2025 Harvest Moon Festival Workshops
Workshop schedule for the 24th Perennial Harvest Moon Festival (Sept 12-14, 2025 in Clearwater, MB)
The Harvest Moon Society’s Education Committee is really proud of how our workshop line-up came together this year. We’re really looking forward to doing some shared learning!
We have been working to improve the Festival Workshop experience this year by moving around some venues. Workshops that are being held in ‘Tent #2’ will be in the courtyard of the former United Church, located across the street, just northwest of the Harvest Moon Learning Center. ‘Tent #1’ will be in the vacant lot just north of that church, and the venue labelled ‘Clearwater Museum’ is located west of the Clearwater Junction Restaurant and the Restaurant Stage.
Scroll down to learn about each workshop and its presenters.
Nature’s Medicine
Tent #1 - 10am
This two-part workshop is a reminder of how nature supports our health through sunlight, soil, plants, and air. We’ll explore both the science and the simplicity of natural health practices, followed by a hands-on horticulture therapy session allowing you to reconnect with nature’s medicine.
Jayden Dobson is a Naturopathic Doctor based in Manitou, caring for patients throughout Manitoba. With a background in human physiology and ecology, she weaves scientific research with traditional wisdom, reflecting both the evidence and the art of medicine. Rooted in rural community practice, her focus on sustainable medicine supports practical, thoughtful care that benefits both patients and the wider ecosystem.
Cheryl Cohan is a horticulture therapist, anthropologist, psychotherapist, and land steward. She brings many years of experience and formal training in mindfulness, contemplative techniques, and compassion-focused engagement. Her work invites people to reconnect with nature through meaningful, experiential practice.
Improv for Everyone!
Museum - 2pm
Are you looking to shake things up, to play more, or to be more present? We've got the workshop for you!
This up-on-your-feet workshop will introduce participants of all ages to the fundamental concepts of improv through games and some SERIOUS play. Expect games, silliness, and lots of laughs for kids (and kids at heart)!
Ryan Sheedy is an actor, comedian, and instructor based out of Toronto from Calgary, Alberta- he has performed in The Second City House Company, Bad Dog Theatre's Featured Players, and done shows all over the Caribbean with BeerProv on the MSC Seaside, and currently teaches kids and adults at The Second City and Bad Dog theatre company. You can catch him recurring as Constable Evans in Season 16 of Murdoch Mysteries (CBC/Shaftesbury), and if you want to know what music he’s currently listening to or what dogs he saw today, you can find him online (@rtsheedz on all the social media).
Emma Grabinsky is a passionate theatre artist with over a decade of experience in acting across theatre, film, and TV. She earned her BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria and further developed her craft at the Birmingham Conservatory, performing at the Stratford Festival.
Currently, Emma teaches improv at Second City in Toronto and has led Shakespeare workshops for teens at the Stratford Festival. She loves working with kids and is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of theatre lovers through creativity and play.
Practical Self-Defense
Museum - 10am
Jes Coverini works professionally as a community educator and multimedia artist across Canada, running meaningful workshops on mental health, social justice, community care, visual arts, writing and physical self-defense. Jes is a queer, disabled woman of colour local to Winnipeg, and a long-time Harvest Mooner.
Learn physical techniques for effective self-defense. The techniques taught have been designed to be used effectively by anyone regardless of size or skill level. Participants will learn that physical self-defense is only to be used as a response to a direct physical assault, and will also learn the legalities of self-defense under Canadian law. Always kept as a last resort, physical self-defense can be lifesaving in the right situation.
Dried Flower Crown Making
Tent #3 - 10am MAX 25 (first come first served)
Join us to create your very own flower crown! Using a mix of fresh and dried flowers, you'll learn how to craft a beautiful piece of wearable art to remember the Harvest Moon Festival.
Nika Seward is the owner of The Bear Necessities Acres Flower Farm, located on two farm locations in Manitou and Thornhill. Specializing in dahlias, the farm grows a wide variety of cut flowers, from annuals like zinnias and snapdragons to perennials such as peonies and irises.
Supplies are limited so this workshop can only accommodate 25 participants. Be sure to be early for this one.
Food in Tight Spaces: A Panel
Tent #2 - 4pm
A panel to discuss food production at a scale that is more accessible to non-farming folks, people who don't have access to land, and curious beginners who want to approach connecting with food through a different avenue than the grocery store.
Eliana Hotz co-stewards the Churchill Drive Food Forest and serves as president of the board for Sustainable South Osborne Community Cooperative. An advocate for and implementer of hyperlocal food production, Eliana is an example of how someone without knowledge, experience or land can decide to learn how to grow food. Eight years later, she's still figuring it out but believes the key is in collective work and nurturing relationships with the local ecology. Eliana has a Bachelor of Human Nutritional Sciences and is completing a Master of Public Health specializing in Socio-Ecological Systems, Sustainability and Health.
Tom Nagy is a restoration ecologist with a passion for botany, sustainable agriculture, and mycology. Tom has experience working as a field botanist, environmental consultant and as a field and operations manager for a certified organic medicinal herb farm and market garden. In 2018, Tom began River City Mushrooms; a small-scale mycological interest project based in Winnipeg that focuses on cultivating an appreciation for edible and medicinal fungi as well as supplying the knowledge and tools necessary for a new generation of mushroom growing enthusiasts and advocates to flourish. Tom continues to promote a greater understanding of how we perceive, understand and develop relationships with the natural world by writing informative articles and conducting engaging public programs discussing native plant communities, sustainable agriculture, mushroom cultivation and wild foraging.
Alex Kohut is a Métis-Filipino entrepreneur, focused on hyper local, sustainable agriculture. As well as the co-founder and CEO of Cal’s Crops, a vertical farm based in downtown Winnipeg.
Katie McInnes
Conservation in the Garden
Tent #2 - 2 pm
Less than 1% of the Tall Grass Prairie ecosystem remains—making it one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. But with a few thoughtful choices, you can help bring it back, starting in your own backyard.
In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore how planting native prairie species can support local wildlife, improve soil and water quality, and create a resilient, low-maintenance garden. These deep-rooted plants are drought-tolerant, sequester carbon, and offer essential food and habitat for pollinators like butterflies and bees. From chocolate-scented sunflowers to towering prairie grasses, native prairie plants are as stunning as they are essential to the environment.
You’ll learn which species attract different pollinators, and how even a small space can become a thriving mini-prairie. Participants will make their own native seed balls to take home—an easy, fun way to start growing habitat and healing the land.
Carly Gray is the inspiring leader of the CPAWS Manitoba Outdoor Education Program, bringing her vibrant passion for nature and education to every adventure. Her enthusiasm for environmental education is matched by her belief in the transformative power of building relationships with nature and how instilling a lifelong appreciation for the natural world is crucial to conservation and well-being. Driven by a mission to foster a profound connection between people and nature, Carly has connected thousands of people of all ages to the beautiful and diverse landscape of Manitoba.
Sticks and Stuff: Outdoor Experimental Animation
Tent #1 - Noon
Workshop description: Working together, we will make animation experiments using foraged materials from the Harvest Moon School yard. We will explore a variety of accessible and effective camera animation techniques, to study the colours and textures from the end of summer.
Bio: Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies work on art projects together nearly everyday. Their shared practice is rooted in collaborative experiments and a playful exploration of materials and ideas. Multigenerational connection is a cornerstone of their work, with a curiosity for personality, imagination, and memory. In 2024, they released their short animated documentary Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying, produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
Winter Seeding: Get a Jump on Your Spring Garden
Tent 2 - 12 p.m.
Traditional foods teacher Audrey Logan will share her strategies for seeding your garden after a hard frost in order to prepare for early spring emergence. Blending personal experience and traditional stories, topics will include planting according to the lunar cycles, seed stratification, and tips for success.
Audrey Logan is a Nehiyaw (Cree)/métis woman from Northern Alberta who cares for, teaches from, and feeds herself from a permaculture garden in West Broadway using and sharing traditional knowledge methods. She is a longstanding member of the Good Food Club, a Winnipeg, based food security program that works to empower people to eat healthier, gain new skills and create community, and the founder of Dehydration Nations a grassroots and indigenous-led organization that promotes food dehydration knowledge and indigenous food sovereignty.
Getting Your Foot in the Barn Door (And Keeping It There)
Tent #2 - 4pm
Young Agrarians is a farmer to farmer educational resource network for ecological, organic and regenerative farmers in Canada. YA supports farmers of all ages and stages through programs including apprenticeships, business mentorships, online courses, land matching, policy work, and in-person farm tours and events. This workshop is facilitated by Katheryn Loewen (Manitoba Business Mentorship Coordinator) and Sara Yagelniski (Manitoba Apprenticeship Coordinator).
What does it take to learn the skills to live off the land, or to start a farm business? Why are so many farmers struggling with burnout? What is it really like to live rurally?
Explore themes of farming and self-sufficiency in our modern context through an interactive workshop where we put our roots together and see what creativity can sprout out of our collective mycelial community.
Everyone from seasoned farmers, to farm-curious, to local food lovers are encouraged to join.
Climate Action in Manitoba: Real Solutions, Red Flags, and How We Win
Tent # 1 - 4pm
After a devastating record wildfire season, Manitoba needs strong climate action to meaningfully reduce emissions and keep our communities safe. This fall, the Province will launch their climate plan. This panel and discussion will feature expert perspectives on the climate solutions Manitoba needs now – from agriculture, to city planning, to land stewardship – and ways that you can join the climate movement to fight for a better future.
Zach Rempel - International Institute for Sustainable Development
Zach Rempel is a climate change policy analyst and researcher at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. His work focuses on degrowth and sustainable urban planning. He recently delivered a TEDx talk on the role of urban design in climate action.
Kakeka Thundersky - Climate Action Team Manitoba
Kakeka ThunderSky is a young Anishinaabkwe born and raised in Winnipeg Manitoba treaty 1 Territory with family roots in Poplar River First Nation. She is a mother, organizer and helper.
Matthew Wiens - National Farmers Union, Climate Specialist
Matthew Wiens farms with his family at Ploughshares Community Farm, along the Brokenhead River in Treaty 1 Territory. He represents the Manitoba region on the board of the National Farmers Union.
Moderator - Laura Cameron, Climate Action Team Manitoba
Laura Cameron is a climate activist, researcher, and filmmaker living on Treaty 1 territory. She is the Director of the Climate Action Team Manitoba, and a volunteer organizer with the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition.
Ojibway Traditions, Language, and Living on the Land
Museum - 4pm
A group from nearby Swan Lake First Nation will discuss Ojibway perspectives on treaty relationships, language, and the environment. The discussion will feature a blend of historical knowledge and how they’re working to keep that knowledge alive.
David Scott is an Ojibwa Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Indigenous Environmental Expert and a researcher of Treaty and Aboriginal Rights. In his 48 years of experience in these areas David has facilitated community-led research and Traditional Knowledge camps; taught widely about land claims, the Indian Act, and governmental policies that affect Indigenous people; and undertaken field studies on the impacts of Manitoba Hydro’s infrastructural developments in Manitoba. As committee member with many Manitoban First Nations, David has worked in community engagement and consultation, particularly in relation to section 35 of the Constitution Act. In addition to the Traditional Knowledge he holds, David is fluent in both Ojibwa and Saulteaux. He brings this knowledge to bear in his critique of the Canadian education system and his expertise on the relationship between Indigenous people and governmental politics.
Finn Rachul is a dedicated land-based educator specializing in Ojibwe environmental knowledge. Trained by Elder David Scott, Finn has been working with Scott’s Youth Environmental Stewardship Program for over five years, transitioning from participant to instructor. Likewise, he obtained his diploma in Environmental Technologies: Land and Water Management from Assiniboine Community College in 2024. He leads workshops in schools, monitors ecosystems in the Swan Lake area, and collaborates with teachers to develop a land-based teacher’s resource based on Ojibwe environmental teachings. Additionally, Finn participates in truth and reconciliation events alongside Elder Scott. His work emphasizes the importance of using both Indigenous and Western knowledge and perspectives in environmentalism and education.
Elaine Scott is a land-based teacher from Indian Springs School in Swan Lake First Nation. At almost 70 years old, Elaine serves as both an educator and a Language Keeper. From making traditional medicines to teaching outdoor survival skills like snaring rabbits, Elaine imparts a wealth of knowledge. She is deeply cherished by her students, and she wholeheartedly returns that love.
Healing Freshwater Places and People: Freshwater Ecosystems, Holistic Watershed Management and Community-Led Conservation in Manitoba
Museum - noon
This workshop will draw on western scientific perspectives and indigenous knowledge to facilitate discussions on the importance of community-led freshwater conservation. Together we will trace connections from the water in our own backyards (including Crystal Creek which runs through Clearwater) to the communities and ecosystems far downstream). We will think about how water makes our places home, and also how water flows and changes places near and far. We will talk about impacts facing aquatic habitats and species in Canada and highlight existing and emerging approaches for protecting freshwater ecosystems. Drawing on examples of projects happening on the Whitemouth River and the Bloodvein River, we also think about how healing our relationship with freshwater ecosystems offers opportunities for healing ourselves and our communities.
"The theory of Nibi (water) asks us to think on a scale that is outside the present moment and our own immediate needs. Nibi asks us to ground ourselves intimately in land and place and relate that grounding to other movements, geography, cultures and lands. Nibi always creates more possibilities. It works with us and asks us to embrace uncertainty, multiplicity, adaptation, iteration and decentralization, as forces that create the conditions for life."
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, The Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead
Presenters:
Joseph Wasylycia-Leis, Senior Freshwater Conservation Campaigner, Oceans North
Christopher Debicki, Vice President, Policy Development and Counsel, Oceans North
Jim Sanders, Land-based healing advocate and founder of the Tonkiri Retreat Centre
Also:
Hoop Jam with Karrie
Saturday afternoon in the Campground
Karrie Blackburn is a hoopist and the founder of Kurrent Motion Hoops. Find her out in the campground on Saturday afternoon where she’ll run a hoop jam and facilitate play in a come and go space for all ages.
Fibre Arts Craft Tent
10am to 4pm, in the campground by Big Games
Craft Tent, 10-4 Saturday, Bring your own craft or contribute to the group project.
Beading 10am
Flower pounding 12pm
Embroidery 2pm
Celestial Curiosities with StarGirl / Explore the Night Sky with Pembina Valley Astro Club
Friday and Saturday Night near the Bridge
Come observe the Moon, planets, nebulas, galaxies, binary stars, and much more with Kenton from the Pembina Valley Astro Club. Let's talk about space and astronomy! Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the wonders of the cosmos up close!
During the Festival, we should be able to get good views of the moon to the south. Saturn will also be visible as soon as it's dark. Throughout the course of the night there will be all sorts of galaxies, star clusters, binary stars, and nebulas that we can see.
Join StarGirl the Wandering Astronomer at the Clearwater Skyway and she’ll be your narrator on a sky tour, with the stars as her movie screen. Everyone wishing to participate can all gather together and share sky maps and binoculars. After a decade of teaching Astronomy at the Planetarium star theatre, StarGirl once again takes her show on the road and brings her curiosity for space and the wonders of the night time sky to the Harvest Moon Festival.