Forest Gardens
Forest Gardens is a small land-based community located on Salt Spring Island, in British Columbia. Founded by Nick, Naomi, and Caitlin, it is organized around permaculture, off-grid infrastructure, and a long-term commitment to regenerative living.
The project combines food production, education, and experimental systems aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels, including passive water and heating setups adapted to the site.
Nick
Nick is a permaculture teacher and one of the co-founders of Forest Gardens. His work focuses on developing systems that can function without fossil fuels, while sharing these approaches through courses and community outreach.
Polly
Polly works is the community coordinator at Forest Gardens. She is involved in organizing collective life on site, with a particular attention to group dynamics, communication, and the social aspects of living together.
Abby
Abby first came to Forest Gardens through a permaculture course. Her experience led her to explore collective living more deeply, both as a way of organizing daily life and as a response to broader ecological concerns.
Robin
Robin focuses on soil regeneration and the development of the soil food web within the garden systems. His work is rooted in restoring degraded land and building the biological foundations necessary for long-term cultivation.
Entelechy
Entelechy is an intentional community also located on Salt Spring Island. The name refers to the idea of realized potential; the process through which something becomes what it is capable of being.
The project is built around cooperative ownership, shared governance, and a broader reflection on how individuals and communities can develop in relation to each other and to the land.
Brandon
Brandon is a co-founder of Entelechy and has played a central role in shaping its development since the beginning.
Drawing from both communitarian values and experience in the business world, his work focuses on building viable structures for collective ownership and supporting the long-term development of the project.
Paradise Within Farm
Paradise Within Farm is a small-scale ecological farming project based on Salt Spring Island, led by Carlos Groom. The site combines food production with a broader interest in self-sufficiency and regenerative practices.
The farm produces organic food for both residents and the surrounding community, while also serving as a place for learning and experimentation in permaculture.
Carlos
Carlos is the founder of Paradise Within Farm. His approach centers on building a life aligned with ecological principles, where farming, community, and daily practices are closely connected.
Rather than relying on discourse alone, his work emphasizes the importance of lived examples as a way of engaging with broader environmental and social questions.
Likhts'amisyu Village
Likhts'amisyu Village is being rebuilt on an ancestral site of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, in northern British Columbia. The project is part of a broader effort to reoccupy unceded territory and reconnect with traditional ways of living on the land.
Led by members of the Likhts'amisyu Clan, the village brings together cultural transmission, land stewardship, and collective responsibility, with a focus on future generations.
Adam - Dsta'hyl
Adam is a Wing Chief of the Likhts'amisyu Clan. He plays a central role in the rebuilding of the village and in the ongoing effort to re-establish a presence on the territory.
His work is closely tied to the protection of the land, as well as to the development of the infrastructure required for the community to live on site.
Antoinette - Hagwilowh
Antoinette is a Wing Chief of the Likhts'amisyu Clan.
She is involved in transmitting knowledge from past generations and in supporting younger members of the community in understanding their cultural responsibilities and relationship to the land.
Lillian - Tsebesa
Lillian is a Head Chief of the Likhts'amisyu Clan.
She played a key role in facilitating our connection with the community, and is engaged in maintaining relationships across different contexts, both within the clan and beyond.
Other Characters
Pierre
Pierre is a permaculture facilitator and natural farmer. We met him during his travels in the Okanagan Valley.
His work focuses on making ecological practices accessible, translating complex concepts into practical approaches that can be applied in different contexts.
Freyja
Freyja is the founder of Phoenix Farm, an evolving community project. She has developed the initiative through a combination of creative work, alternative housing, and small-scale economic activities.
Her approach reflects an ongoing effort to build regenerative systems while navigating the practical constraints of starting and sustaining a community.
Naomi
Naomi is a seed-saver and community organizer based on Salt Spring Island.
Through initiatives such as Dance Temple, she contributes to building connections across her local network, bringing people together around shared practices, movement, and collective experience.
Her work is rooted in creating spaces where relationships can form and where community life can extend beyond a single project.
