomorrow. 😉

05/18/2026

We have now completed 230km, or over one quarter, of our Bruce trail project!

05/09/2026

Best Mother’s Day gift ever! Thanks for this wonderful 26km hike in the forest. ☀️🤗💕

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day to my wonderful and beautiful favorite planet in the Milky Way! You amaze me every day with your splendor, your creations, and your strength. 🌏 ✨ 💚

Today, I want to celebrate you with flowers! I know how much you love them.

We will be at the local library this afternoon to make seed balls and play a nature treasure hunt in the indigenous healing garden to awaken our senses of observation and wonder toward nature. 💐🐜🐝🍀🌳

Join us this Earth Day 🌎 and make seed bombs! 🌸

Seed bombs are small balls made of clay, compost, and seeds, designed to be thrown or scattered in areas needing vegetation, making them a fun and effective way to promote gardening and ecological restoration.

Registration required.
Contact the library to register 905-957-3756; [email protected]
Or register on Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/west-lincoln-public-library-78036678533

04/22/2026

In permaculture, every element serves a purpose. You don’t need a hardware store to invite nature back into your yard, just some foraged materials and a bit of "messy" design!
Here are three of my favorites:
1. The Butterfly Tower 🦋
Built from reclaimed wood and lashed together with wild grape vine "rope." I’m planting native Apios (groundnut) and beans at the base to create "living AC" and a leafy shield against predators. It’s a sanctuary designed to support the entire Monarch life cycle!
2. The Reclaimed Birdhouse & Rock Pile 🪨🐦
The rock pile creates "warm, cozy corners" for ground beetles (slug hunters!) and spiders. Meanwhile, the reclaimed birdhouse positioned facing east is perfectly placed for bluebirds or other migratory friends.
3. The Deadwood Depot 🪵
Old logs = a biodiversity boom! As they break down, they invite essential fungi into the soil and provide a home for solitary bees and other insects.

Remember that Nature cares about function, not "fancy" store-bought bug hotels. Use what you have to create a high-impact habitat today!

Which one of these "nature hacks" will you try first?

04/16/2026

If anyone in the Niagara region is interested.

I am offering Wyldewood elderberry cuttings on Facebook Marketplace right now.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AHDeH3kQK/
Pick up only

04/14/2026

Today, I am excited to share the first article of my newsletter, Seeding Stories!

Each edition will be shared in English, with a French version of every article also available. If you enjoy thoughtful permaculture reflections like this one, practical resources, and updates on upcoming workshops, I invite you to subscribe.

My goal is to share only the essentials to help you grow your regenerative mindset and support your permaculture journey. I look forward to seeing you there!

I pledge to respect your digital peace.

https://buttondown.com/ecospherepermaculture/archive/my-tax-return-says-i-m-poorer-my-garden-says-8921/

02/15/2026

This week reminded me why this work matters. 🌿

On Friday, I spoke about Permaculture with horticulture and greenhouse students at Niagara College. Their curiosity and enthusiasm were deeply inspiring. The next generation is not apathetic; they are thoughtful, engaged, and ready to create positive change in the world.

Yesterday at Seedy Saturday, in partnership with the West Lincoln, Beamsville and Grimsby libraries and alongside the Seed Savers Club, we invited the community to take seeds and to try saving seeds this summer to give back at the end of the season.

There were so many conversations about open-pollinated plants, native species, biodiversity and local food. The energy in the room was powerful. You could feel the sense of community.

This is the heart of Ecosphere Permaculture’s mission: to cultivate resilient communities by reconnecting people to the land, to food, to seeds and to each other.

Sometimes the world can feel heavy. The headlines can make everything seem broken. But when you step outside, meet your neighbors and gather around soil and seeds, you see another reality. You experience nature’s economy of abundance, rooted in cooperation, generosity and hope.

After nearly 30 years in Permaculture, I can say with confidence that something is emerging and growing. Change is happening quietly and steadily.

And it is beautiful. 🌱
# gardening community

02/14/2026

Permaculture Masterclass (Jan 14–17)

I had the privilege of gathering in La Tuque, Quebec with fellow permaculture practitioners for three days of deep reflection on a vital issue: water and how we care for it in our projects.

💧 Why water?
Because the freshwater cycle is one of the planetary boundaries already exceeded. It’s directly connected to how we grow food. This past summer’s drought made one thing clear: water stewardship is not a future issue. It’s an immediate one.

Grateful for the richness of conversations with Marie-Claude Ricard, Michelyne Côté, Richard Dufour and Christelle Fournier, and inspired by the work of Collectif21, Urban Agriculture Boucherville and Côté Nature.

Let’s keep designing with water in mind.

🌿 Masterclass entre permacultrice·urs – 14–17 janvier.

Nous nous sommes retrouvé·es pendant 3 jours à La Tuque pour réfléchir ensemble à un enjeu fondamental : l’eau au Québec et la manière d’en prendre soin dans nos projets permaculturels.

💧 Pourquoi l’eau ?
Parce que le cycle de l’eau douce fait partie des 7 frontières planétaires déjà dépassées, qu’il est directement lié à notre façon de produire notre nourriture, et que la sécheresse de cet été nous l’a rappelé avec force : la gestion de l’eau n’est plus un sujet de demain, c’est un enjeu immédiat.

Merci à Marie-Claude Ricard, Michelyne Côté, Nancy Larivière, Richard Dufour et Christelle Fournier pour la richesse des échanges, ainsi qu’aux projets Collectif21 - Agriculture urbaine de Boucherville et Côté Nature, qui ont inspiré nos discussions.

🎧 D’ailleurs, un des épisodes de notre balade Terroirs Fertiles aborde directement cet enjeu, avec Rebecca Pétrin, directrice d’Eau Secours — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8FkaHgxgTk

👉 On se retrouve l’an prochain !
Christelle Fournier
Marie-Claude Ricard
Michelyne Côté
Nancy Lariviere
Richard Dufour pi