Moonflower Gardens: Preserving Biodiversity, Food Systems & Community

Moonflower Gardens is a 10-acre land-based project on southern Vancouver Island dedicated to ecological stewardship, biodiversity, food production, and community wellbeing. The property includes sections of old-growth forest, a flowing creek, gardens for food production, open pasture for horses, and a home where I live with my son. Nestled within the landscape is the Moon Dome, a gathering space for community events, wellness classes, workshops, and healing circles. The land also provides important habitat for local wildlife, including bears and cougars, and protecting the integrity of this ecosystem is at the heart of our vision.

Our goal is to steward the land in a way that increases biodiversity while creating a small regenerative farm centered around food crops, medicinal plants, native species, and ecological restoration. We currently grow blueberries, garlic, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and operate a small nursery and farm stand offering edible and medicinal plants. The farm is also home to animals that are part of the daily rhythm of the land, including horses, laying hens, bunnies, cats, and dog.

Beyond farming, Moonflower Gardens was created as a space for people to reconnect — with nature, with food, with community, and with themselves. We built the Moon Dome as a gathering space for yoga, meditation, healing circles, wellness workshops, and community events that support deeper connection and wellbeing. Our intention is to foster a sense of belonging, care for the earth, and environmental stewardship through direct experiences with the land.

One of the greatest challenges we face is the increasing financial pressure of maintaining and protecting rural land while developing sustainable infrastructure slowly and responsibly. Funding would help us continue stewarding the forest and creek areas, improve biodiversity, expand food and medicinal plant production, support the nursery and farm stand, and strengthen the community and wellness spaces on the property.

Our long-term vision is to preserve this land as a living ecosystem and community space where people can learn, gather, grow food, reconnect with nature, and deepen their relationship with themselves and the natural world. We hope to inspire others to care for and protect the land, while demonstrating that agriculture, conservation, healing, and community can coexist in a meaningful and regenerative way.