Workshop
Topics
Please note, the descriptions for each workshop are in the language they will be taught in.
Keynote speaker
Caroline Gagnon - L’herboristerie, un savoir collectif et vivant - Herbalism, a living and collective wisdom (EN/FR)
Caroline Gagnon propose une réflexion sur l’herboristerie comme un champ de savoir vivant, à la croisée de la tradition et de la science. À travers cette conférence, elle explore comment l’expérience individuelle, la relation unique que chacun entretient avec le vivant et l’écoute des plantes, propre à chaque personne, participent activement à l’évolution de cette pratique. Chacun peut ainsi contribuer à l’enrichissement de ce savoir. Loin d’être figée, l’herboristerie se révèle comme un patrimoine en constante actualisation, nourri par les observations, les intuitions et les découvertes de celles et ceux qui la pratiquent. Collectivement, nous bâtissons ce savoir.
Caroline Gagnon offers a reflection on herbalism as a living field of knowledge, rooted at the crossroads of tradition and science. Through this talk, she explores how personal experience, each person’s unique relationship with the living world, and the way we each listen to plants all play an active role in shaping and evolving this practice. Everyone has something to contribute to the richness of this knowledge. Far from being fixed or static, herbalism reveals itself as a constantly evolving heritage—nourished by the observations, intuitions, and discoveries of those who walk this path. Together, we are building this knowledge.
MORNING
À la rencontre des racines médicinales (FR) - Valérie Bouffard
Les racines nous parlent de profondeur, d’ancrage et de transformation. Souvent oubliées, elles portent pourtant une force nutritive et médicinale remarquable. Dans cet atelier pratique et interactif, venez toucher, sentir et goûter quelques racines médicinales que l’on retrouve ici autour de nous. Vous apprendrez à mieux les reconnaître et les récolter éthiquement, comprendre leurs usages et découvrir comment les intégrer simplement. Un atelier qui vous permettra de repartir avec des outils concrets pour cultiver son autonomie. Êtes-vous prêtes à vous salir les mains? La présentation sera en français mais je pourrai répondre aux questions en anglais.
Crafting Infused Herbal Oils (EN) - Tori Lubbers
In this immersive experience, you will learn how to prepare, macerate and press fresh & dried herbal oils. This workshop will include a basic overview of herb properties (such as emollients and volatile oils) that will help you understand which herbs are best suited for extracting into vibrant, healing oils. We will cover: ingredient selection (which carrier oils, fresh vs dried plant materials), extraction methods (using blenders, heat infusion), and explore ways to use your herbal oils in further skincare products like salves & lipbalms. Dive into the craft of botanical oils and leave with the confidence to make your own potent herbal oils & skincare at home.
AFTERNOON
Afternoon Workshop Slot 1
Botanical drawing / Dessin botanique - Connecting with the plants around us (EN/FR) - Valérie Bouffard
Cet atelier est une invitation à ralentir et à entrer en relation avec les plantes à travers le dessin. Crayon en main, nous prendrons le temps de regarder autrement : formes, textures, nervures, structures… autant d’éléments qui nous aident à mieux comprendre et reconnaître les plantes. Pas besoin d’être bon en dessin pour participer… seulement d’être curieux·se et prêt·e à observer autrement. Venez découvrir le vocabulaire botanique de base pour mettre des mots sur ce que l’on observe et faciliter l’identification sur le terrain. Mais surtout, dessiner une plante, c’est entrer en contact avec elle, ressentir sa signature et son énergie. Un moment calme, accessible et sans pression, pour se déposer, affiner son regard et nourrir sa connexion au vivant.
This workshop is an invitation to slow down and build a relationship with plants through drawing. With pencil in hand, we will take the time to observe differently: shapes, textures, veins, structures… all elements that help us better understand and recognize plants. No drawing skills are needed to participate—just curiosity and a willingness to see things in a new way. Come discover basic botanical vocabulary to help put words into what you observe and support plant identification in the field. But above all, drawing a plant is a way to connect with it, to sense its signature and its energy. A calm, accessible, and pressure-free moment to settle in, refine your observation skills, and deepen your connection with the living world.
Seeds, Genetics & Stewardship: How to Think Like a Seed Keeper (EN) - Manish Kushwaha
At Terra Viva, where the living world is both teacher and kin, this workshop invites you to step into the quiet, powerful realm of seeds—not just as things we save, but as stories we continue. This is a journey beneath the surface of seed saving, into the subtle dance of genetics, adaptation, and time. Together, we’ll explore the hidden life within seeds: how diversity shapes resilience, how plants remember their place, and how each choice we make as growers gently steers the future of a variety. Through real examples from food crops and medicinal herbs, we’ll unravel concepts like open-pollinated vs. hybrid seeds, population size, and selection—not as rigid rules, but as living relationships. You’ll begin to see how plants evolve alongside us, how traits can be preserved or transformed, and how even small gardens can participate in long-term adaptation. This is not a hands-on workshop, but a space for observation, reflection, and learning to see differently. Through stories, patterns, and practical scenarios, we’ll explore how seed saving becomes an act of listening—to land, to climate, and to the plants themselves. Whether you’re saving a few seeds on your windowsill or dreaming of breeding regionally adapted herbs, this session will offer you a new lens: one rooted in curiosity, care, and a deeper understanding of what it means to steward life across generations.
Afternoon Workshop Slot 2
Herbal Tea Workshop - Tastes, Actions & Synergy (EN) - Alberto Carbo
Although herbal tea is one of the oldest forms of herbal medicine across many traditional cultures and geographical locations, many today are apprehensive either because they don’t enjoy the taste, or because they don’t understand that it can have a therapeutic effect. In this hands-on workshop you will learn the basics behind medicinal teas. We will explore the relationship between the taste of herbs and their therapeutic effect, how to combine flavour profiles as well as brewing and serving techniques. You’ll also get to put what you learn into practice by blending your own take-home tea formula!
La culture des champignons à la maison - From Waste to Gourmet: Growing Edible Mushrooms at Home (EN/FR) - Claudie Bouffard
Plusieurs d’entre nous commencent la journée avec une tasse de café ou de thé. Une fois savourée, il ne reste souvent que des résidus que l’on considère comme des déchets : marc de café, feuilles de thé infusées… Et si ces “restes” devenaient une ressource précieuse? Ces matières encore riches peuvent servir de substrat pour cultiver des champignons comestibles. Une belle façon de transformer ce que l’on jette habituellement en nourriture vivante, locale et nutritive. Dans cet atelier, je vous propose une introduction simple et accessible à la culture de champignons à la maison. Vous apprendrez à préparer votre propre culture de pleurotes. Un pas de plus vers l’autonomie… et une façon concrète de redonner de la valeur à ce qui semblait ne plus en avoir.
Many of us start the day with a cup of coffee or tea. Once it’s enjoyed, what’s left behind often feels like waste: coffee grounds, used tea leaves… But what if these “leftovers” could become a valuable resource? These still nutrient-rich materials can be used as a substrate to grow edible mushrooms. A beautiful way to transform what we usually throw away into living, local, and nourishing food. In this workshop, I offer a simple and accessible introduction to growing mushrooms at home. You’ll learn how to prepare your own oyster mushroom culture. A step toward greater autonomy… and a concrete way to bring value back to what once seemed to have none.