There is a profound shift happening at O.U.R. Ecovillage this season. After years of navigating the realities of “saving the village,” we are now turning our collective energy toward something even deeper: ensuring this place is protected, relationally stewarded, and held in trust for generations to come. We are actively moving beyond conventional ownership models and into long-term land protection frameworks rooted in access, responsibility, and collective care. This work is emerging through decades of ecological mapping, covenant design, habitat protection, restorative governance practices, and community dialogue—and now it is beginning to crystallize into the next chapter of OUR story.
At the same time, the relationships growing across this land are reshaping what collaborative learning can truly look like. We are deeply honoured to continue strengthening Sister Garden relationships with Robert (Qwiyahwult-hw) and Pamela, whose leadership, teachings, and community care continue to weave through this work in meaningful ways. This year’s Permaculture Design Certificate is becoming one of the most powerful and intercultural offerings we have ever hosted, with a predominantly Indigenous-led teaching team working alongside longtime international educator Starhawk. Together, facilitators, Elders, designers, artists, and families will gather to explore regenerative living through land-based practice, peacemaking, cultural teachings, ecological design, and reVILLAGEing pathways grounded in respect for the territories and knowledge systems of the First Peoples of these lands.
Another exciting evolution this year is the growing Village to Village project—an intercultural initiative rooted in ethical relationships with land, plants, and community economies. This work is helping to share teachings around non-extractive relationships with plant relatives, local medicines, cultural artistry, and social justice-centred production models. O.U.R. Ecovillage has now begun an inspiring partnership with Shea Butter Market founder Gifty Serbeh-Dunn and Tlithl’Kawi artisans and knowledge keepers, bringing together botanical-based crafted goods that honour both West African and Indigenous traditions of care, reciprocity, and relationship with the living world. These creations are not simply products—they are stories of land, culture, women-led enterprise, intercultural solidarity, and a movement away from extractive systems toward regenerative exchange.
Meanwhile, the land itself continues to become a classroom. OUR Indigenous Medicine Garden, Forever Food Forest demonstration classroom, and Peacemakers Arbour are all continuing to expand as living spaces of learning and healing. During this July’s Earthen Building Intensive, participants will help co-create a new composting toilet system integrated into these learning spaces—demonstrating once again how ecological infrastructure, natural building, and regenerative education can be woven together through hands-on community practice. What emerges here is not just a course or project, but an evolving village-scale model of how humans might live differently together in these complex times.
As always, this work is only possible because thousands of people continue to contribute their labour, wisdom, creativity, prayers, questions, and care into this living experiment called O.U.R. Ecovillage. The village is changing—and so are we. The invitation remains open: come learn, come build, come teach, come heal, come imagine with us what becomes possible when community, land, and future generations are placed back at the centre of how we live!
Teaser: SOUL FOOD SUNDAYS… coming next!
